Cattle Market Pulse

Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction Market Report

Kalona, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 15, 2026

489 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 489 560 0
Slaughter cattle 489 560 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were steady-.75 higher, Dairy steers no comparison due to low receipts, slaughter cows were mostly steady. 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
1010–1050 1037 3 192.00–230.00 $204.34 $2,119 —
1284 1284 8 229.50 $229.50 $2,947 +11.60
1220–1615 1367 17 214.00–219.50 $217.05 $2,967 +1.81
1367–1697 1511 69 220.00–228.00 $222.91 $3,368 —
1835 1835 2 221.50 $221.50 $4,065 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1130 1083 3 207.58–225.00 $216.03 $2,340 —
1120–1400 1301 28 210.00–219.00 $217.46 $2,829 —
1207–1567 1371 111 219.75–224.00 $221.84 $3,041 +4.90

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–980 886 80-85% 5 170.00–230.00 $196.00 $1,737 —
1115–1400 1246 80-85% 7 133.00–234.00 $148.33 $1,848 —
1055–1635 1309 80-85% 37 119.00–133.00 $126.14 $1,651 -7.96
1340–1415 1378 80-85% 2 105.00–113.00 $109.11 $1,504 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–985 931 85-90% 8 100.00–123.00 $105.76 $985 —
1000–1325 1143 85-90% 24 105.00–122.00 $112.91 $1,291 +23.81
970–1525 1171 85-90% 16 65.00–105.00 $91.48 $1,071 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1570 1317 75-80% 6 141.00–200.00 $154.29 $2,032 —
1295–2040 1535 75-80% 28 131.00–149.00 $136.62 $2,097 —
1485–1670 1594 75-80% 5 101.00–121.00 $110.69 $1,764 —

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–1185 985 7 130.00–250.00 $165.92 $1,634 —
1200–1290 1256 5 150.00–189.00 $172.59 $2,168 —
1380–1625 1510 4 115.00–145.00 $134.19 $2,026 —
1380–2570 1783 16 170.00–209.00 $191.55 $3,415 —
2195–2220 2208 2 213.00–223.00 $217.97 $4,813 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1550 1550 2 200.50 $200.50 $3,108 —
1507–1995 1700 9 180.00–195.00 $188.87 $3,211 —

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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.