Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 31, 2024

953 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 953 825 623
Slaughter cattle 953 825 623

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were .75-1.25 higher, Dairy steers no comparison due to low receipts this week, slaughter cows were steady with some lots 2.00 lower. 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
970–1335 1197 18 175.00–191.50 $186.01 $2,227 +2.23
1145–1645 1345 42 180.00–189.25 $186.60 $2,510 —
1277–1670 1468 295 189.50–194.75 $192.40 $2,824 +1.34

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1195 1026 4 181.00–196.00 $188.60 $1,935 —
1055–1485 1255 35 185.00–189.00 $187.45 $2,352 —
1102–1591 1340 234 189.50–194.75 $192.25 $2,576 —

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1505 1331 75-80% 19 123.00–162.50 $135.37 $1,802 —
1280–1745 1478 75-80% 31 125.00–131.00 $127.63 $1,886 —
1350–1645 1485 75-80% 5 113.00–117.00 $115.25 $1,711 —
1285–1845 1550 75-80% 22 131.50–143.00 $134.40 $2,083 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–935 902 80-85% 3 120.00–170.00 $141.97 $1,281 —
1020–1225 1081 80-85% 12 124.00–175.00 $144.96 $1,567 —
1065–1640 1389 80-85% 26 115.00–124.00 $119.58 $1,661 —
1320–1645 1455 80-85% 3 104.00–107.50 $105.92 $1,541 -3.96
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
690–955 823 85-90% 2 110.00–115.00 $112.90 $929 —
1025–1520 1204 85-90% 25 100.00–115.00 $109.14 $1,314 -2.06

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1300 1205 2 121.00–142.00 $132.33 $1,595 —
1490–2325 1754 8 131.00–160.00 $149.38 $2,620 —
1555–2250 1999 5 169.00–174.00 $172.39 $3,446 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005 1005 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,256 —
1145–1410 1278 2 155.00–157.00 $156.10 $1,995 —
1460–1905 1654 14 170.00–175.00 $173.99 $2,878 —

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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.