Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 8, 2021

551 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 551 703 0
Slaughter cattle 551 703 0

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.25-3.75 lower, slaughter cows steady to .50 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
1042–1240 1153 20 106.00–121.00 $116.51 $1,343
1100–1590 1344 46 118.00–124.50 $121.91 $1,638
1200–1625 1422 222 125.00–131.00 $128.19 $1,823 -2.38

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1110 1047 9 96.00–115.00 $109.25 $1,144 -5.30
1078–1500 1253 42 118.00–124.75 $121.84 $1,527 -10.02
1125–1536 1312 90 125.00–130.75 $127.84 $1,677

↑ Back to top

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1550 1340 80-85% 19 61.00–69.00 $65.01 $871 +2.55
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1940 1613 75-80% 11 70.00–79.00 $74.50 $1,202 -6.47
1480–1955 1659 75-80% 6 80.00–83.00 $81.25 $1,348
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1435 1159 85-90% 11 27.00–46.00 $36.24 $420
1155–1450 1302 85-90% 3 54.00–57.00 $55.29 $720

↑ Back to top

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–1550 1490 5 62.00–71.00 $66.32 $988
1460–2465 1909 16 75.00–96.00 $83.09 $1,586

↑ 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.