Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 8, 2025

522 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 522

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1250 1156 6 201.00–218.00 $210.38 $2,432
1130–1580 1326 7 210.00–217.00 $214.21 $2,840 +6.40
1305–1680 1454 21 218.00–226.00 $222.66 $3,237
1370–1698 1472 139 227.00–235.00 $229.58 $3,379
1705–1757 1720 8 228.00–231.00 $228.75 $3,934 +12.23

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1110 1048 2 183.00–216.00 $198.52 $2,080 +15.81
1030–1605 1206 10 205.00–218.00 $212.80 $2,566
1142–1512 1309 46 218.00–226.50 $223.11 $2,921 +6.10
1238–1500 1360 74 227.00–232.00 $228.91 $3,113 +3.99

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1460 1347 75-80% 14 139.00–193.00 $157.12 $2,116
1265–1715 1485 75-80% 26 143.00–153.00 $148.18 $2,200
1325–1950 1575 75-80% 30 154.00–178.00 $161.58 $2,545 -0.13
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–965 925 80-85% 3 172.50–197.50 $182.66 $1,690 +26.60
1000–1435 1145 80-85% 18 146.50–207.00 $163.02 $1,867 +4.82
1085–1620 1337 80-85% 22 131.00–147.00 $139.48 $1,865 -0.16
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–990 952 85-90% 6 130.00–138.00 $133.79 $1,274 +34.52
1090–1510 1232 85-90% 9 109.00–130.00 $121.62 $1,498

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–1305 1195 3 202.00–229.00 $213.97 $2,557 +14.50
1545–2185 1906 4 190.00–200.00 $194.44 $3,706
1675–2240 1919 6 181.00–191.00 $185.31 $3,556
1620–2745 2232 3 131.00–138.00 $135.32 $3,020

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1675 1417 8 148.00–175.00 $167.72 $2,377
1230–1860 1560 26 179.00–189.50 $185.22 $2,889
1380–1970 1630 31 189.50–206.00 $195.52 $3,187

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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.