Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 12, 2022

496 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 496 411 544
Slaughter cattle 496 411 544

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .50-.75 lower, slaughter cows .75-1.25 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
1050–1285 1190 18 120.00–140.00 $136.85 $1,629
1183–1500 1375 18 140.00–147.00 $143.53 $1,974 -1.73
1275–1683 1492 129 150.00–157.00 $153.58 $2,291

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1165 1044 5 121.00–139.00 $128.95 $1,346
1190–1515 1312 90 149.00–157.00 $152.67 $2,003 -0.47
1100–1507 1322 85 140.00–148.00 $142.09 $1,878 -11.05

↑ Back to top

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
795–1375 1030 85-90% 6 32.50–54.00 $44.88 $462
875–1375 1130 85-90% 26 57.50–70.00 $65.33 $738 +12.66
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1550 1239 80-85% 32 71.00–85.00 $78.82 $977
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–2085 1429 75-80% 16 86.00–93.00 $88.63 $1,267
1285–2035 1591 75-80% 4 67.50–71.00 $70.20 $1,117
1245–1880 1609 75-80% 4 94.00–99.00 $96.82 $1,558

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500–2075 1793 7 86.00–108.00 $96.89 $1,737

↑ Back to top

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.