Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 15, 2023

298 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 298 412 395
Slaughter cattle 298 412 395

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.50-2.00 higher, slaughter cows steady. 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
1060–1290 1167 3 132.00–140.00 $135.93 $1,586
1253–1575 1375 16 150.00–159.00 $154.36 $2,122 -1.06
1233–1663 1483 81 161.50–170.00 $166.71 $2,472

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
968–1338 1204 7 110.00–132.00 $123.14 $1,483
1108–1580 1254 42 150.00–160.50 $157.24 $1,972 +3.73
1155–1530 1364 53 162.00–169.00 $166.59 $2,272

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1775 1321 75-80% 14 81.00–88.00 $84.37 $1,115
1445–1860 1612 75-80% 13 91.00–98.00 $94.12 $1,517 +1.06
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1490 1246 80-85% 20 74.00–80.00 $77.09 $961
1115–1395 1251 80-85% 4 84.00–85.00 $84.78 $1,061 +2.18
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–1100 974 85-90% 6 60.00–73.00 $67.98 $662
1078–1350 1207 85-90% 10 78.00–83.00 $81.17 $980

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1560–2195 2010 5 97.00–110.00 $105.87 $2,128

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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.