Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 3, 2023

145 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 145 286 385
Slaughter cattle 145 286 385

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison. 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
1195–1560 1431 12 167.00–175.00 $172.74 $2,472
1275–1614 1478 33 176.00–177.00 $176.70 $2,612 -2.50

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1393 1288 8 160.00–174.50 $169.35 $2,181 -1.70
1385–1459 1410 14 176.00–177.50 $177.01 $2,496

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1435 1235 80-85% 19 85.00–95.00 $90.40 $1,116
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1520 1335 75-80% 9 97.00–104.00 $99.75 $1,332
1240–1855 1464 75-80% 9 105.00–113.00 $108.57 $1,589 +8.24
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–1015 889 85-90% 4 40.00–67.00 $55.91 $497
865–1025 957 85-90% 6 79.00–85.00 $82.65 $791

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1745 1372 5 105.00–117.00 $111.11 $1,524
1430 1430 1 87.50 $87.50 $1,251

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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.