Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 9, 2023

366 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 366 444 516
Slaughter cattle 366 444 516

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 2.25-2.75 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
955–1198 1065 10 179.00–210.00 $193.35 $2,059 +14.91
1070–1530 1333 15 175.00–182.00 $179.84 $2,397
1183–1755 1402 98 183.00–193.00 $188.05 $2,636

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–965 938 3 140.00–165.00 $148.57 $1,394
1104–1610 1276 126 183.00–193.50 $188.83 $2,409 +2.89
1295–1490 1382 5 177.00–181.50 $180.40 $2,493

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190–1850 1399 75-80% 11 110.00–117.00 $113.83 $1,592
1285–1875 1493 75-80% 17 118.00–126.00 $122.26 $1,825
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1610 1329 80-85% 12 102.00–108.00 $105.58 $1,403
1405–1620 1469 80-85% 4 85.00–90.00 $87.98 $1,292
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915 915 85-90% 1 50.00 $50.00 $458
850–1300 1107 85-90% 8 80.00–100.00 $91.33 $1,011
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295–1835 1565 65-75% 2 137.50–160.00 $146.81 $2,298

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1665 1375 4 112.00–124.00 $119.30 $1,640 +43.30
1635–2005 1773 4 130.00–149.00 $140.57 $2,492 +3.63

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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.