Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 28, 2026

473 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 473 587 800
Slaughter cattle 473 587 800

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison due to last week not reported. 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
1047–1275 1141 16 260.00–304.00 $278.96 $3,183 —
1290–1415 1360 4 263.00–264.00 $263.26 $3,580 —
1145–1526 1374 7 245.00–262.00 $258.12 $3,547 +2.32
1242–1680 1529 111 262.00–271.75 $267.38 $4,088 +5.03
1700–1765 1724 10 259.00–268.00 $265.38 $4,575 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1186 1107 8 263.00–270.00 $265.70 $2,941 +16.70
1065–1550 1266 19 246.00–263.00 $259.62 $3,287 —
1150–1685 1415 57 262.00–271.25 $266.94 $3,777 +4.94
1785–1795 1790 2 243.00–255.00 $248.98 $4,457 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1580 1359 75-80% 24 171.00–209.00 $195.12 $2,652 +4.18
1205–1730 1505 75-80% 24 176.00–194.00 $183.62 $2,763 —
1285–1955 1576 75-80% 22 188.00–203.00 $194.13 $3,059 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1320 1168 80-85% 21 169.00–240.00 $189.87 $2,218 +1.63
1125–1630 1352 80-85% 17 159.00–176.50 $167.67 $2,267 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–990 903 85-90% 6 140.00–161.00 $147.77 $1,334 —
1000–1275 1138 85-90% 12 125.00–163.00 $148.12 $1,686 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1230 1116 9 193.00–270.00 $229.84 $2,565 —
1180–1975 1700 17 183.00–228.00 $208.59 $3,546 +47.73
1295–2310 1833 8 230.00–292.50 $250.17 $4,586 +4.59

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1202–1435 1308 9 262.00–267.00 $264.19 $3,456 —
1560 1560 1 228.00 $228.00 $3,557 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1487–1507 1497 4 263.50–267.50 $265.49 $3,974 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–1661 1516 9 235.00–239.50 $236.89 $3,591 +5.78
1390–1705 1527 7 243.00–248.00 $245.58 $3,750 +14.47

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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.