Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 13, 2021

564 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 564 1,014 693
Slaughter cattle 564 1,014 693

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers 2.75-3.00 lower, slaughter cows .25-.50 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
1100–1255 1172 3 85.00–99.00 $93.75 $1,099 -9.55
1085–1468 1318 12 100.00–104.00 $102.09 $1,346 -0.50
1243–1688 1467 169 105.00–110.50 $107.86 $1,582 -3.09

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1405 1193 15 100.00–104.50 $101.77 $1,214 -0.22
1145–1285 1215 2 95.00 $95.00 $1,154
1205–1595 1368 172 105.00–110.50 $108.54 $1,485

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1920 1457 80-85% 39 47.00–58.50 $51.92 $756
1215–1670 1493 80-85% 3 42.00–45.00 $42.81 $639
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1560 1197 85-90% 17 22.00–34.00 $29.50 $353
1155–1575 1326 85-90% 17 39.00–46.00 $43.68 $579
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1585 1585 75-80% 1 74.00 $74.00 $1,173 +11.72
1400–1850 1641 75-80% 21 60.00–66.00 $62.41 $1,024

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1905 1428 6 52.00–63.00 $59.76 $853
1360–2500 1796 18 65.00–81.00 $73.68 $1,323

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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.