Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 29, 2024

748 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 748 665 1,151
Slaughter cattle 748 665 1,151

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison due to last week not reported. 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
1115–1190 1139 7 141.00–178.00 $166.14 $1,892
1175–1585 1383 75 175.00–184.00 $181.65 $2,512 +5.21
1335–1672 1480 155 185.00–191.50 $187.84 $2,780 +2.61
1605–1870 1756 21 163.00–186.00 $181.08 $3,180

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1235 1093 17 127.50–180.50 $168.74 $1,844
1055–1690 1238 30 170.00–184.00 $177.84 $2,202
1230–1565 1405 128 185.00–192.25 $189.47 $2,662

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1820 1430 75-80% 58 111.00–118.50 $114.51 $1,637
1150–1980 1468 75-80% 27 119.00–128.00 $121.67 $1,786 +8.08
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–1735 1275 80-85% 20 104.00–110.00 $107.31 $1,368
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770–1055 930 85-90% 4 50.00–69.00 $59.11 $550
760–1310 1050 85-90% 6 72.00–91.00 $82.32 $864 +35.15

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1205 1178 2 138.00–143.00 $140.56 $1,656
1295–2280 1700 18 140.00–166.00 $151.05 $2,568 +27.53
1355–2095 1732 12 111.00–139.00 $124.39 $2,154 +0.87

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1200 1185 2 125.00–127.50 $126.27 $1,496
1365–1680 1539 15 140.00–158.00 $151.83 $2,337 +1.67
1430–1785 1593 21 159.00–175.00 $163.02 $2,597 +6.71

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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.