Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 29, 2021

321 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 321 527 592
Slaughter cattle 321 527 592

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .50-.75 lower, slaughter cows steady to .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
995–1235 1121 7 110.00–122.25 $117.11 $1,313
1200–1505 1301 9 115.50–119.75 $117.06 $1,523 -0.45
1240–1605 1434 49 120.00–126.00 $123.26 $1,768 -0.76

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1203 1135 19 103.00–120.00 $114.41 $1,299 +2.45
1160–1413 1249 30 114.00–117.50 $116.07 $1,450
1168–1460 1303 45 120.00–126.00 $123.22 $1,606 -0.60

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1915 1513 75-80% 47 70.00–79.00 $76.44 $1,157 -4.27
1275–1855 1636 75-80% 17 80.00–85.00 $81.88 $1,340
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775–1455 1069 85-90% 13 31.00–48.00 $39.75 $425
925–1430 1193 85-90% 12 51.00–60.00 $55.14 $658 +0.92
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1555 1320 80-85% 22 63.00–69.00 $66.18 $874 +0.34

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1490–1800 1615 3 61.00–71.00 $67.44 $1,089
1700–2155 1887 6 74.00–86.00 $78.57 $1,483

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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.