Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 28, 2021

455 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 455 429 184
Slaughter cattle 455 429 184

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .75-1.00 lower, slaughter cows .50-1.00 lower. 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
985–1180 1095 7 98.00–109.00 $102.57 $1,123 -9.03
1201–1515 1342 46 109.00–118.50 $116.75 $1,567
1230–1601 1414 64 120.00–126.00 $123.83 $1,751

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1019–1226 1093 20 93.00–108.00 $105.04 $1,148 -7.85
1152–1395 1204 76 110.00–119.50 $117.82 $1,419
1200–1390 1287 164 120.00–126.00 $121.14 $1,559

↑ Back to top

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1915 1409 80-85% 16 56.00–67.00 $61.82 $871
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1530–1840 1710 75-80% 8 69.00–73.00 $70.93 $1,213
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
890–1555 1198 85-90% 6 47.00–54.00 $51.14 $613

↑ Back to top

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–2150 1543 6 72.00–96.00 $83.78 $1,293

↑ Back to top

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.