Cattle Market Pulse

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle Market Report

Tama, Iowa · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 30, 2026

523 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 523 533 192
Slaughter cattle 523 533 192

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were steady. slaughter cows no comparison due to low receipts last week, lower undertone was noticed. 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
905–1175 1113 14 207.50–222.00 $218.10 $2,427 -2.81
1210–1261 1247 13 213.00–219.00 $216.00 $2,694 +1.58
1213–1440 1302 37 211.00–219.00 $217.17 $2,828 —
1223–1665 1443 130 219.00–222.75 $221.26 $3,193 —
1702 1702 3 220.00 $220.00 $3,744 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
996–1210 1096 18 210.00–226.00 $218.84 $2,398 —
1170–1271 1221 17 217.25–221.00 $218.27 $2,665 —
1115–1413 1262 22 210.00–219.00 $217.11 $2,740 -0.89
1200–1551 1351 147 219.00–223.00 $221.53 $2,993 +0.06

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
825–980 925 80-85% 3 177.00–232.50 $197.21 $1,824 —
1050–1255 1153 80-85% 2 166.00–185.00 $174.66 $2,014 —
1240–1290 1257 80-85% 3 116.00–137.00 $129.16 $1,624 —
1135–1575 1323 80-85% 16 140.00–148.50 $143.00 $1,892 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1595 1201 85-90% 14 110.00–126.00 $118.00 $1,417 —
1120–1280 1223 85-90% 3 128.00–140.00 $133.37 $1,631 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1470 1413 75-80% 2 174.00–177.00 $175.56 $2,481 —
1500–1840 1653 75-80% 8 145.50–157.50 $151.30 $2,501 —
1620–1730 1675 75-80% 3 138.00–143.00 $140.53 $2,354 —

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1610 1610 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,610 —
1335–2155 1657 9 173.00–198.00 $189.94 $3,147 —
1725–2260 1942 5 213.00–222.00 $216.24 $4,199 +2.68

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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.