Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 9, 2023

941 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 941 623 905
Slaughter cattle 941 623 905

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.50-2.50 lower, Dairy steers steady, slaughter cows 2.00 lower. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1205 1130 2 145.00–160.00 $152.00 $1,718
1155–1490 1365 48 170.00–176.00 $174.45 $2,381
1278–1775 1473 266 177.00–186.50 $181.47 $2,673 -2.62

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1460 1232 16 165.00–177.00 $172.23 $2,122
1165–1650 1352 180 178.00–185.50 $181.21 $2,450 -1.44

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–1195 1074 85-90% 8 50.00–67.00 $60.63 $651 +2.33
835–1720 1223 85-90% 93 70.00–93.00 $83.40 $1,020
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1700 1407 80-85% 36 78.50–93.00 $89.27 $1,256 -13.47
950–1865 1415 80-85% 46 94.00–105.50 $99.19 $1,404 -3.55
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1415–1605 1510 75-80% 2 118.00–120.00 $118.94 $1,796
1225–1975 1554 75-80% 30 106.00–116.00 $109.69 $1,705 -15.62

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345–2160 1700 14 101.00–125.00 $114.78 $1,951 -15.10
1600–2190 1958 8 127.00–140.00 $131.65 $2,578

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1480 1370 3 125.00–133.00 $129.16 $1,769
1365–1683 1454 28 150.00–158.00 $155.38 $2,259 -5.96
1455–1840 1594 22 159.00–165.00 $161.52 $2,575

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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.