Name: Tama Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-09-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Slaughter cattle sale today: Compared to last week. Choice steers and heifers were steady -1.50 higher, slaughter cow were too lightly tested to make an accurate market trend. Trade active. Demand good.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	High	1,678	203.31	3,411	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,566	161.14	2,523	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,256	157.83	1,982	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,163	128.99	1,500	13
Heifers	Select	Average	1,046	225.78	2,362	17
Heifers	Choice	Average	1,290	224.00	2,890	93
Heifers	Select and Choice	Average	1,195	219.76	2,626	20
Steers	Select	Average	1,135	223.81	2,540	11
Steers	Choice	Average	1,433	223.68	3,205	115
Steers	Select and Choice	Average	1,338	218.22	2,920	66

Every lot, as filed

15 lots · USDA AMS · Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle - Tama, IA

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,163	128.99/cwt	115.00–140.00	1,500	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,552	157.96/cwt	154.00–164.00	2,452	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,149	173.60/cwt	157.50–184.00	1,995	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,267	154.24/cwt	150.00–156.00	1,954	9
Heifers	Choice	—	1,290	224.00/cwt	220.50–227.25	2,890	93
Steers	Choice	—	1,433	223.68/cwt	220.00–228.00	3,205	115
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	142.43/cwt	140.00–145.00	2,023	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,633	177.02/cwt	172.00–183.00	2,891	2
Bulls	—	—	1,807	219.57/cwt	218.00–221.00	3,968	4
Heifers	Select and ChoiceReturn to Feed	—	1,207	220.50/cwt	220.50–220.50	2,661	10
Heifers	Select and Choice	—	1,183	219.02/cwt	216.00–221.50	2,591	10
Steers	Select and Choice	—	1,338	218.22/cwt	211.00–220.00	2,920	66
Heifers	SelectReturn to Feed	—	1,046	225.78/cwt	200.00–235.00	2,362	17
Steers	SelectReturn to Feed	—	1,135	223.81/cwt	212.00–233.00	2,540	11
Bulls	—	—	1,631	197.40/cwt	174.00–210.00	3,220	11

How this sale compares

Iowa weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Iowa auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Iowa feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Tama Livestock Slaughter Cattle - Tama, IA

Wed Sep 16, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Des Moines, IA (LS-NW)

Receipts 426Last week 253Year ago 343

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	1,163	115.00–140.00	128.99
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,552	154.00–164.00	157.96
2	—	1,633	172.00–183.00	177.02
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,149	157.50–184.00	173.60
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,267	150.00–156.00	154.24
2	—	1,420	140.00–145.00	142.43
Heifers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
93	—	1,290	220.50–227.25	224.00
Heifers — Select and Choice · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,207	220.50	220.50
Heifers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,183	216.00–221.50	219.02
Heifers — Select · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
17	—	1,046	200.00–235.00	225.78
Steers — Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
115	—	1,433	220.00–228.00	223.68
Steers — Select and Choice$ per cwt · actual wt
66	—	1,338	211.00–220.00	218.22
Steers — Select · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	1,135	212.00–233.00	223.81
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,807	218.00–221.00	219.57
11	—	1,631	174.00–210.00	197.40

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

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Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

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