Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, July 26, 2023

335 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 335 585 602
Slaughter cattle 335 585 602

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.50-2.50 higher, slaughter cows 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
850–1113 1063 7 150.00–175.00 $165.81 $1,763
1120–1445 1270 20 174.00–181.00 $177.44 $2,253 +1.31
1185–1690 1405 119 183.00–194.00 $187.47 $2,634 +1.36

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–1030 975 5 102.50–157.00 $139.89 $1,364
1090–1457 1223 18 171.00–185.00 $178.11 $2,178
1095–1470 1254 68 182.00–193.00 $189.28 $2,374

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1725 1408 75-80% 5 106.00–111.00 $108.24 $1,524 +14.42
1245–1645 1433 75-80% 18 111.00–124.00 $116.84 $1,674 +23.02
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695–1340 1130 85-90% 11 77.50–92.00 $86.16 $974
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990–1485 1229 80-85% 9 94.00–100.00 $97.53 $1,199

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
805–990 898 2 82.50–95.00 $89.39 $803
1455–1795 1625 2 126.50–130.00 $128.43 $2,087
1525–2310 1954 10 133.00–148.00 $140.76 $2,750

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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.