Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 1, 2023

227 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 227 533 252
Slaughter cattle 227 533 252

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers steady, slaughter cows steady to .50 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
1230–1480 1353 4 147.00–155.00 $150.92 $2,042
1210–1556 1509 62 159.00–164.00 $163.08 $2,461 +1.05

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1003–1310 1099 6 122.50–146.00 $137.10 $1,507
1110–1440 1233 21 147.00–155.00 $150.40 $1,854
1218–1765 1377 28 158.00–164.75 $161.74 $2,227 -0.01

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–2010 1526 75-80% 15 80.00–85.00 $82.95 $1,266
1400–1740 1580 75-80% 17 86.00–97.00 $89.20 $1,409 +0.43
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1735 1372 80-85% 24 70.00–79.00 $74.72 $1,025
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1450 1164 85-90% 15 55.00–69.00 $63.85 $743 +0.05

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1540–1955 1748 2 60.00–71.00 $64.85 $1,134 -26.30
1385–2280 1862 7 87.00–99.00 $92.27 $1,718
2090 2090 1 104.00 $104.00 $2,174

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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.