Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, June 25, 2026

970 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 970 697 533
Slaughter cattle 970 697 533

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 6.00-8.00 lower, Dairy steers 2.00 lower, slaughter cows steady- 1.50 lower. Trade active. Demand good to moderate.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1177 1112 25 232.50–292.00 $266.55 $2,964 —
1190–1360 1276 51 245.00–265.50 $257.29 $3,283 -0.40
1188–1665 1382 94 244.00–259.00 $254.25 $3,514 —
1201–1695 1487 250 257.00–265.00 $260.39 $3,872 -6.81

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
847–1108 1036 23 254.00–314.00 $272.28 $2,821 +17.20
1085–1505 1311 43 245.00–259.00 $252.69 $3,313 —
1222–1540 1331 90 257.00–262.00 $259.62 $3,456 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1535 1332 75-80% 28 181.00–225.00 $194.07 $2,585 —
1215–1795 1474 75-80% 20 175.00–186.00 $181.94 $2,682 +1.48
1290–1895 1582 75-80% 41 186.00–211.00 $192.59 $3,047 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–990 913 80-85% 12 163.00–247.00 $194.91 $1,780 —
1015–1290 1134 80-85% 16 161.00–257.00 $194.87 $2,210 —
1000–1490 1233 80-85% 22 157.00–175.00 $168.29 $2,075 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
955–990 977 85-90% 3 147.00–151.00 $149.32 $1,459 —
1000–1270 1157 85-90% 10 120.00–157.00 $141.40 $1,636 -11.98

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–2140 1676 15 191.00–241.00 $221.40 $3,711 —
1395–2185 1771 7 243.00–267.00 $252.22 $4,467 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1500 1451 6 252.00–255.50 $254.45 $3,692 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1411–1655 1507 34 251.00–258.00 $254.66 $3,838 —
1260–1612 1521 4 242.00–249.00 $244.37 $3,717 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1587 1496 11 225.00–236.00 $232.40 $3,477 -3.38
1355–1750 1601 13 237.00–245.00 $240.18 $3,845 —

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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.