Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 15, 2024

744 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 744 847 883
Slaughter cattle 744 847 883

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.00-1.50 higher, Dairy steers 1.00 lower, slaughter cows Breakers and Boners steady, Lean 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
1070–1210 1116 4 185.00–197.00 $189.50 $2,115 -5.72
1070–1283 1223 18 187.00–197.50 $192.12 $2,350 -3.32
1015–1495 1330 30 183.00–191.50 $188.80 $2,511 —
1155–1655 1427 215 192.00–200.00 $196.44 $2,803 +1.49
1708–1805 1725 7 195.50–199.50 $197.43 $3,406 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1020 983 2 170.00–181.00 $175.71 $1,727 -12.03
1040–1445 1203 55 182.00–192.50 $190.03 $2,286 -0.86
1160–1530 1320 123 193.00–199.50 $195.66 $2,583 +1.46

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1390 1185 75-80% 7 146.00–182.50 $160.02 $1,896 —
1170–1530 1323 75-80% 23 135.00–142.00 $139.50 $1,846 —
1235–1825 1484 75-80% 18 143.00–152.00 $147.51 $2,189 +8.02
1320–1775 1583 75-80% 4 125.00–130.00 $126.40 $2,001 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1205 1116 80-85% 9 130.00–142.00 $136.97 $1,529 —
1020–1465 1200 80-85% 22 124.00–133.00 $129.69 $1,556 -0.19
1315–1625 1515 80-85% 3 110.00–116.00 $112.15 $1,699 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–965 905 85-90% 5 101.00–121.00 $111.62 $1,010 —
785–1500 1068 85-90% 11 85.00–102.00 $96.79 $1,034 —
1010–1600 1223 85-90% 16 104.00–122.00 $114.86 $1,405 +28.48

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1255 1081 6 155.00–220.00 $187.48 $2,027 —
1320–2250 1649 21 143.50–170.00 $158.57 $2,615 —
1580–2180 1884 8 177.00–191.00 $185.98 $3,504 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1466–1483 1475 8 190.00–196.25 $193.45 $2,853 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435–1675 1568 11 190.00–196.00 $193.19 $3,029 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1370 1274 8 159.00–168.00 $165.24 $2,105 —
1310–1925 1591 26 173.75–180.00 $176.81 $2,813 —

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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.