Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 17, 2023

320 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 320 335 180
Slaughter cattle 320 335 180

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Choice steers and heifers .50-1.25 higher, Dairy steers no comparison, slaughter cows Breakers 4.00 higher, Boner and Lean were .75-2.50 higher. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1203 1177 3 150.00–162.00 $158.18 $1,862 —
1100–1280 1220 11 162.50–172.00 $169.35 $2,066 -7.87
1199–1490 1288 20 169.00–172.00 $170.63 $2,198 —
1265–1567 1436 50 174.00–182.00 $177.85 $2,554 +1.43

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1555 1254 25 160.00–174.00 $169.78 $2,129 -0.86
1295 1295 1 159.00 $159.00 $2,059 —
1255–1385 1321 15 175.00–179.50 $178.19 $2,354 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1700 1373 75-80% 16 101.00–108.00 $104.54 $1,435 —
1275–1810 1557 75-80% 36 109.00–116.50 $112.37 $1,750 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1535 1230 80-85% 22 86.00–97.00 $92.41 $1,137 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875–1495 1136 85-90% 7 71.00–85.00 $80.17 $911 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1580–1745 1663 65-75% 2 119.00–120.00 $119.52 $1,988 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–2015 1532 8 105.00–116.50 $110.45 $1,692 —
1390–2420 2045 10 118.00–125.50 $120.62 $2,467 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,343 —
1388–1508 1460 35 150.25–151.00 $150.41 $2,196 —
1630 1630 1 142.50 $142.50 $2,323 —

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Reading this report

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.