Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 16, 2023

592 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 592 366 430
Slaughter cattle 592 366 430

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers steady -1.00 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
1045–1129 1097 19 178.00–190.00 $186.36 $2,044 -6.99
1253–1430 1299 6 180.00–184.00 $182.50 $2,371
1140–1688 1403 233 185.00–191.00 $187.97 $2,637 -0.08

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1140 962 6 173.00–175.00 $173.84 $1,672
1005–1350 1206 26 171.00–184.00 $180.75 $2,180
1167–1460 1283 173 185.00–190.75 $187.84 $2,410 -0.99

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1460 1316 75-80% 10 110.00–118.00 $114.30 $1,504
1280–1880 1531 75-80% 25 119.00–128.00 $124.72 $1,909
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–1290 1077 85-90% 18 82.50–101.00 $91.42 $985
1225 1225 85-90% 1 65.00 $65.00 $796
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090–1445 1206 80-85% 13 102.50–108.00 $104.95 $1,266
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440–2025 1654 65-75% 9 129.00–131.50 $130.16 $2,153

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005 1005 1 157.50 $157.50 $1,583
1170–1460 1315 2 95.00–96.00 $95.56 $1,257
1175–1965 1514 11 108.00–128.00 $122.22 $1,850
1430–1960 1795 4 130.00–145.00 $136.98 $2,459 -3.59

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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.