Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 6, 2023

237 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 237 826 499
Slaughter cattle 237 826 499

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers steady to .50 lower, slaughter cows .50-.75 lower. 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
1020–1075 1048 2 150.00–159.00 $154.38 $1,618
1120–1346 1293 17 174.00–183.00 $180.76 $2,337
1225–1531 1413 64 184.00–189.50 $187.70 $2,652 -0.50

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1113 1068 8 131.00–162.50 $156.68 $1,673
1010–1350 1203 12 170.00–183.00 $179.08 $2,154 -2.07
1145–1423 1263 45 184.25–189.50 $188.25 $2,378

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1665 1363 75-80% 19 110.00–119.00 $114.78 $1,564
1345–1525 1450 75-80% 11 120.00–127.00 $122.36 $1,774 +6.73
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1345 1107 85-90% 3 63.00–76.00 $71.55 $792 -20.75
695–1515 1132 85-90% 16 81.00–101.00 $94.02 $1,064 +1.72
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1650 1212 80-85% 12 102.00–109.00 $105.18 $1,275

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1290 1215 3 120.00–160.00 $143.11 $1,739
1295–1695 1495 2 112.00–124.00 $117.20 $1,752
1795 1795 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,723
1450–2205 1823 3 134.00–141.00 $137.82 $2,512

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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.