Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 21, 2024

802 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 802 890 757
Slaughter cattle 802 890 757

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison due to last week not reported. 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
965–1225 1103 8 145.00–175.00 $158.09 $1,744 —
1170–1625 1300 66 176.00–185.50 $182.80 $2,376 —
1240–1640 1465 165 186.00–195.00 $189.74 $2,780 +1.71

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1690 1342 172 186.00–195.00 $191.42 $2,569 —
1085–1517 1362 24 174.00–185.00 $183.17 $2,495 -5.17

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1915 1437 75-80% 60 119.00–128.00 $123.49 $1,775 —
1220–2100 1528 75-80% 42 129.00–139.50 $132.10 $2,018 +9.06
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1730 1226 80-85% 53 109.00–118.00 $114.22 $1,400 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680–1175 958 85-90% 3 30.00–68.00 $55.74 $534 —
755–1450 1028 85-90% 6 85.00–105.00 $92.87 $955 -4.66
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1450–1775 1562 65-75% 3 140.00–150.00 $143.28 $2,238 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370 1370 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,507 —
1465–2150 1696 14 150.00–171.00 $160.43 $2,721 —
1430–2740 1920 11 112.00–142.00 $132.52 $2,544 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1705 1474 5 153.00–158.00 $155.80 $2,296 —
1320–1710 1510 27 155.00–168.00 $163.49 $2,469 +2.40

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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.