Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 3, 2024

633 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 633 680 643
Slaughter cattle 633 680 643

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 3.25-3.50 higher, Dairy steers no comparison due to low receipts last week, slaughter cows steady -.50 higher. 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
1065–1086 1079 6 143.00–190.00 $158.06 $1,705
1227–1445 1335 33 182.00–189.50 $186.99 $2,496
1200–1695 1474 225 190.00–196.50 $192.71 $2,841

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1395 1241 29 179.00–189.50 $186.18 $2,310
1135–1650 1340 133 190.00–196.25 $192.33 $2,577 +3.29

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1460 1386 75-80% 5 123.00–150.00 $133.48 $1,850
1275–1875 1571 75-80% 25 125.00–133.50 $129.08 $2,028
1420–1815 1573 75-80% 9 134.00–149.00 $137.28 $2,159
1335–1875 1644 75-80% 6 120.00–123.50 $122.27 $2,010 -14.50
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–945 940 80-85% 3 135.00–161.00 $149.74 $1,408
1040–1270 1167 80-85% 5 123.00–163.00 $136.81 $1,597
1000–1435 1307 80-85% 13 119.50–126.00 $122.86 $1,606 -0.05
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1380 1173 85-90% 12 105.00–119.00 $114.63 $1,345 -0.87

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1530–2160 1770 12 127.00–160.50 $148.84 $2,634 -0.69
1770–2025 1872 3 162.00–178.00 $168.02 $3,145

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1330 1290 3 136.00–145.00 $141.90 $1,831
1235–1465 1333 6 155.00–165.50 $159.71 $2,129 +0.02
1315–1710 1518 17 167.00–180.00 $170.91 $2,594 +2.18

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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.