Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 8, 2024

214 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 214 298 335
Slaughter cattle 214 298 335

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were 2.00-2.50 higher, slaughter cows were steady - .50 higher. Trade active. Demand good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1193 1153 6 174.00–177.50 $176.17 $2,031 —
1200 1200 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,920 —
1075–1410 1259 7 175.00–182.00 $179.78 $2,263 —
1298–1525 1389 24 185.00–193.00 $188.16 $2,614 +9.00

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1168 1127 7 174.00–176.00 $174.59 $1,968 —
1190–1520 1313 41 184.00–189.50 $187.62 $2,463 —
1020–1500 1340 3 172.00–175.00 $174.24 $2,335 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120–1355 1274 75-80% 13 133.00–147.50 $140.65 $1,792 —
1315–1970 1517 75-80% 20 124.00–134.00 $127.87 $1,940 -9.61
1320–1825 1528 75-80% 12 135.00–146.00 $139.35 $2,129 +1.87
1435–1825 1630 75-80% 2 120.00–121.00 $120.44 $1,963 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1450 1199 80-85% 7 121.00–137.00 $127.56 $1,529 -20.10
1155–1560 1319 80-85% 13 117.00–123.00 $119.95 $1,582 —
1160–1595 1336 80-85% 6 104.00–114.00 $111.37 $1,488 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155–1375 1241 85-90% 5 70.00–93.00 $84.00 $1,042 —
1125–1420 1265 85-90% 4 98.00–110.00 $102.30 $1,294 +16.46

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1400–2520 1837 8 130.00–145.00 $137.32 $2,523 -7.97
1895–2400 2096 9 154.00–167.00 $160.71 $3,368 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440 1440 2 187.25 $187.25 $2,696 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1480 1480 3 187.50 $187.50 $2,775 —

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Reading this report

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.