Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 8, 2023

412 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 412 227 435
Slaughter cattle 412 227 435

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.25-2.75 higher, Dairy steers no comparison, slaughter cows 1.50-3.00 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
1050–1180 1105 3 137.00–141.00 $138.27 $1,528
1210–1663 1391 24 150.00–159.50 $155.42 $2,162
1315–1645 1442 72 160.00–169.50 $165.20 $2,382

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1260 1131 8 107.50–138.00 $125.73 $1,422
1155–1500 1280 32 145.00–158.50 $153.51 $1,965
1200–1565 1418 96 161.50–169.00 $164.58 $2,334

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1630 1427 75-80% 28 82.00–89.00 $84.70 $1,209
1365–1835 1601 75-80% 10 90.00–97.50 $93.06 $1,490
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1405 1261 80-85% 5 81.00–85.00 $82.60 $1,042
1055–1625 1286 80-85% 32 72.00–80.00 $76.19 $980
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1135 1063 85-90% 2 51.00–54.00 $52.40 $557
965–1565 1195 85-90% 17 60.00–71.00 $67.04 $801 +3.19

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1560–2120 1886 6 89.00–107.00 $96.78 $1,825 +4.51
1735–2125 1930 2 66.00–70.00 $68.20 $1,316

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285 1285 1 92.50 $92.50 $1,189
1698–1872 1812 14 143.00–148.00 $146.29 $2,651

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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.