Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 11, 2023

561 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 561 540 556
Slaughter cattle 561 540 556

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers steady to .75 higher, Dairy steers no comparison, slaughter cows 3.00-5.00 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
1108–1180 1132 3 141.00–147.00 $143.08 $1,620
1180–1630 1417 51 149.00–159.50 $155.09 $2,198 -0.56
1289–1668 1494 110 160.00–169.50 $165.58 $2,474

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1285 1149 7 125.00–140.00 $134.14 $1,541
1110–1510 1295 60 146.00–159.75 $154.30 $1,998 -1.11
1242–1635 1384 108 160.00–170.00 $167.23 $2,314

↑ Back to top

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1845 1358 80-85% 36 70.00–75.00 $72.62 $986 +6.11
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1950 1515 75-80% 26 76.00–84.00 $78.80 $1,194
1270–1800 1619 75-80% 6 85.00–93.00 $88.36 $1,431
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1035 1015 85-90% 3 42.50–50.00 $46.66 $474 +4.60
815–1465 1199 85-90% 23 54.00–69.00 $63.40 $760

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1880 1880 1 70.00 $70.00 $1,316
1060–2400 1881 14 75.00–95.00 $89.34 $1,680
2130 2130 1 105.00 $105.00 $2,236

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1668–1885 1760 19 141.00–147.00 $144.50 $2,543

↑ 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.