Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Feeder Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 12, 2025

704 head sold ·Official USDA report

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $410.69/cwt +20.29 vs last sale · ≈ $2,587/hd at 630 lb · 99 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $373.62/cwt +24.23 vs last sale · ≈ $2,324/hd at 622 lb · 79 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $401.95/cwt +43.04 vs last sale · ≈ $2,315/hd at 576 lb · 72 head
Tama 6-weight steers sold at $405/cwt, among the strongest in the state and even with Clarinda, IA ($405). They're running $12/cwt above the IA average ($393) on receipts of 704 head. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 704 — —

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358–379 373 10 550.00–565.00 $554.32 $2,068 +54.32
429–437 434 14 558.00–565.00 $560.47 $2,432 +113.15
459–475 467 18 487.50–522.50 $505.72 $2,362 +77.60
519 519 8 445.00 $445.00 $2,310 +28.68
569–592 578 26 412.00–432.00 $425.56 $2,460 +37.07
601–649 630 99 397.50–422.50 $410.69 $2,587 +20.29
654–692 676 58 386.00–415.00 $394.84 $2,669 +18.07
702–721 716 63 370.00–392.00 $379.29 $2,716 +8.71
765–790 779 55 349.00–362.00 $355.63 $2,770 +10.63
811 811 11 340.00 $340.00 $2,757 +37.96
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
446–447 447 9 502.50–511.00 $507.23 $2,267 —
490 490 3 472.50 $472.50 $2,315 +78.31
740 740 3 365.00 $365.00 $2,701 +46.07

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 5 435.00 $435.00 $1,522 -7.46
413–430 421 13 420.00–440.00 $433.88 $1,827 +39.28
451–498 475 44 415.00–430.00 $426.23 $2,025 +52.77
508–549 529 20 400.00–422.50 $410.67 $2,172 +55.02
554–597 576 72 397.00–420.00 $401.95 $2,315 +43.04
604–636 622 79 362.50–385.00 $373.62 $2,324 +24.23
651–688 671 64 342.00–366.00 $356.02 $2,389 +4.28
705–740 728 15 320.00–328.00 $326.10 $2,374 -2.69
771 771 6 325.00 $325.00 $2,506 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
638 638 6 350.00 $350.00 $2,233 +60.12
688 688 3 332.50 $332.50 $2,288 +23.45

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Reading this report

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.