Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 2, 2023

444 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 444 335 197
Slaughter cattle 444 335 197

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week: Choice steers and heifers 1.50-3.00 lower, slaughter cows 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
905–1115 1086 10 164.00–183.00 $178.44 $1,938 +12.63
1145–1483 1387 23 175.00–181.00 $179.38 $2,488
1170–1697 1443 123 182.00–189.50 $185.89 $2,682

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
890–1255 1005 7 127.50–167.00 $150.44 $1,512
1025–1415 1239 24 170.00–181.00 $177.40 $2,198 -0.71
1120–1450 1281 95 182.00–188.50 $185.94 $2,382 -3.34

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1665 1337 75-80% 17 105.00–112.00 $108.25 $1,447
1150–1685 1418 75-80% 34 114.00–125.00 $120.22 $1,705 +11.98
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695–1260 1048 85-90% 6 40.00–67.50 $60.08 $630
925–1245 1071 85-90% 12 83.00–95.00 $88.14 $944
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–1615 1204 80-85% 16 95.00–104.00 $99.53 $1,198 +2.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–1600 1431 65-75% 7 126.00–157.50 $131.83 $1,886

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1115 1065 2 160.00–162.50 $161.19 $1,717
1370 1370 1 76.00 $76.00 $1,041
1210–1975 1527 6 110.00–120.00 $117.02 $1,787
1480–2175 1773 6 131.00–144.00 $136.94 $2,428

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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.