Sale reports / Iowa / Kalona Livestock Auction / 2026-08-20

Kalona Livestock Auction

Slaughter Cattle · Kalona, Iowa · Thu, Aug 20
● Final20 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2528
Receipts
518 head
▼ 175 vs last sale 693▼ 219 vs year ago 737 · −29.7%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

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.

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
Bulls—High1,756226.093,97022
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,515182.372,76441
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,275171.622,18842
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,062138.541,47133
Dairy SteersChoiceAverage1,652218.373,60736
Dairy SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,502209.843,1528thin
HeifersChoiceAverage1,314226.842,98165
HeifersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,224221.042,70628
HeifersSelectAverage1,141212.782,42813
SteersChoiceAverage1,455227.253,306108
SteersSelectAverage1,142225.402,57414
SteersSelect and ChoiceAverage1,280222.832,85134

Every lot, as filed

20 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
SteersSelectReturn to Feed—1,142225.40/cwt210.00–241.002,57414
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed—1,209182.98/cwt169.00–193.002,21212
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed—1,329191.31/cwt184.00–200.002,5439
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,571179.18/cwt173.00–185.002,81530
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight—858131.23/cwt105.00–157.001,12613
CowsLean 85-90%—1,194143.29/cwt121.00–159.001,71120
Bulls——1,763261.45/cwt243.00–310.004,6098
CowsBoner 80-85%Light Weight—922172.53/cwt161.00–185.001,5913
CowsBoner 80-85%—1,343166.47/cwt157.00–173.002,23627
SteersSelect and ChoiceReturn to Feed—1,232225.09/cwt224.00–230.002,77314
SteersSelect and Choice—1,313221.24/cwt213.00–224.252,90520
HeifersSelectReturn to Feed—1,141212.78/cwt195.00–222.002,42813
Bulls——1,765164.14/cwt160.00–167.502,8972
CowsBreaker 75-80%—1,520189.98/cwt189.00–191.002,8882
SteersChoice—1,455227.25/cwt225.00–230.253,306108
HeifersChoice—1,314226.84/cwt225.00–229.252,98165
Dairy SteersChoice—1,652218.37/cwt214.00–223.003,60736
HeifersSelect and Choice—1,224221.04/cwt213.00–224.502,70628
Dairy SteersSelect and Choice—1,502209.84/cwt200.00–213.003,1528
Bulls——1,750212.85/cwt177.50–237.003,72512

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.