Cattle Market Pulse

Townsend Livestock Auction Market Report

Madison, Florida · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 30, 2024

303 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Townsend Livestock Auction report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $254.33/cwt -8.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,343/hd at 528 lb · 22 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $279.97/cwt +4.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,363/hd at 487 lb · 12 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 2 heifers $238.46/cwt +6.58 vs last sale · ≈ $885/hd at 371 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 303 467 303
Feeder cattle 254 407 230
Slaughter cattle 49 60 73

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cattle 1.00 to 3.00 higher. Feeder cattle 3.00 to 5.00 higher.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–345 330 5 360.00–395.00 $380.36 $1,255 +45.92
360–380 372 5 342.50–385.00 $358.95 $1,335 +28.04
405–440 421 10 330.00–350.00 $340.67 $1,434 +41.99
485–490 487 12 270.00–285.00 $279.97 $1,363 +4.89
515–540 528 22 235.00–270.00 $254.33 $1,343 -8.10
690–695 691 4 215.00–220.00 $218.74 $1,511 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–330 320 2 280.00–310.00 $294.53 $942 —
360–380 370 2 250.00–270.00 $259.73 $961 -44.04
410–440 425 4 250.00–280.00 $264.47 $1,124 +0.20
460–485 470 5 257.50–262.50 $259.56 $1,220 +5.93
510–540 525 6 230.00–245.00 $237.29 $1,246 +1.43

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 328 4 280.00–300.00 $289.62 $950 +52.00
360–385 370 7 280.00–300.00 $291.66 $1,079 +46.80
410–440 426 8 240.00–250.00 $244.24 $1,040 +11.01
455–475 461 8 242.50–247.50 $245.02 $1,130 +8.47
505–510 508 2 230.00–240.00 $235.02 $1,194 +0.16
560–565 563 2 227.50–237.50 $232.48 $1,309 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 338 4 230.00–250.00 $239.78 $810 +20.01
360–390 371 11 225.00–245.00 $238.46 $885 +6.58
420–445 426 8 220.00–230.00 $223.70 $953 +4.56
460–485 475 5 232.50–235.00 $233.47 $1,109 +8.58

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–340 333 3 375.00–395.00 $381.40 $1,270 +74.08
360–395 378 2 285.00–320.00 $301.69 $1,140 +3.78
405–420 410 3 310.00–345.00 $333.05 $1,366 +40.70
600–640 622 5 207.50–225.00 $216.44 $1,346 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–345 328 2 270.00–300.00 $284.20 $932 —
425–430 427 3 255.00–280.00 $271.60 $1,160 +7.68
520–535 523 5 210.00–220.00 $217.95 $1,140 -0.80

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1160 1028 85-90% 10 101.00–105.00 $101.90 $1,048 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1305 1199 80-85% 10 105.00–109.00 $107.15 $1,285 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1545 1440 75-80% 3 110.00–113.00 $111.59 $1,607 —
1230–1835 1496 75-80% 5 116.00–124.00 $120.33 $1,800 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1865 1593 6 117.00–127.00 $123.34 $1,965 -1.61
1655–1785 1720 2 135.00–138.00 $136.56 $2,349 —

↑ Back to top

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.