Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 29, 2023

844 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 844 366 671
Slaughter cattle 844 366 671

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 4.50-5.25 lower, slaughter cows 1.00-2.00 higher. 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
1160–1205 1177 5 150.00–160.00 $154.48 $1,818
1180–1265 1200 10 165.00–169.00 $166.63 $2,000
1180–1695 1420 38 160.00–171.00 $166.64 $2,366
1289–1640 1481 173 172.00–185.75 $178.81 $2,648 -4.66
1718–1810 1735 26 164.50–169.50 $168.43 $2,922

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1265 1161 5 142.50–161.00 $152.73 $1,773
1125–1550 1282 48 164.00–171.00 $168.74 $2,163
1210–1484 1369 214 172.00–186.00 $178.49 $2,444 -5.35

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1550 1338 80-85% 57 88.00–99.00 $94.48 $1,264 +22.10
1090–1570 1414 80-85% 9 80.00–87.00 $82.42 $1,165
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1795 1428 75-80% 43 100.00–109.00 $103.96 $1,485 +1.45
1320–1795 1533 75-80% 16 110.00–117.00 $112.52 $1,725
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–1480 1184 85-90% 8 40.00–60.00 $56.51 $669 -17.82
875–1660 1196 85-90% 46 62.00–87.00 $75.34 $901 +1.01
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1935 1581 65-75% 15 120.00–151.00 $134.09 $2,120

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1565 1408 2 72.50–75.00 $73.61 $1,036
1185–2450 1827 11 94.00–119.00 $107.61 $1,966
1770–2300 2010 3 122.00–138.00 $128.40 $2,581

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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.