Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 4, 2024

1,107 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 1,107 733 921
Slaughter cattle 1,107 733 921

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison. 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
1020–1235 1159 6 135.00–145.00 $141.47 $1,640
1167–1515 1291 28 160.00–171.00 $167.04 $2,156
1250–1698 1502 296 172.00–180.25 $176.78 $2,655 +1.50

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1125 1066 9 115.00–168.00 $157.35 $1,677
1115–1475 1320 53 160.00–171.50 $168.77 $2,228
1174–1605 1401 256 172.00–180.25 $177.22 $2,483

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1770 1340 80-85% 69 85.00–94.00 $89.96 $1,205
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1945 1458 75-80% 44 95.00–104.00 $98.53 $1,437 -3.95
1245–1985 1605 75-80% 20 105.00–118.00 $109.35 $1,755 -3.85
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–970 916 85-90% 4 39.00–62.00 $53.94 $494
745–1615 1213 85-90% 26 70.00–84.00 $77.79 $944

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–1027 1005 3 122.00–125.00 $124.04 $1,247
960–2155 1503 3 74.00–94.00 $83.59 $1,256
1540–2205 1903 4 129.00–136.00 $131.83 $2,509
1330–2575 1952 17 107.00–125.00 $115.98 $2,264

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1131–1665 1390 15 140.00–148.00 $146.28 $2,033 +18.50
1350–1455 1403 3 110.00–129.00 $122.10 $1,713 -21.27
1475–1705 1586 14 149.00–159.00 $153.65 $2,437

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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.