Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 6, 2024

559 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 559 300 834
Slaughter cattle 559 300 834

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were 3.00-3.50 lower, slaughter cows no comparison. 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
925–1240 1156 16 152.50–187.00 $180.54 $2,087 -2.36
1135–1569 1393 54 180.00–186.50 $184.80 $2,574 —
1265–1633 1445 130 187.00–190.00 $188.01 $2,717 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1250 1094 21 172.00–185.00 $182.29 $1,994 —
1119–1360 1260 29 180.00–186.00 $183.58 $2,313 -1.66
1187–1538 1369 189 187.00–192.00 $188.85 $2,585 -3.18

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–985 973 85-90% 2 91.00–94.00 $92.52 $900 —
730–1280 1031 85-90% 12 60.00–90.00 $78.59 $810 —
1025–1330 1176 85-90% 15 90.00–109.00 $99.12 $1,166 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
985–995 990 80-85% 2 115.00–116.00 $115.50 $1,143 -2.00
1115–1350 1212 80-85% 6 111.00–148.00 $126.35 $1,531 —
1155–1680 1398 80-85% 10 99.00–108.00 $105.26 $1,472 —
1270–1625 1431 80-85% 6 115.00–122.00 $118.65 $1,698 +0.67
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1415 1344 75-80% 4 132.00–144.00 $135.40 $1,820 —
1375–1690 1528 75-80% 4 132.00–139.00 $134.70 $2,058 +6.38
1415–1690 1561 75-80% 7 127.00–131.00 $129.54 $2,022 -4.38
1490–1955 1723 75-80% 2 110.00–118.00 $113.46 $1,955 —

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1100–1225 1177 3 109.00–112.00 $110.34 $1,299 —
1435 1435 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,578 —
1465–2165 1822 9 121.00–155.00 $135.33 $2,466 —
2000–2565 2203 3 163.00–168.00 $165.32 $3,642 —

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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.