Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 12, 2022

556 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 556 609 564
Slaughter cattle 556 609 564

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .25-.75 higher, slaughter cows breakers and boners steady to .25 higher, lean cows .75 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
1175–1473 1361 25 124.75–135.00 $130.80 $1,780 -1.31
1175–1699 1496 179 136.50–144.00 $141.69 $2,120 +0.89

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
735–1210 966 5 106.00–122.00 $116.51 $1,125
1095–1380 1237 26 124.00–136.00 $131.74 $1,630
1190–1488 1339 103 137.00–144.25 $141.18 $1,890 +10.20

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1645 1400 80-85% 63 54.00–69.00 $60.74 $850
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1885 1501 75-80% 29 68.00–75.00 $71.94 $1,080
1275–1830 1580 75-80% 10 76.00–85.00 $78.85 $1,246 +7.18
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–1355 1173 85-90% 9 30.00–43.00 $35.68 $419
1045–1735 1263 85-90% 14 46.00–53.00 $50.38 $636
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1815 1616 65-75% 7 88.00–95.00 $90.00 $1,454

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–2375 1857 18 68.00–94.50 $82.53 $1,533

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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.