Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, June 6, 2024

910 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 910 563 702
Slaughter cattle 910 563 702

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 6.50 lower, Dairy steers .50 lower, slaughter cows Breakers steady, Boner and lean cows 1.00-2.00 lower. 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
975–1222 1146 16 179.00–199.00 $187.19 $2,145 —
1235–1540 1377 73 180.00–185.50 $184.46 $2,540 —
1200–1620 1415 195 186.00–192.00 $188.79 $2,671 -6.61

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1170 1040 4 179.00–199.00 $188.52 $1,961 +9.39
1082–1540 1259 27 175.00–185.50 $182.59 $2,299 -4.55
1170–1540 1326 153 186.00–191.00 $188.71 $2,502 -6.88

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1405 1244 75-80% 17 140.00–161.00 $146.52 $1,823 -2.44
1205–1885 1447 75-80% 49 133.00–141.00 $137.39 $1,988 —
1310–1805 1496 75-80% 13 120.00–130.50 $125.36 $1,875 -12.70
1220–2020 1512 75-80% 82 142.00–160.50 $148.59 $2,247 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1140 968 80-85% 10 121.00–147.50 $131.98 $1,278 —
1035–1095 1068 80-85% 5 127.00–141.00 $134.98 $1,442 —
1120–1445 1258 80-85% 6 138.00–143.00 $139.93 $1,760 —
1110–1720 1345 80-85% 21 125.00–132.50 $128.68 $1,731 -3.51
1500 1500 80-85% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,725 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
745–995 879 85-90% 7 109.00–120.00 $114.93 $1,010 —
1000–1265 1140 85-90% 14 101.00–123.00 $114.54 $1,306 -5.64

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1220 1126 6 145.00–191.00 $162.02 $1,824 —
1235–1745 1493 7 120.00–163.00 $146.00 $2,180 —
1370–2290 1859 17 169.00–191.50 $179.10 $3,329 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1562–1655 1590 6 178.00–187.00 $183.47 $2,917 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1230 1180 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,534 —
1270–1675 1486 14 150.00–167.00 $160.53 $2,385 —
1300–1735 1564 44 168.00–178.00 $173.32 $2,711 —

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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.