Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 16, 2023

800 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 800 941 0
Slaughter cattle 800 941 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.00-1.25 lower, Dairy steers 1.25 lower. Trade active. Demand moderate to good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1262 1154 12 140.00–173.00 $157.11 $1,813
1208–1293 1239 11 169.00–175.00 $172.72 $2,140
1145–1600 1350 17 167.00–174.00 $171.14 $2,310 -3.31
1260–1683 1479 289 175.00–185.75 $180.15 $2,664 -1.32

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1135 1069 11 130.00–170.00 $156.33 $1,671
1085–1434 1308 42 168.00–174.50 $171.91 $2,249
1106–1622 1365 221 175.00–185.75 $180.20 $2,460 -1.01

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1425 1280 2 145.00–151.00 $147.66 $1,890
1250–1585 1432 10 147.00–154.00 $150.41 $2,154
1395–1830 1585 32 155.00–164.00 $160.23 $2,540 -1.29

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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.