Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 21, 2022

515 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 515 634 527
Slaughter cattle 515 634 527

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .50 higher, slaughter cows .75-1.00 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
985–1195 1098 8 130.00–151.00 $140.48 $1,542
1140–1530 1374 42 138.00–148.00 $145.94 $2,005
1258–1705 1436 175 150.00–156.75 $153.51 $2,204 +0.50

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1180 1018 5 135.00–138.00 $136.28 $1,387
1130–1450 1308 79 139.00–147.50 $144.55 $1,891 -8.94
1185–1496 1326 103 149.00–156.75 $153.60 $2,037 +0.11

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1735 1335 80-85% 25 76.00–87.50 $82.75 $1,105
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1780 1492 75-80% 13 90.00–95.00 $92.61 $1,382
1485–1865 1680 75-80% 10 96.00–103.00 $97.92 $1,645 +0.47
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1245 1230 85-90% 2 40.00–53.00 $46.58 $573
1055–1455 1278 85-90% 6 73.00–75.00 $74.38 $951

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505–2115 1821 15 86.00–113.00 $101.00 $1,839

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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.