Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 20, 2023

816 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 816 661 607
Slaughter cattle 816 661 607

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 3.25-3.50 lower, Dairy steers .50 lower, slaughter cows Breaker and Boners were 1.00-2.00 lower, Lean cows were steady. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1350 1193 6 140.00–164.00 $153.13 $1,827
1145–1665 1366 70 164.00–174.50 $171.32 $2,340
1220–1653 1460 154 175.00–182.25 $178.04 $2,599

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1210 1083 8 118.00–160.00 $135.19 $1,464
1080–1570 1326 44 160.00–174.00 $169.53 $2,248 -12.29
1173–1655 1345 138 175.00–182.75 $178.41 $2,400

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1780 1314 80-85% 74 90.00–99.50 $94.67 $1,244
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710–1580 1118 85-90% 15 30.00–74.00 $58.99 $660
745–1535 1156 85-90% 47 76.00–89.00 $83.77 $968 +0.55
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1690 1442 75-80% 19 106.50–110.00 $108.35 $1,562 +3.09
1105–1965 1451 75-80% 42 100.00–106.00 $103.13 $1,496

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1375–1420 1398 2 65.00–85.00 $74.84 $1,046
1657–2185 1821 12 120.00–134.00 $130.49 $2,376
1230–2715 1847 18 100.00–119.50 $111.76 $2,064

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1460 1460 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,840
1390–1560 1493 3 139.00–140.00 $139.69 $2,086
1333–1660 1511 31 142.00–150.00 $146.63 $2,216

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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.