Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 28, 2023

791 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 791 626 699
Slaughter cattle 791 626 699

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .50-.75 lower, Dairy steers .50 lower, slaughter cows no comparison due to not reported last week.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1289 1194 31 155.00–184.00 $175.55 $2,096 —
1180–1517 1358 47 170.00–179.50 $176.22 $2,393 —
1240–1670 1449 189 179.75–186.25 $182.71 $2,647 -0.80

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1245 1131 6 150.00–173.50 $164.63 $1,862 —
1055–1460 1233 55 170.00–179.50 $176.37 $2,175 -0.79
1135–1552 1352 107 180.00–186.50 $182.46 $2,467 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610–1590 1147 85-90% 66 74.00–99.00 $90.28 $1,036 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1680 1404 75-80% 33 110.00–118.50 $115.36 $1,620 —
1215–1650 1483 75-80% 10 119.00–127.00 $122.80 $1,821 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1710 1333 80-85% 40 100.00–109.50 $104.71 $1,396 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360–1600 1473 65-75% 3 130.00–133.00 $131.25 $1,933 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1165 1153 2 124.00–130.00 $127.03 $1,465 —
1165–2355 1600 17 97.00–128.00 $119.77 $1,916 —
1200–2080 1732 11 129.00–142.50 $134.11 $2,323 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1625 1321 8 150.00–151.00 $150.41 $1,987 —
1387–1770 1538 8 160.00–169.50 $164.34 $2,528 -0.21

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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.