Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Feeder Cattle Special Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock (Special)

Sale of Friday, January 9, 2026

2,416 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Tama Livestock Feeder Cattle Special report →

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $355.54/cwt +22.55 vs last sale · ≈ $2,926/hd at 823 lb · 270 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $374.28/cwt -1.40 vs last sale · ≈ $2,740/hd at 732 lb · 248 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $346.55/cwt +13.64 vs last sale · ≈ $2,353/hd at 679 lb · 242 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 2,416

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
407–445 415 8 470.00–480.00 $477.40 $1,981
460–490 483 35 490.00–520.00 $516.61 $2,495 +62.53
515 fancy 515 14 520.00 $520.00 $2,678
523–544 528 28 435.00–450.00 $445.64 $2,353 -3.16
550–573 558 21 415.00–450.00 $438.79 $2,448 +30.46
601–638 627 130 370.00–428.00 $412.06 $2,584 +6.56
651–698 674 205 360.00–419.00 $391.80 $2,641 +6.50
704–749 732 248 360.00–386.00 $374.28 $2,740 -1.40
750–795 771 166 360.00–384.00 $371.15 $2,862 +14.97
803–849 823 270 345.00–370.00 $355.54 $2,926 +22.55
850–897 885 140 332.50–350.00 $334.62 $2,961 +17.66
907–931 923 84 327.50–355.00 $346.32 $3,197
953–980 977 21 300.00–315.00 $301.39 $2,945
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–445 425 2 420.00–435.00 $427.85 $1,818 -2.15
465–490 475 4 430.00–450.00 $436.42 $2,073 +20.37
505–540 513 5 382.00–410.00 $401.14 $2,058
585 585 3 375.00 $375.00 $2,194
600–645 631 4 315.00–362.50 $336.35 $2,122
663–678 672 8 340.00–350.00 $346.22 $2,327
743–745 744 3 317.50–340.00 $332.49 $2,474 -12.00
754 754 5 292.50 $292.50 $2,205
810 810 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,430
801–837 823 15 320.00–336.00 $327.01 $2,691
853–860 854 9 311.00 $311.00 $2,656

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367 367 5 388.00 $388.00 $1,424 +18.18
405–439 429 19 440.00–470.00 $451.82 $1,938 +44.91
455–498 490 22 410.00–423.00 $418.56 $2,051 +29.22
503–548 524 65 392.50–422.00 $407.54 $2,136 +36.11
550–594 571 43 375.00–420.00 $390.81 $2,232 +32.14
602–646 623 161 350.00–381.00 $367.06 $2,287 +11.72
655–698 679 242 335.00–363.00 $346.55 $2,353 +13.64
702–744 721 221 320.00–351.00 $333.54 $2,405 +8.80
725 725 11 309.00 $309.00 $2,240 -15.74
750–787 770 86 314.00–347.50 $333.32 $2,567 +41.19
807 807 7 255.00 $255.00 $2,058 -25.00
802–814 812 34 310.00–319.00 $316.24 $2,568 +36.24
856–875 861 12 290.00–293.00 $292.24 $2,516
919 919 15 297.50 $297.50 $2,734
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485–498 495 4 365.00–385.00 $369.90 $1,831 +49.74
520–524 523 10 325.00–376.00 $355.39 $1,859 +14.48
585–593 592 10 315.00–360.00 $355.55 $2,105 +43.00
606–647 620 9 332.50–346.00 $341.30 $2,116 +27.93
743 743 2 275.00 $275.00 $2,043 -13.05
764–793 772 7 300.00 $300.00 $2,316
800 800 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,400

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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.