Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 20, 2026

518 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 518 693 737
Slaughter cattle 518 693 737

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were 6.75-8.75 lower, Dairy steers 3.50 higher, slaughter cows were mostly steady. Trade active. Demand moderate to good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1255 1142 14 210.00–241.00 $225.40 $2,574
1215–1265 1232 14 224.00–230.00 $225.09 $2,773
1261–1525 1313 20 213.00–224.25 $221.24 $2,905 -8.38
1317–1675 1455 108 225.00–230.25 $227.25 $3,306 -8.77

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1240 1141 13 195.00–222.00 $212.78 $2,428
1065–1460 1224 28 213.00–224.50 $221.04 $2,706 -6.57
1215–1660 1314 65 225.00–229.25 $226.84 $2,981

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885–960 922 80-85% 3 161.00–185.00 $172.53 $1,591
1090–1395 1209 80-85% 12 169.00–193.00 $182.98 $2,212
1025–1785 1343 80-85% 27 157.00–173.00 $166.47 $2,236
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1405 1329 75-80% 9 184.00–200.00 $191.31 $2,543 +6.28
1485–1555 1520 75-80% 2 189.00–191.00 $189.98 $2,888
1305–2045 1571 75-80% 30 173.00–185.00 $179.18 $2,815 +0.05
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680–990 858 85-90% 13 105.00–157.00 $131.23 $1,126
1005–1705 1194 85-90% 20 121.00–159.00 $143.29 $1,711

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–2200 1750 12 177.50–237.00 $212.85 $3,725
1565–1950 1763 8 243.00–310.00 $261.45 $4,609
1580–1950 1765 2 160.00–167.50 $164.14 $2,897

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1422–1685 1502 8 200.00–213.00 $209.84 $3,152 +1.59
1345–1915 1652 36 214.00–223.00 $218.37 $3,607

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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.