Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 8, 2026

560 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 560 607 590
Slaughter cattle 560 607 590

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week Choice steers and heifer were steady to 1.00 lower, Dairy steers were too lightly tested to get an accurate market trend, slaughter cows were 12.00-15.00 lower. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1220 1149 6 187.50–228.00 $216.33 $2,486 +2.36
1216–1320 1250 11 212.00–219.25 $217.90 $2,724 —
1230–1460 1398 36 210.00–218.50 $215.24 $3,009 -1.92
1245–1660 1484 124 219.00–226.00 $222.15 $3,297 -1.07
1704–1880 1733 6 216.00–217.25 $217.02 $3,761 -5.77

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
942–1205 1100 15 160.00–230.00 $216.69 $2,384 -3.94
1185–1592 1350 59 219.00–224.00 $221.22 $2,986 —
1070–1457 1356 37 211.00–219.00 $216.94 $2,942 —

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720–1405 1131 85-90% 23 62.50–103.00 $89.10 $1,008 —
1020–1755 1265 85-90% 24 103.00–125.00 $112.07 $1,418 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1325 1149 80-85% 9 125.00–260.00 $163.61 $1,880 —
1090–1550 1302 80-85% 18 127.00–140.00 $134.10 $1,746 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1475 1415 75-80% 3 143.00–167.00 $157.47 $2,228 +0.82
1400–1770 1620 75-80% 9 107.00–129.00 $115.54 $1,872 —
1545–1835 1681 75-80% 10 131.00–147.00 $136.90 $2,301 —

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1075 1030 2 190.00–250.00 $218.69 $2,253 —
1450–1550 1498 3 110.00–125.00 $116.60 $1,747 —
1270–2005 1579 17 150.00–213.00 $186.79 $2,949 -14.56
1465–2200 1717 7 219.00–235.00 $226.23 $3,884 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1370 1328 4 102.50–160.50 $137.51 $1,826 —
1440–1900 1639 15 170.00–192.00 $184.22 $3,019 —
1512–1910 1644 8 200.50–213.00 $203.11 $3,339 —

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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.