Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 30, 2024

300 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 300 676 424
Slaughter cattle 300 676 424

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 1.75 lower, slaughter cows no comparison due to low receipts last week. 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
1150–1220 1164 5 175.00–185.00 $182.90 $2,129
1055–1590 1304 24 181.00–188.50 $185.28 $2,416
1250–1665 1463 52 189.50–194.00 $191.97 $2,809

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1040 1030 3 172.00–184.00 $179.96 $1,854 +4.86
1100–1525 1254 40 180.00–188.00 $185.24 $2,323 -0.42
1205–1500 1351 67 189.25–194.00 $192.03 $2,594 -1.91

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Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1450 1250 75-80% 5 124.00–170.00 $144.91 $1,811
1315–1730 1518 75-80% 8 125.00–131.00 $128.32 $1,948
1335–1715 1573 75-80% 6 132.00–137.00 $133.92 $2,107 +6.81
1630–2080 1791 75-80% 4 117.00–122.00 $120.08 $2,151
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
990 990 80-85% 1 117.50 $117.50 $1,163
1075–1330 1185 80-85% 4 118.00–167.50 $131.11 $1,554 +5.54
1260–1405 1320 80-85% 3 100.00–106.00 $101.91 $1,345
1195–1690 1425 80-85% 13 115.00–122.00 $117.98 $1,681
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–995 924 85-90% 4 84.00–92.00 $86.58 $800
1040–1425 1248 85-90% 10 100.00–114.00 $106.75 $1,332

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135 1135 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,248 -27.83
1460–2050 1797 3 111.00–115.00 $113.33 $2,037
1490–2355 1862 11 130.00–158.00 $143.32 $2,669
1810–2020 1915 2 165.00–171.50 $168.07 $3,219

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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.