Sale reports / Iowa / Kalona Livestock Auction / 2026-08-13

Kalona Livestock Auction

Slaughter Cattle · Kalona, Iowa · Thu, Aug 13
● Final23 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2528
Receipts
693 head
▼ 26 vs last sale 719▲ 52 vs year ago 641 · +8.1%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were 3.50-4.00 lower, Dairy steers were 10.00 lower, slaughter cows were too lightly tested last week to make an accurate market trend. Trade active. Demand moderate to good.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Beef/Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,781219.253,9057thin
Bulls—Average1,726223.273,85425
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,515181.672,75344
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,245176.492,19849
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,189139.971,66429
Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,635214.463,50625
Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,516208.253,1576thin
HeifersChoiceAverage1,357233.583,17085
HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,204226.872,73142
HeifersSelectAverage1,082219.742,37812
SteersChoiceAverage1,496235.843,527174
SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,319229.663,03054
SteersSelectAverage1,168216.522,5295thin

Every lot, as filed

23 lots · USDA AMS · Kalona Livestock Slaughter Cattle Auction - Kalona, IA
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Bulls——1,686215.36/cwt185.00–236.003,63119
Dairy SteersChoice—1,635214.46/cwt212.50–220.003,50625
Beef/Dairy SteersChoice—1,781219.25/cwt219.25–219.253,9057
SteersSelectReturn to Feed—1,168216.52/cwt195.00–230.002,5295
HeifersSelectReturn to Feed—1,082219.74/cwt205.00–227.002,37812
HeifersSelect and ChoiceReturn to Feed—1,199224.14/cwt222.50–232.002,6879
SteersSelect and Choice—1,332229.62/cwt222.00–233.003,05942
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,576179.13/cwt171.00–185.002,82329
Bulls——1,853248.30/cwt241.00–253.004,6016
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,556190.85/cwt187.00–197.002,9704
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,791146.64/cwt140.00–157.002,6264
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight—897138.40/cwt120.00–159.001,2415
SteersChoiceHeavy Weight—1,820228.10/cwt220.00–233.504,1514
SteersSelect and ChoiceReturn to Feed—1,275229.79/cwt226.00–233.002,93012
HeifersChoice—1,357233.58/cwt232.00–238.003,17085
SteersChoice—1,488236.02/cwt232.00–240.003,512170
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed—1,107189.68/cwt165.00–219.002,10018
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,295167.90/cwt161.00–173.002,17423
CowsBoner 80-85%Light Weight—1,034196.37/cwt173.00–233.002,0304
Dairy SteersSelect and Choice—1,516208.25/cwt203.00–211.003,1576
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed—1,341185.03/cwt181.00–190.002,48111
HeifersSelect and Choice—1,205227.61/cwt220.00–231.502,74333
CowsLean 85-90%—1,250140.30/cwt120.00–161.001,75424

How this sale compares

Iowa weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Iowa auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.