Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 21, 2023

626 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 626 1,107 918
Slaughter cattle 626 1,107 918

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison due to last week not reported. Trade active. Demand moderate to good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1265 1108 11 150.00–180.00 $169.13 $1,874 -7.47
1105–1515 1300 46 171.00–179.50 $177.42 $2,306 -2.87
1222–1630 1442 258 180.00–186.00 $183.51 $2,646 -4.22

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–1130 1018 17 157.00–181.00 $175.50 $1,787
1045–1380 1207 35 170.00–181.00 $177.16 $2,138
1125–1490 1308 160 180.00–187.00 $183.07 $2,395

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1240 1110 3 117.50–137.50 $129.59 $1,438
1375–1615 1464 4 151.00–158.00 $153.83 $2,252 -11.00
1415–1680 1535 21 159.00–170.00 $164.55 $2,526

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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.