Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 7, 2024

386 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 386 689 412
Slaughter cattle 386 689 412

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers steady to .50 higher, slaughter cows mostly steady. 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
935–1225 1088 4 142.50–157.00 $149.47 $1,626 -14.07
1160–1520 1313 20 160.00–171.00 $166.95 $2,192 -6.41
1267–1616 1470 90 172.00–180.00 $177.19 $2,605

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1080 1020 3 127.50–152.00 $141.26 $1,441
1103–1440 1247 15 160.00–171.00 $165.58 $2,065
1240–1566 1396 78 171.00–180.00 $177.23 $2,474 +7.81

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1810 1499 75-80% 39 100.00–109.00 $105.08 $1,575
1400–1780 1533 75-80% 9 110.00–112.00 $110.79 $1,698 +5.40
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1670 1370 80-85% 41 89.00–99.00 $94.11 $1,289 -1.15
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
970–1580 1268 85-90% 14 60.00–88.00 $82.28 $1,043

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965 965 1 89.00 $89.00 $859
1225–2475 1971 10 110.00–123.00 $116.98 $2,306 -4.79
2090–2165 2128 2 101.00–103.00 $102.02 $2,171

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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.