Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 11, 2023

970 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 970 591 956
Slaughter cattle 970 591 956

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.00-2.50 lower, Dairy steers 1.00 lower, slaughter cows steady -.25 higher. 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
955–1195 1098 8 130.00–167.00 $147.78 $1,623
1105–1615 1337 58 160.00–175.00 $172.10 $2,301
1155–1695 1438 156 176.00–184.50 $179.79 $2,585 -1.00

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1290 1182 7 112.50–150.00 $134.19 $1,586
995–1565 1266 97 161.00–175.50 $170.67 $2,161 -0.98
1140–1550 1286 175 176.00–185.00 $179.09 $2,303 +7.44

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1760 1264 80-85% 84 86.00–97.50 $91.65 $1,158
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–2345 1428 75-80% 54 98.00–104.50 $101.59 $1,451
1160–1805 1458 75-80% 28 105.00–111.00 $107.24 $1,564
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755–995 880 85-90% 3 60.00–70.00 $65.34 $575
850–1545 1183 85-90% 19 75.00–85.00 $82.18 $972 +0.09

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–2115 1559 13 100.00–119.00 $111.55 $1,739
1251–2425 1671 19 122.00–142.00 $128.87 $2,153 +6.04

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1290 1212 3 120.00–130.00 $123.60 $1,498
1220–1305 1277 3 135.00–140.00 $138.41 $1,767 +18.41
1385–1670 1492 19 144.00–154.50 $150.34 $2,243

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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.