Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 13, 2023

661 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction report →

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 661 663 711
Slaughter cattle 661 663 711

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 3.50-4.00 higher, Dairy steers .25 higher, slaughter cows 1.25-2.50 higher. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1255 1145 2 157.00–163.00 $159.71 $1,829 —
1135–1610 1321 25 162.00–175.00 $172.64 $2,281 +3.64
1253–1745 1445 153 177.00–188.25 $181.30 $2,620 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 1 139.00 $139.00 $1,640 -12.28
1025–1530 1241 33 160.00–175.00 $168.84 $2,095 —
1140–1570 1306 186 176.00–188.00 $181.82 $2,375 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190–1755 1407 75-80% 35 100.00–109.00 $105.26 $1,481 +2.64
1245–1930 1528 75-80% 19 110.00–118.00 $112.91 $1,725 +3.49
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670–1210 940 85-90% 7 50.00–75.00 $64.41 $605 —
680–1640 1171 85-90% 23 75.00–89.00 $83.22 $975 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1580 1246 80-85% 26 90.00–99.00 $95.70 $1,192 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440 1440 65-75% 1 139.00 $139.00 $2,002 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920 920 1 60.00 $60.00 $552 —
1010–2215 1477 6 100.00–114.00 $106.07 $1,567 —
1180–2410 1794 15 120.00–139.00 $129.58 $2,325 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1300 1244 6 116.00–125.50 $120.77 $1,502 —
1285–1595 1416 11 128.00–140.00 $132.66 $1,878 —
1385–1682 1567 11 144.00–153.00 $147.31 $2,308 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.