Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 19, 2024

985 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction report →

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 985 674 626
Slaughter cattle 985 674 626

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison due to last week sale not reported. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1350 1153 8 171.00–191.00 $180.01 $2,076 -3.31
1215–1290 1248 7 184.50–189.00 $186.61 $2,329
1145–1525 1315 46 179.00–184.50 $183.42 $2,412
1222–1690 1457 301 185.00–192.75 $187.89 $2,738 -5.22

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1067–1140 1102 4 184.00–184.50 $184.13 $2,029
1045–1375 1198 45 177.00–187.50 $183.32 $2,196
1130–1665 1335 247 185.00–191.50 $188.09 $2,511 -4.32

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1080 1039 75-80% 8 138.00–165.00 $155.19 $1,612
1180–1820 1396 75-80% 21 125.00–133.00 $128.49 $1,794
1315–1810 1521 75-80% 17 134.00–142.50 $138.16 $2,101 -13.01
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–995 961 80-85% 4 124.00–133.00 $126.66 $1,217
1000–1185 1073 80-85% 13 120.00–135.00 $126.21 $1,354 -8.03
1080–1780 1317 80-85% 26 116.00–124.50 $121.18 $1,596
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–975 904 85-90% 5 107.00–114.00 $111.15 $1,005
1040–1290 1136 85-90% 6 110.00–114.00 $112.50 $1,278

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1450 1328 2 121.00–126.00 $123.73 $1,643
1090–2375 1781 19 135.00–163.00 $152.72 $2,720
1545–2130 1860 9 165.00–170.00 $167.04 $3,107

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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.