Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 2, 2025

439 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 439

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1192 1192 2 224.50 $224.50 $2,676 +4.33
1200–1547 1334 40 220.00–228.50 $225.60 $3,010
1352–1686 1519 129 230.00–235.25 $233.36 $3,545
1700–1705 1703 3 234.00–237.00 $235.00 $4,002 +0.38

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–1275 1172 7 214.00–267.00 $229.22 $2,686
1115–1500 1298 20 221.00–230.00 $226.74 $2,943
1142–1585 1361 83 230.00–235.00 $232.18 $3,160 +0.01

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1455 1327 75-80% 25 163.00–201.00 $180.18 $2,391
1225–1720 1480 75-80% 21 164.00–179.00 $170.73 $2,527 +29.01
1330–1815 1552 75-80% 20 180.00–197.00 $187.83 $2,915 +15.38
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–975 948 80-85% 2 150.00–172.00 $161.32 $1,529
1015–1230 1132 80-85% 17 152.00–227.50 $178.29 $2,018
1070–1645 1291 80-85% 21 150.00–167.00 $158.33 $2,044 +2.89
1205–1455 1328 80-85% 3 146.00–149.00 $147.64 $1,961
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–985 950 85-90% 5 125.00–142.50 $135.76 $1,290
1035–1585 1224 85-90% 16 122.50–147.50 $135.27 $1,656

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1250 1185 2 165.00–189.00 $177.66 $2,105
1300–2405 1770 11 160.00–209.00 $189.83 $3,360 +7.21
1745–2045 1895 2 137.50–147.50 $142.10 $2,693
1770–2430 2046 7 210.00–233.00 $218.57 $4,472

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1615 1615 1 180.00 $180.00 $2,907 -37.68
1690–1835 1763 2 210.00–212.00 $211.04 $3,721

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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.