Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 18, 2022

180 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 180 239 467
Slaughter cattle 180 239 467

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 5.00-6.00 higher, slaughter cows steady. 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
990–1035 1013 2 113.00–125.00 $118.87 $1,204
1240–1415 1324 8 130.00–145.00 $137.19 $1,816
1220–1670 1449 60 146.00–154.00 $149.87 $2,172

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990 990 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,228
1210–1415 1304 17 149.25–150.50 $149.81 $1,954
1362 1362 5 143.00 $143.00 $1,948

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1635 1403 75-80% 15 87.00–93.00 $89.00 $1,249
1225–1745 1526 75-80% 21 80.00–86.50 $83.96 $1,281
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1580 1361 80-85% 17 70.00–79.00 $74.85 $1,019
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1365 1203 85-90% 3 50.00–57.50 $54.07 $650
1150–1325 1246 85-90% 4 63.00–69.00 $65.59 $817

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1770–1920 1845 2 112.00–115.00 $113.56 $2,095
1615–2260 1978 8 85.00–110.00 $100.26 $1,983

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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.