Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 25, 2024

518 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 518 796 816
Slaughter cattle 518 796 816

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .50-.75 lower, Dairy steers .50 lower, slaughter cows .25-.50 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
1155–1285 1198 3 160.00–164.50 $162.89 $1,951 —
1050–1575 1331 30 175.00–182.00 $178.82 $2,380 —
1285–1745 1444 40 183.00–187.00 $185.21 $2,674 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1485 1281 48 174.00–182.50 $179.50 $2,299 —
1177–1670 1360 52 183.50–189.00 $185.58 $2,524 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1425 1253 75-80% 8 131.00–145.00 $137.81 $1,727 —
1200–1755 1475 75-80% 60 125.00–135.00 $130.29 $1,922 +0.65
1220–1895 1541 75-80% 11 120.00–124.50 $121.92 $1,879 +1.62
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–995 965 80-85% 5 115.00–127.00 $120.99 $1,168 —
1010–1280 1127 80-85% 19 124.00–136.00 $128.01 $1,443 —
1140–1465 1293 80-85% 7 110.00–114.00 $112.10 $1,449 -19.05
1125–1635 1296 80-85% 8 127.00–135.00 $130.83 $1,696 -0.32
1005–1820 1315 80-85% 23 115.00–123.00 $119.03 $1,565 +0.28
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–970 873 85-90% 5 105.00–111.00 $108.06 $943 —
805–1115 994 85-90% 8 110.00–118.00 $113.88 $1,132 +4.62
1020–1455 1141 85-90% 10 101.00–110.00 $106.80 $1,219 —
1130–1415 1273 85-90% 2 90.00–93.00 $91.67 $1,167 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1090 1078 2 110.00–137.00 $123.66 $1,333 +10.69
1575–2035 1756 10 160.00–171.00 $164.22 $2,884 —
1410–2660 1805 19 134.00–157.00 $144.53 $2,609 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1450 1363 5 112.50–125.00 $121.48 $1,656 —
1330–1960 1520 13 145.00–162.00 $157.46 $2,393 —
1405–1905 1585 9 163.00–171.00 $166.70 $2,642 —

↑ Back to top

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.