Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 22, 2023

257 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 257 298 204
Slaughter cattle 257 298 204

Slaughter cattle today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers steady, slaughter cows Breakers 2.00 higher , Boner and Lean no comparison due to low receipts. 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
1280–1425 1367 3 150.00–156.00 $152.39 $2,083 -1.97
1295–1763 1477 46 160.00–170.00 $166.61 $2,461 -0.10

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1485 1308 3 155.00–157.00 $155.59 $2,035
1269–1464 1357 29 163.00–169.50 $166.69 $2,262 +0.10

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1630 1355 75-80% 19 83.00–91.00 $86.59 $1,173
1230–1820 1461 75-80% 39 92.00–100.00 $95.58 $1,396
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1280 1136 80-85% 9 76.00–81.00 $79.45 $903
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–1070 977 85-90% 3 60.00–72.50 $67.64 $661 -0.34

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1524 1524 5 115.50 $115.50 $1,760
1730–2490 2037 3 90.00–108.00 $102.13 $2,080 -3.74

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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.