Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 25, 2023

441 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 441 533 636
Slaughter cattle 441 533 636

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.25 lower, slaughter cows mostly steady, Lean cows 2.50 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
1088–1288 1223 10 157.00–165.00 $158.78 $1,942
1206–1590 1371 33 170.00–179.50 $177.44 $2,433 +1.45
1340–1625 1478 107 180.00–186.50 $183.95 $2,719 -1.31

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1190 1190 1 164.00 $164.00 $1,952
1134–1470 1268 43 170.00–179.00 $175.46 $2,225
1225–1435 1371 119 180.00–186.00 $184.12 $2,524 -1.42

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–1135 972 85-90% 5 30.00–68.00 $57.88 $563
865–1395 1114 85-90% 27 70.00–95.00 $81.56 $909
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1640 1351 80-85% 13 70.00–94.00 $86.48 $1,168
1195–1625 1379 80-85% 18 97.00–108.00 $101.88 $1,405
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1715 1547 75-80% 8 109.00–119.00 $114.66 $1,774

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900 900 2 152.00 $152.00 $1,368
920–1625 1315 5 80.00–97.50 $88.23 $1,160
1175–2255 1453 6 100.00–122.00 $116.79 $1,697
1570–1860 1715 2 130.00–135.00 $132.29 $2,269

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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.