Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 15, 2021

525 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 525 583 652
Slaughter cattle 525 583 652

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.25-1.50 lower, slaughter cows 1.00-1.75 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
1020–1303 1156 12 110.00–125.00 $119.51 $1,382 +2.41
1135–1583 1365 36 120.00–136.00 $132.92 $1,814
1314–1685 1454 105 137.00–147.00 $142.21 $2,068

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1285 1129 6 118.00–127.00 $123.63 $1,396
1115–1424 1341 17 130.00–135.00 $132.32 $1,774
1228–1511 1369 114 138.00–147.00 $142.02 $1,944 -1.19

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1670 1334 80-85% 71 54.00–67.50 $60.35 $805
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1325 1148 85-90% 25 20.00–44.00 $33.48 $384
1000–1410 1197 85-90% 17 44.00–53.00 $48.51 $581
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1735 1461 75-80% 27 65.00–75.00 $71.42 $1,043
1240–1850 1471 75-80% 9 76.00–87.50 $79.70 $1,172

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–2205 1656 4 50.00–66.00 $59.16 $980
1340–2530 1690 10 70.00–88.00 $76.30 $1,289
1730 1730 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,695

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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.