Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 19, 2023

784 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 784 762 652
Slaughter cattle 784 762 652

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.00 lower, slaughter cows 1.00-3.00 lower. 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
1000–1150 1099 5 164.00–177.00 $168.63 $1,853 +4.27
1220–1585 1344 38 170.00–181.00 $178.15 $2,394 —
1100–1720 1470 220 182.00–189.50 $185.59 $2,728 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1400 1264 25 131.00–181.50 $176.34 $2,229 —
1110–1590 1349 250 182.00–189.00 $185.38 $2,501 -2.83

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–955 930 85-90% 3 25.00–46.00 $35.54 $331 —
815–1490 1135 85-90% 41 71.00–95.00 $88.61 $1,006 -2.41
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1760 1382 80-85% 35 96.00–108.00 $101.27 $1,400 —
1230–1860 1456 80-85% 9 86.00–96.00 $91.66 $1,335 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1825 1520 75-80% 13 119.00–129.00 $122.55 $1,863 —
1185–2190 1540 75-80% 14 110.00–117.00 $113.43 $1,747 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435–1505 1467 65-75% 3 130.00–134.00 $131.33 $1,927 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1125 1033 2 92.00–93.00 $92.54 $956 —
1195 1195 2 105.50–130.00 $117.75 $1,407 —
1270–1995 1628 14 97.00–128.00 $118.91 $1,936 —
1910–1960 1935 2 140.00–140.50 $140.25 $2,714 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1155 1082 3 120.00–139.00 $131.05 $1,418 —
1190–1550 1398 10 146.00–158.00 $152.13 $2,127 —
1375–1656 1519 14 160.00–177.00 $169.01 $2,567 —

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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.