Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 15, 2026

751 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 751 — —

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1450 1286 13 182.50–226.00 $209.99 $2,700 —
1300–1301 1301 4 236.00–238.00 $237.50 $3,090 —
1255–1656 1517 60 220.00–227.50 $225.79 $3,425 —
1310–1692 1545 147 228.00–233.50 $229.98 $3,553 —
1692–1860 1753 34 204.00–228.50 $223.97 $3,926 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1295 1151 8 177.00–224.50 $215.13 $2,476 -2.48
1120–1576 1339 45 220.00–229.00 $225.41 $3,018 -0.22
1217–1695 1468 147 227.50–233.00 $229.72 $3,372 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1480 1326 75-80% 20 161.00–179.00 $168.41 $2,233 —
1215–1910 1483 75-80% 56 157.00–171.00 $163.33 $2,422 -1.86
1260–1805 1588 75-80% 3 150.00–154.00 $151.52 $2,406 -26.40
1405–1975 1659 75-80% 27 171.00–185.00 $177.57 $2,946 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–980 967 80-85% 3 150.00–190.00 $163.38 $1,580 -14.76
1010–1290 1118 80-85% 26 142.00–230.00 $168.57 $1,885 —
1045–1805 1349 80-85% 46 143.00–160.00 $150.77 $2,034 -2.14
1315–1515 1394 80-85% 7 127.50–142.00 $135.37 $1,887 +3.09
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–975 917 85-90% 13 115.00–147.50 $130.25 $1,194 +3.70
1005–1865 1243 85-90% 32 112.50–147.50 $130.39 $1,621 -2.11

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1250 1133 2 162.50–190.00 $174.82 $1,981 —
1270–1870 1570 2 135.00–145.00 $139.04 $2,183 —
1395–2410 1982 11 160.00–207.00 $185.08 $3,668 —
1760–2400 2192 6 213.00–221.00 $216.81 $4,752 —

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Beef/Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1513–1541 1529 7 220.00–227.00 $224.03 $3,425 —
1505–1600 1554 4 198.00–206.00 $202.70 $3,150 -13.99

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1550 1510 2 161.00–187.00 $173.66 $2,622 —
1425–1720 1539 14 190.00–205.00 $199.16 $3,065 —
1410–1763 1658 12 205.00–210.00 $207.70 $3,444 —

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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.