Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 27, 2024

347 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 347 502 844
Slaughter cattle 347 502 844

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers 4.00-4.50 higher, slaughter cows Breaker and Boners steady -.50 higher, Lean 2.00 lower. 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
1015–1225 1107 9 161.00–181.00 $173.73 $1,923
1125–1583 1321 8 182.00–186.00 $184.29 $2,434
1203–1679 1472 99 187.00–194.75 $192.11 $2,828 +4.31

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–1205 1066 20 141.00–181.00 $172.68 $1,841
1155–1330 1256 6 179.00–187.50 $185.41 $2,329 +5.32
1170–1600 1383 96 188.00–195.50 $192.87 $2,667 +4.64

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1205 1081 80-85% 5 119.00–153.00 $138.02 $1,492
1045–1640 1306 80-85% 21 108.00–117.00 $112.13 $1,464
1400–1595 1517 80-85% 5 100.00–106.00 $103.97 $1,577
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1530 1332 75-80% 9 118.00–129.00 $122.78 $1,635 -4.60
1240–1775 1505 75-80% 15 118.00–129.00 $121.84 $1,834 +0.45
1805 1805 75-80% 1 135.00 $135.00 $2,437
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755–870 813 85-90% 2 117.50–130.00 $123.31 $1,003
905–1335 1130 85-90% 6 70.00–90.00 $80.15 $906
1015–1505 1164 85-90% 12 91.00–105.00 $98.88 $1,151 +17.17

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
975–1080 1028 2 119.00–131.00 $125.31 $1,288
1535 1535 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,397
1510–2285 1901 9 136.00–161.00 $152.90 $2,907 -11.10

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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.