Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 1, 2021

910 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 910 475 786
Slaughter cattle 910 475 786

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.25-3.75 higher, slaughter cows no comparison due to low receipts last week. 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
1080–1280 1220 12 110.00–122.00 $116.46 $1,421
1115–1586 1332 43 126.00–134.00 $129.79 $1,729
1260–1640 1463 256 135.00–146.50 $141.86 $2,075
1626–1740 1663 13 120.00–130.00 $127.89 $2,127

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1550 1299 46 126.00–134.50 $130.71 $1,698 +1.61
1113–1530 1347 206 135.00–145.50 $141.50 $1,906 +1.21
1680–1735 1717 3 120.00–127.00 $122.28 $2,100

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1635 1354 80-85% 70 52.00–64.00 $58.46 $792
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1765 1470 75-80% 49 65.00–75.00 $69.43 $1,021
1450–1745 1583 75-80% 9 76.00–79.00 $76.83 $1,216 +7.15
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1525 1182 85-90% 17 22.00–37.00 $31.08 $367 +3.01
1100–1475 1277 85-90% 21 41.00–50.00 $46.44 $593

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1695 1529 6 41.00–62.00 $53.64 $820
1205–2255 1738 26 67.00–88.00 $77.30 $1,343

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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.