Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 25, 2023

533 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 533 505 252
Slaughter cattle 533 505 252

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers .50-.75 lower, slaughter cows steady to 1.00 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
1178–1657 1431 24 145.00–156.00 $152.51 $2,182 -4.92
1315–1653 1527 140 157.00–164.75 $162.03 $2,474
1723 1723 11 155.00 $155.00 $2,671

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1225 1158 2 130.00–141.00 $135.82 $1,573
1105–1490 1315 23 144.00–157.00 $153.69 $2,021 -0.58
1187–1572 1367 103 157.00–166.00 $161.75 $2,211 -0.66

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1780 1333 80-85% 63 70.00–79.00 $74.97 $999
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–2040 1486 75-80% 42 80.00–85.00 $82.49 $1,226
1245–1870 1587 75-80% 10 86.00–95.00 $88.77 $1,409 -2.19
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–1400 1100 85-90% 3 46.00–53.50 $50.72 $558
800–1620 1163 85-90% 25 56.00–69.00 $63.80 $742

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–2150 1715 14 85.00–99.00 $91.15 $1,563

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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.