Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 2, 2022

514 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 514 636 482
Slaughter cattle 514 636 482

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers .25 higher, choice heifers 1.50 higher, slaughter cows were 2.00-4.25 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
1080–1245 1170 11 120.00–148.00 $140.74 $1,647
1231–1643 1394 37 140.00–148.50 $143.96 $2,007
1215–1702 1475 182 150.00–161.75 $156.38 $2,307 +0.16

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1215 1094 8 90.00–140.00 $123.18 $1,348
1115–1530 1281 12 144.00–148.00 $145.90 $1,869 +0.78
1170–1555 1357 90 151.00–160.00 $157.28 $2,134 +1.52

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1695 1341 80-85% 46 66.00–79.00 $73.42 $985
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855–1355 1139 85-90% 6 32.50–50.00 $43.13 $491
905–1500 1230 85-90% 29 52.00–65.00 $59.88 $737
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1710 1457 75-80% 20 80.00–89.00 $85.24 $1,242 -1.80
1480–1645 1593 75-80% 7 90.00–94.00 $92.83 $1,479

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1635–1760 1698 2 60.00–70.00 $64.82 $1,101
1475–2535 1886 18 76.00–102.00 $92.41 $1,743 -0.25

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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.