Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 23, 2024

676 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 676 320 441
Slaughter cattle 676 320 441

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were 3.00-3.50 higher, Slaughter cows no comparison due to low receipts. 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
1052–1215 1120 14 175.00–192.00 $187.48 $2,100 +20.08
1055–1572 1375 30 181.00–189.50 $186.97 $2,571
1233–1665 1441 220 190.00–196.50 $193.94 $2,795 +3.28

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1055 1040 2 165.00–185.50 $175.10 $1,821
1025–1555 1278 34 180.00–189.50 $185.66 $2,373
1200–1605 1364 275 190.00–196.00 $193.94 $2,645 +2.91

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1455–1760 1591 75-80% 8 123.00–131.00 $127.11 $2,022
1530–1755 1663 75-80% 5 132.00–134.00 $132.97 $2,211 +22.16
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1255 1162 80-85% 10 116.00–136.00 $125.57 $1,459
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1660 1269 85-90% 9 104.00–114.00 $108.69 $1,379 -0.46

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1295 1120 3 130.00–149.00 $137.83 $1,544
1305 1305 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,488
1340–2235 1840 14 130.00–168.00 $148.32 $2,729 -2.03

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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.