Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 14, 2026

587 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 587 375 639
Slaughter cattle 587 375 639

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 5.00-6.00 higher, Dairy steers 5.00 higher, slaughter cows Breaker and Boners 1.00-2.25 higher, Lean cows mostly steady. 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
1099–1220 1178 5 235.00–255.00 $247.35 $2,914 +5.77
1257 1257 2 253.00 $253.00 $3,180 —
1215–1615 1399 51 246.00–258.00 $255.80 $3,579 —
1340–1690 1520 168 259.00–266.00 $262.35 $3,988 +6.11
1720–1810 1779 5 252.00–260.00 $256.97 $4,571 +3.29

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1122–1125 1123 3 247.00–250.00 $249.00 $2,796 —
1165–1515 1345 40 250.00–258.50 $256.48 $3,450 —
1298–1590 1400 46 259.00–264.00 $262.00 $3,668 +5.15

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1630 1382 75-80% 33 171.00–217.00 $190.94 $2,639 —
1265–2040 1549 75-80% 33 170.00–203.00 $179.12 $2,775 —
1315–1980 1647 75-80% 23 186.00–217.00 $194.49 $3,203 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775–980 898 80-85% 4 195.00–295.00 $249.40 $2,240 —
1045–1375 1194 80-85% 28 167.00–235.00 $188.24 $2,248 +5.81
1080–1630 1324 80-85% 19 160.00–172.00 $165.42 $2,190 +0.91
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–990 960 85-90% 2 124.00–144.00 $134.31 $1,289 —
1070–1515 1245 85-90% 11 137.00–159.00 $148.87 $1,853 —
1315–1440 1378 85-90% 2 113.00–120.00 $116.66 $1,608 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–2190 1671 19 196.00–231.00 $217.21 $3,630 —
1435–2100 1718 3 150.00–169.00 $160.86 $2,764 -54.88
1415–2160 1827 15 235.00–275.00 $245.58 $4,487 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435–1675 1596 11 254.75–259.00 $256.67 $4,096 +8.73

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1630 1521 7 220.00–237.00 $231.11 $3,515 —
1487–1890 1645 10 239.00–249.00 $243.90 $4,012 —

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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.