Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 25, 2024

488 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 488 476 393
Slaughter cattle 488 476 393

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were steady, slaughter cows were .50-2.00 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
895–1165 1039 10 166.00–188.00 $174.67 $1,815 —
1035–1490 1269 41 174.50–184.50 $181.23 $2,300 -0.08
1163–1655 1389 93 185.00–191.00 $187.56 $2,605 —

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1155 1093 3 155.00–170.00 $161.81 $1,769 —
1040–1340 1212 16 177.00–184.50 $181.31 $2,197 —
1088–1453 1314 155 185.00–191.00 $188.10 $2,472 +0.53

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1070 1008 75-80% 3 160.00–172.50 $168.25 $1,696 —
1220–1360 1285 75-80% 5 128.00–137.00 $132.90 $1,708 —
1210–1880 1445 75-80% 30 125.00–135.00 $130.45 $1,885 +2.08
1400–1775 1591 75-80% 7 136.00–143.00 $138.86 $2,209 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–905 848 80-85% 2 130.00–132.50 $131.17 $1,112 —
1080–1425 1266 80-85% 7 125.00–130.00 $128.09 $1,622 —
1010–1955 1364 80-85% 16 117.00–124.00 $121.55 $1,658 +8.02
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1175 1107 85-90% 5 107.00–115.50 $112.02 $1,240 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1165 1165 1 167.00 $167.00 $1,946 —
1410–2505 1827 10 150.00–164.50 $158.28 $2,892 —
1840–2340 2061 5 165.50–168.50 $166.68 $3,435 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1292 1292 13 185.25 $185.25 $2,393 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1413 1413 12 182.50 $182.50 $2,579 —

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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.