Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Wednesdays

Sale of Wednesday, October 21, 2026

297 head sold ·Official USDA report · Price history in the app

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 297 227 456
Slaughter cattle 297 227 456

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were 2.25-3.25 higher, slaughter cows Breakers were 3.00 higher, Boner and Lean steady to .75 higher. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125 1125 4 239.50 $239.50 $2,694 —
1200–1340 1287 22 220.00–224.75 $223.90 $2,882 —
1360–1565 1414 4 213.50–218.50 $216.61 $3,063 —
1320–1595 1498 63 220.00–226.00 $224.25 $3,359 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1081 1073 5 230.00–234.00 $230.78 $2,476 —
1108–1175 1145 6 221.00–222.00 $221.32 $2,534 —
1310–1340 1325 4 210.00–218.50 $214.30 $2,839 —
1188–1501 1379 115 220.00–226.75 $224.87 $3,101 +3.24

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1525 1313 75-80% 6 146.00–188.00 $163.80 $2,151 -19.08
1280–1675 1466 75-80% 14 135.00–146.00 $138.64 $2,032 +3.62
1485–1845 1665 75-80% 2 121.00–126.00 $123.23 $2,052 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–990 956 80-85% 4 202.50–247.50 $229.03 $2,190 —
1080–1210 1151 80-85% 7 177.50–232.50 $210.34 $2,421 —
1130–1560 1303 80-85% 9 123.00–133.00 $129.44 $1,687 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–995 975 85-90% 4 105.00–128.00 $113.45 $1,106 —
1045–1275 1136 85-90% 5 104.00–121.00 $112.58 $1,279 —

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–2020 1685 5 165.00–186.00 $173.51 $2,924 —

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high 259.00 low 204.43 Nov 2025 Oct 2026

1050–1099 lb N/N/A heifers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Oct 14, 2026)