Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 1, 2023

348 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 348 257 493
Slaughter cattle 348 257 493

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.50-4.50 higher, slaughter cows Breakers 5.00-6.00 higher, Boner and Leans no comparison due to low receipts last week. 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
1155–1325 1223 9 149.00–160.00 $156.44 $1,913
1245–1564 1399 27 155.00–162.00 $159.14 $2,226 +6.75
1220–1661 1475 60 163.00–173.75 $169.12 $2,495 +2.51

↑ Back to top

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1150 1067 12 135.00–159.00 $152.17 $1,624
1095–1540 1295 32 155.00–164.00 $158.13 $2,048
1250–1610 1369 58 166.00–175.00 $171.33 $2,346 +4.64

↑ Back to top

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1675 1458 75-80% 22 90.00–96.50 $93.88 $1,369 -1.70
1245–1820 1578 75-80% 17 96.00–103.00 $98.41 $1,553
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1235 1140 80-85% 3 96.00–106.00 $100.98 $1,151 +21.53
1270–1395 1350 80-85% 3 74.00–80.00 $76.23 $1,029
1030–1685 1355 80-85% 19 83.00–89.50 $86.61 $1,174
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710–1280 1018 85-90% 6 52.50–68.00 $60.81 $619
880–1525 1158 85-90% 15 71.00–82.00 $77.28 $895
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1760 1760 65-75% 1 120.00 $120.00 $2,112

↑ Back to top

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–2185 1547 19 87.50–114.00 $103.91 $1,607 -11.59
1460–2250 2027 5 115.00–124.00 $119.02 $2,413 +16.89

↑ Back to top

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.