Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Feeder Cattle Special Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, January 23, 2026

1,584 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $386.72/cwt -0.30 vs last sale · ≈ $2,835/hd at 733 lb · 432 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $366.40/cwt +33.46 vs last sale · ≈ $2,621/hd at 715 lb · 273 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $363.56/cwt +7.25 vs last sale · ≈ $2,443/hd at 672 lb · 202 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 1,584 — —

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
492 492 10 495.00 $495.00 $2,435 +11.16
508–528 519 11 440.00–480.00 $461.78 $2,397 +20.24
558–593 572 5 415.00–417.50 $416.04 $2,380 +5.62
592 fancy 592 145 465.00–470.00 $468.10 $2,771 —
607–647 627 32 385.00–434.00 $404.89 $2,539 -0.50
670–678 672 7 369.00–390.00 $383.95 $2,580 -8.62
712–744 733 432 361.00–389.75 $386.72 $2,835 -0.30
751–780 762 53 340.00–365.00 $359.66 $2,741 -7.44
809 809 5 336.00 $336.00 $2,718 -6.32
856–898 881 22 325.00–340.00 $331.64 $2,922 -3.77
902–910 902 76 325.00–350.50 $342.60 $3,090 +18.69
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340–349 348 10 440.00–487.50 $482.86 $1,680 —
582 582 3 407.00 $407.00 $2,369 +30.03
670 670 4 352.50 $352.50 $2,362 +8.44
850 850 2 311.00 $311.00 $2,644 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356 356 5 442.50 $442.50 $1,575 —
480–499 487 13 410.00–435.00 $424.84 $2,069 -2.11
513–538 524 40 425.00–439.00 $433.23 $2,270 +32.37
569 fancy 569 91 428.00 $428.00 $2,435 —
580–584 582 12 390.00–396.00 $392.49 $2,284 +8.39
604–646 629 42 372.00–389.00 $376.69 $2,369 +10.30
653–683 669 175 352.00–368.00 $360.64 $2,413 +4.33
691 691 27 382.50 $382.50 $2,643 +26.19
707–718 714 108 400.00–401.00 $400.68 $2,861 +67.74
700–739 716 165 329.00–347.00 $343.96 $2,463 +11.02
763–781 778 14 313.50–314.00 $313.93 $2,442 -2.02
802–815 808 10 310.00–317.00 $313.88 $2,536 -0.12
852–863 853 62 305.00–312.00 $308.10 $2,628 +8.33
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
688 688 3 335.00 $335.00 $2,305 +4.48

↑ Back to top

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.