Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 12, 2023

762 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 762 643 861
Slaughter cattle 762 643 861

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers.50 higher, Dairy steers steady, slaughter cows steady to .50 higher. 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
1005–1245 1088 8 150.00–172.00 $164.36 $1,788 —
1150–1345 1264 15 175.00–181.00 $178.98 $2,262 —
1165–1712 1439 292 182.00–193.00 $187.53 $2,699 +0.51

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1255 1087 3 145.00–169.00 $157.88 $1,716 —
1040–1295 1169 25 174.00–182.50 $178.64 $2,088 -0.25
1140–1615 1348 177 183.00–191.00 $188.21 $2,537 +0.51

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685–825 762 85-90% 3 66.00–70.00 $67.92 $518 —
890–1575 1124 85-90% 44 76.00–99.00 $91.02 $1,023 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1605 1389 75-80% 16 111.00–118.00 $114.22 $1,587 —
1345–2130 1560 75-80% 17 120.00–127.00 $123.73 $1,930 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1705 1316 80-85% 27 101.00–110.00 $104.63 $1,377 +11.53
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1475 1413 65-75% 2 130.00–145.00 $137.17 $1,938 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1080 1060 2 122.00–124.00 $122.98 $1,304 +22.96
1415–2105 1657 12 108.00–126.00 $117.19 $1,942 —
1625–2295 1954 6 128.00–134.00 $130.62 $2,552 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1175–1325 1243 3 125.00–136.00 $129.89 $1,615 —
1205–1330 1268 2 144.00–154.00 $148.75 $1,886 —
1390–1936 1712 11 155.00–166.00 $160.49 $2,748 —

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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.