Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 10, 2024

601 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 601 633 762
Slaughter cattle 601 633 762

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today; Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were steady, slaughter cows no comparison. 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
920–1070 1010 3 150.00–190.00 $162.50 $1,641 —
1000–1295 1184 4 183.00–187.00 $185.75 $2,199 —
1115–1575 1365 49 180.00–189.75 $186.54 $2,546 —
1200–1660 1464 204 190.00–196.00 $191.72 $2,807 -0.99
1731–1745 1733 6 189.00–193.50 $192.74 $3,340 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1180 1083 2 181.00–185.00 $183.18 $1,984 —
1035–1510 1225 51 180.00–189.75 $187.33 $2,295 +1.15
1175–1625 1356 113 190.00–195.50 $192.25 $2,607 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1455 1292 75-80% 9 129.00–145.00 $136.50 $1,764 —
1105–1490 1327 75-80% 10 127.00–133.00 $130.26 $1,729 —
1280–1845 1501 75-80% 18 134.00–152.00 $138.70 $2,082 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845 845 80-85% 1 132.50 $132.50 $1,120 —
1010–1135 1067 80-85% 6 125.00–150.00 $136.41 $1,455 —
1060–1765 1309 80-85% 22 117.00–124.00 $120.59 $1,579 -2.27
1170–1675 1422 80-85% 3 107.00–108.00 $107.33 $1,526 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–985 925 85-90% 3 113.00–116.00 $114.27 $1,057 —
720–1260 1113 85-90% 5 67.50–97.50 $87.40 $973 —
1020–1385 1196 85-90% 7 107.50–117.00 $113.09 $1,353 -1.54

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135 1135 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,476 —
1490–2045 1690 6 166.00–181.00 $173.75 $2,936 —
1515–2330 1833 6 126.00–155.00 $146.59 $2,687 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–1640 1499 4 184.00–188.00 $185.67 $2,783 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1302–1557 1426 6 162.00–164.00 $162.66 $2,320 —
1330–1850 1569 12 168.50–178.00 $174.35 $2,736 —

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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.