Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 31, 2023

1,414 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 1,414 236 828
Slaughter cattle 1,414 236 828

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: 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
815–1240 1040 38 141.00–191.00 $176.97 $1,840 —
1221–1228 1225 14 181.25–187.00 $184.13 $2,256 —
1135–1595 1304 144 170.00–184.00 $180.98 $2,360 -2.96
1155–1685 1419 327 184.50–193.25 $188.41 $2,674 -3.82

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1192 1089 40 160.00–189.00 $180.49 $1,966 —
1050–1490 1197 91 170.00–184.50 $181.23 $2,169 —
1120–1570 1281 245 185.00–193.00 $188.39 $2,413 -5.74

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–1805 1228 80-85% 79 101.50–110.00 $106.20 $1,304 -4.13
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1560 1350 75-80% 30 112.00–119.00 $115.72 $1,562 —
1285–1700 1461 75-80% 31 120.00–129.00 $124.00 $1,812 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
730–1610 1101 85-90% 42 81.00–101.00 $96.22 $1,059 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1700 1580 65-75% 7 130.00–136.00 $132.67 $2,096 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1170 1080 11 94.00–135.00 $117.67 $1,271 —
1150–2045 1628 6 102.00–108.50 $105.76 $1,722 —
1290–1980 1683 14 110.00–129.00 $121.26 $2,041 —
1205–2100 1817 18 130.00–150.00 $137.99 $2,507 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1490 1197 10 110.00–134.00 $124.85 $1,494 —
1095–1465 1293 13 140.00–152.00 $146.88 $1,899 —
1245–1705 1450 51 153.00–175.00 $158.94 $2,305 —

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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.