Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 25, 2024

776 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 776 421 911
Slaughter cattle 776 421 911

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were4.50-6.00 lower, Dairy steers no comparison due to low receipts last week, slaughter cows 1.00-2.00 higher. 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
1029–1197 1086 10 159.00–170.00 $165.22 $1,794 —
1105–1695 1362 16 165.00–174.50 $172.12 $2,344 —
1215–1695 1469 243 175.00–185.00 $180.33 $2,649 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1083–1181 1139 7 161.00–171.00 $165.08 $1,880 —
1120–1455 1264 20 168.00–176.50 $172.91 $2,186 -2.40
1110–1610 1364 170 175.00–185.00 $180.74 $2,465 -6.13

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1885 1445 75-80% 45 102.00–109.50 $106.09 $1,533 —
1210–1850 1465 75-80% 49 110.00–123.00 $114.42 $1,676 +9.10
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1605 1253 80-85% 18 95.00–101.00 $97.80 $1,225 -5.96
1085–1530 1335 80-85% 13 102.00–108.00 $104.61 $1,397 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815–1430 1065 85-90% 21 77.00–94.00 $86.66 $923 —
930–1520 1300 85-90% 4 51.00–66.00 $57.95 $753 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1490–1845 1668 65-75% 2 154.00–155.00 $154.55 $2,578 —
1360–1945 1676 65-75% 19 126.00–140.00 $131.84 $2,210 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1780 1780 1 131.00 $131.00 $2,332 —
1390–2505 1886 7 112.00–128.00 $122.91 $2,318 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1535 1354 4 145.00–148.00 $146.20 $1,980 —
1315–1610 1474 16 150.00–159.25 $155.58 $2,293 —

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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.