Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 22, 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 366 644 517
Slaughter cattle 366 644 517

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 5.25-5.50 higher, slaughter cows 2.00-6.00 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
1160–1545 1379 27 161.00–176.00 $171.16 $2,360
1195–1605 1483 92 178.00–186.50 $183.47 $2,721

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060 1060 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,707
1237–1578 1356 94 179.00–186.00 $183.84 $2,493 +5.46
1185–1570 1386 55 160.00–177.00 $162.47 $2,252 -15.91

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1560 1323 80-85% 20 85.00–97.00 $90.52 $1,198 -3.60
1265–1440 1330 80-85% 5 70.00–81.00 $72.38 $963 -21.74
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1120 1025 85-90% 2 39.00–50.00 $43.99 $451 -10.61
865–1525 1178 85-90% 22 60.00–83.00 $74.33 $876
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1585 1440 75-80% 14 98.00–107.00 $102.51 $1,476

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1700 1700 1 60.00 $60.00 $1,020
1235–2605 1929 7 93.00–119.00 $111.05 $2,142
2150–2345 2248 2 121.50–125.00 $123.33 $2,772

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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.