Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 4, 2023

591 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 591 816 956
Slaughter cattle 591 816 956

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison due to last week sale not reported. 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
1025–1340 1168 6 140.00–160.00 $155.39 $1,815 +2.26
1105–1650 1389 49 163.00–176.00 $172.96 $2,402 +1.64
1216–1650 1421 126 177.00–185.00 $180.79 $2,569

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1225 1102 3 145.00–150.00 $148.15 $1,633
1020–1600 1296 36 163.00–176.00 $171.65 $2,225
1210–1570 1347 99 177.00–185.00 $181.69 $2,447 +3.28

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1745 1383 75-80% 31 98.00–105.50 $101.15 $1,399
1295–2070 1595 75-80% 36 106.00–114.00 $109.42 $1,745
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1715 1368 80-85% 46 86.00–97.50 $91.60 $1,253
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–1345 1002 85-90% 3 47.00–65.00 $56.94 $571
810–1635 1193 85-90% 13 77.00–85.00 $82.09 $979

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1955 1511 8 91.00–118.00 $107.42 $1,623
1075–1950 1690 10 119.00–131.00 $122.83 $2,076

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295 1295 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,554
1380–1570 1453 5 135.00–142.00 $138.89 $2,018 +12.89
1335–1690 1519 21 144.00–155.00 $151.41 $2,300 +4.78

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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.