Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 18, 2024

476 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 476 361 574
Slaughter cattle 476 361 574

Slaughter cattle sale today: No comparison due to last week not reported. 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
998–1190 1071 11 171.00–176.00 $173.26 $1,856
1180–1500 1296 23 175.00–184.00 $181.31 $2,350
1234–1688 1406 137 185.25–190.50 $188.17 $2,646 -1.55

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–1125 1055 2 160.00–175.00 $167.00 $1,762 -0.31
1105–1515 1270 44 171.00–184.00 $180.53 $2,293 -1.91
1205–1485 1336 98 184.00–190.50 $187.57 $2,506

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1770 1194 75-80% 6 137.00–158.00 $146.82 $1,753
1195–1970 1438 75-80% 32 125.00–135.00 $128.37 $1,846 -16.77
1455 1455 75-80% 1 138.00 $138.00 $2,008
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165–1280 1203 80-85% 4 118.00–122.00 $120.25 $1,447
1130–1525 1365 80-85% 5 110.00–116.00 $113.53 $1,550
1195–1670 1382 80-85% 18 118.50–123.00 $121.03 $1,673
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665–910 788 85-90% 2 115.00–120.00 $117.11 $923
880–990 935 85-90% 2 80.00–104.00 $92.71 $867
1065–1315 1178 85-90% 9 106.00–115.00 $110.22 $1,298

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275 1275 1 146.00 $146.00 $1,862
1445–2200 1888 9 124.00–162.00 $152.12 $2,872
1840–2085 1973 3 164.00–167.00 $165.01 $3,256 -11.99

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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.