Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 11, 2026

227 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 227 206 429
Slaughter cattle 227 206 429

Market comments — USDA reporter

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were steady-1.00 lower, Dairy steers no comparison due to no receipts last week, slaughter cows 2.00-3.00 higher on a light receipts. 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
1125 1125 1 228.00 $228.00 $2,565 +6.50
1148–1470 1242 7 230.00–231.00 $230.67 $2,865 —
1185–1540 1444 46 236.00–245.00 $241.63 $3,489 +3.82

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Feeder Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1045 998 2 227.00–241.00 $233.67 $2,332 —
1010–1555 1264 4 226.00–233.00 $230.12 $2,909 —
1140–1580 1326 54 236.00–244.75 $240.63 $3,191 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080–1340 1246 80-85% 8 155.00–247.50 $172.02 $2,143 —
1205–1705 1479 80-85% 12 150.00–161.00 $155.97 $2,307 —
1615 1615 80-85% 1 140.00 $140.00 $2,261 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1525 1358 75-80% 3 173.00–190.00 $179.13 $2,433 —
1385–1960 1622 75-80% 11 165.00–174.50 $170.35 $2,763 —
1530–1830 1671 75-80% 4 175.00–185.00 $179.67 $3,002 +14.85
1700 1700 75-80% 1 153.00 $153.00 $2,601 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855 855 85-90% 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,069 —
1070–1280 1175 85-90% 2 140.00–152.00 $146.54 $1,722 +7.49
1045–1400 1223 85-90% 2 130.00–138.00 $134.58 $1,646 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070 1070 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,514 —
1285 1285 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,928 -30.00
1435–1990 1772 3 181.00–213.00 $195.41 $3,463 —
1825–2160 2040 3 217.00–224.00 $220.04 $4,489 +0.04

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Beef/Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1538–1768 1600 4 231.00–241.50 $234.03 $3,744 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1581–1692 1674 39 215.00–218.50 $216.23 $3,620 —

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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.