Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 11, 2023

396 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 396 330 496
Slaughter cattle 396 330 496

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.50-2.00 lower, slaughter cow no comparison due to low receipts last week.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1458 1335 22 171.00–179.50 $176.64 $2,358 +0.67
1265–1665 1455 135 180.00–187.00 $184.22 $2,680 -2.90

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1097–1105 1099 4 160.00–174.00 $170.48 $1,874
1133–1480 1297 29 170.00–180.00 $177.24 $2,299
1205–1487 1356 63 182.50–187.00 $184.93 $2,508 -3.14

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1515 1279 80-85% 35 99.00–109.00 $104.21 $1,333
1135–1590 1319 80-85% 12 82.50–97.50 $92.44 $1,219
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1765 1449 75-80% 22 110.00–119.00 $114.34 $1,657 -6.33
1440–1735 1596 75-80% 8 120.00–127.00 $123.29 $1,968 +9.96
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1090 949 85-90% 5 62.00–70.00 $64.50 $612
945–1440 1123 85-90% 12 71.00–96.00 $83.40 $937 -4.88

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1875 1510 3 77.50–92.50 $85.47 $1,291
1190–2475 1841 8 105.00–128.00 $115.18 $2,120
1365–2070 1881 7 131.00–145.00 $133.99 $2,520 -1.67

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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.