Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 14, 2021

472 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 472 305 0
Slaughter cattle 472 305 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.25-2.50 higher, slaughter cows steady to 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
1005–1140 1087 3 112.00–116.00 $113.58 $1,235
1130–1488 1312 18 116.00–120.50 $118.65 $1,557 +4.20
1205–1641 1450 87 123.00–129.00 $126.24 $1,830

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1053–1600 1287 38 113.00–120.00 $118.51 $1,525 +1.77
1192–1558 1342 181 121.00–129.00 $125.40 $1,683 +1.17

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1720 1445 75-80% 3 79.00–81.00 $79.91 $1,155
1255–2230 1538 75-80% 36 69.00–77.00 $72.93 $1,122
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1630 1327 80-85% 20 56.00–69.00 $64.04 $850
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
870–1250 1006 85-90% 4 31.00–42.00 $36.07 $363 -13.27
1015–1545 1223 85-90% 9 43.00–54.00 $48.93 $598
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1560 1560 65-75% 1 89.00 $89.00 $1,388

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1425 1350 4 66.00–76.00 $73.36 $990
1355–2455 1741 14 80.00–93.00 $85.04 $1,481

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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.