Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 20, 2021

253 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 253 544 518
Slaughter cattle 253 544 518

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week Choice steers and heifers 4.00 higher, slaughter cows 1.00-2.00 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
1233–1668 1442 72 124.00–134.00 $129.82 $1,872 +4.43
1165–1506 1452 13 119.50–123.85 $122.48 $1,778

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1255 1044 5 90.00–108.00 $103.67 $1,082
1090–1400 1207 7 120.00–123.00 $120.79 $1,458
1092–1440 1308 73 124.00–133.25 $129.97 $1,700

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1305 1073 85-90% 11 21.00–44.00 $29.25 $314
1005–1315 1152 85-90% 7 47.00–54.00 $51.01 $588
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1575 1300 80-85% 17 55.00–68.00 $60.08 $781
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–2135 1614 75-80% 7 70.00–78.00 $75.22 $1,214
1610–1900 1755 75-80% 2 80.00–82.00 $81.08 $1,423

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–1430 1383 2 61.00–71.00 $65.83 $910
1095–2195 1709 8 51.00–80.00 $73.58 $1,257

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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.