Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 23, 2020

380 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 380 652 0
Slaughter cattle 380 652 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.75-2.25 higher, slaughter cows .50-1.00 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
838–1145 989 4 85.00–93.00 $89.86 $889
1180–1440 1291 8 96.50–102.00 $99.76 $1,288
1283–1733 1508 136 103.75–109.35 $107.22 $1,617
1750–1825 1797 3 95.00–100.75 $98.23 $1,765

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1330 1120 8 98.00–102.00 $101.22 $1,134
1205–1620 1421 136 103.00–108.75 $107.10 $1,522

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1735 1394 80-85% 23 46.00–57.00 $52.31 $729
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1485 1172 85-90% 13 30.00–35.00 $31.94 $374
1055–1450 1250 85-90% 8 38.00–45.00 $42.88 $536
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1715 1544 75-80% 10 59.00–68.00 $63.35 $978
1825–1850 1838 75-80% 2 69.00–70.00 $69.50 $1,277

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1205 1047 3 56.00–64.00 $59.27 $621
1465–1825 1631 4 66.00–81.00 $73.93 $1,206

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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.