Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 2, 2023

623 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 623 823 761
Slaughter cattle 623 823 761

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .25-1.00 lower, Dairy steers .75 lower, slaughter cows 1.00-2.50 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
1180–1545 1338 23 173.00–179.50 $177.97 $2,381 —
1170–1633 1489 132 180.25–187.25 $184.09 $2,741 -0.17

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1080 1044 4 155.00–167.00 $160.57 $1,676 —
1058–1525 1253 21 170.00–179.50 $176.67 $2,214 +0.14
1175–1624 1354 152 180.00–186.25 $182.65 $2,473 -1.11

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–2045 1419 80-85% 50 98.00–108.00 $102.74 $1,458 —
1265–1865 1510 80-85% 13 86.00–97.00 $90.87 $1,372 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1320 1089 85-90% 4 56.00–61.00 $58.30 $635 —
935–1515 1180 85-90% 54 70.00–97.50 $85.32 $1,007 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1860 1493 75-80% 46 109.00–118.00 $112.12 $1,674 —
1355–1790 1556 75-80% 4 123.00–127.00 $125.31 $1,950 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1575 1463 65-75% 2 131.00–140.00 $135.15 $1,977 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–1955 1660 17 98.00–126.50 $112.93 $1,875 —
1270–2170 1706 5 127.00–133.00 $129.88 $2,216 —
1655–2055 1855 2 93.00–95.00 $94.11 $1,746 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1445 1253 5 134.00–136.00 $135.40 $1,697 —
1285–1495 1406 5 149.00–157.00 $152.68 $2,147 —
1353–1730 1472 21 159.00–163.50 $161.34 $2,375 —

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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.