Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 3, 2023

1,141 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 1,141 499 772
Slaughter cattle 1,141 499 772

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 6.00-8.00 lower, Dairy steers 3.00 lower, slaughter cows no comparison due to low receipts last week. 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
950–1220 1069 12 160.00–183.00 $172.17 $1,840 —
1192–1346 1248 29 182.00–189.00 $185.81 $2,319 +2.40
1125–1536 1288 98 170.00–181.50 $178.04 $2,293 —
1220–1705 1410 265 182.00–190.00 $185.57 $2,617 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–1265 1005 16 132.00–183.00 $165.34 $1,662 —
1030–1446 1229 70 170.00–182.00 $177.40 $2,180 -15.62
1125–1580 1285 193 182.00–189.50 $186.12 $2,392 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1805 1396 75-80% 38 109.00–117.50 $112.57 $1,571 —
1120–1750 1437 75-80% 44 118.00–128.50 $122.68 $1,763 +1.95
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1470 1223 80-85% 54 98.00–108.50 $104.08 $1,273 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1245 1067 85-90% 10 70.00–96.00 $90.18 $962 +3.30
1065–1395 1218 85-90% 4 50.00–63.00 $58.00 $706 -10.19
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1850 1613 65-75% 14 130.00–143.00 $134.21 $2,165 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1145 1137 3 136.50–139.00 $137.32 $1,561 —
1315–1625 1470 2 89.00–106.00 $98.40 $1,446 —
1233–1805 1560 16 112.00–131.50 $125.80 $1,962 —
1280–2245 1728 35 134.00–170.00 $148.69 $2,569 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320–1375 1349 4 121.00–135.00 $130.35 $1,758 —
1335–1755 1488 13 141.00–152.00 $147.78 $2,199 -15.70
1300–1777 1522 64 153.00–165.00 $158.49 $2,412 +9.49

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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.