Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, July 18, 2024

747 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 747 1,393 992
Slaughter cattle 747 1,393 992

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .25-1.00 higher, Dairy steers 1.25 lower, slaughter cows Breakers steady, Boner and Lean 2.50 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
1000–1280 1141 10 160.00–201.00 $185.21 $2,113 —
1140–1310 1200 12 182.00–194.50 $189.76 $2,277 —
1135–1550 1346 60 181.00–194.50 $191.09 $2,572 -0.36
1110–1644 1404 169 195.00–203.50 $199.05 $2,795 +1.20

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
947–1130 1039 8 169.00–195.00 $181.46 $1,885 -8.79
1105–1505 1278 147 195.00–201.75 $198.46 $2,536 —
1065–1523 1310 49 180.00–194.25 $191.18 $2,504 -6.96

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1000 951 75-80% 4 131.50–144.50 $139.18 $1,324 —
1020–1415 1215 75-80% 10 147.00–167.00 $153.18 $1,861 —
1155–1910 1439 75-80% 35 137.00–145.50 $141.57 $2,037 -0.31
1235–1775 1462 75-80% 35 146.00–168.00 $153.11 $2,238 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–945 892 80-85% 3 131.00–144.50 $137.69 $1,228 +3.89
1025–1230 1109 80-85% 15 137.00–146.00 $141.22 $1,566 —
1085–1530 1194 80-85% 14 129.00–139.50 $134.60 $1,607 -4.27
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–995 940 85-90% 4 100.00–125.00 $109.82 $1,032 -5.04
1000–1360 1183 85-90% 6 100.00–125.00 $113.55 $1,343 +10.96

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1320 1163 2 96.00–113.00 $103.35 $1,202 -51.17
965–1285 1171 9 132.00–178.00 $157.17 $1,840 +2.65
1320–2185 1772 9 132.00–174.00 $158.82 $2,814 —
1520–2240 1827 11 178.00–205.00 $191.14 $3,492 -2.13

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1465–1630 1569 5 187.00–194.00 $191.00 $2,997 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1360–1740 1512 8 173.00–185.00 $176.97 $2,676 —
1330–1935 1616 10 163.50–169.00 $165.95 $2,682 -12.50

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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.