Cattle Market Pulse

Townsend Livestock Auction Market Report

Madison, Florida · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, April 16, 2024

284 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $232.32/cwt -14.96 vs last sale · ≈ $973/hd at 419 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 284 407 556
Feeder cattle 257 376 441
Slaughter cattle 27 31 115

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cows and bulls mostly steady to 3.00 lower. Feeder cattle mostly steady in light test.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220–245 225 5 320.00–330.00 $327.82 $738 —
260–285 273 7 270.00–300.00 $282.25 $771 —
360–390 375 4 265.00–285.00 $274.87 $1,031 -10.63

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–230 223 2 250.00–255.00 $252.42 $563 —
265–285 278 3 250.00–300.00 $275.00 $764 -15.60
320–335 330 6 265.00–280.00 $269.85 $891 -7.74
360–395 386 4 235.00–245.00 $237.33 $916 -14.56
405–435 419 11 225.00–240.00 $232.32 $973 -14.96
460–495 478 6 220.00–235.00 $224.81 $1,075 -10.51
505–540 523 2 210.00–225.00 $217.25 $1,136 +2.36
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
205–220 213 2 300.00–315.00 $307.76 $656 —
260–280 275 4 300.00–310.00 $302.36 $831 —
315–340 328 4 290.00–305.00 $297.21 $975 —
360–395 387 8 260.00–275.00 $265.53 $1,028 -7.12
420–440 430 2 260.00–280.00 $269.77 $1,160 +1.60

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
215–240 228 2 350.00–375.00 $361.81 $825 —
260–285 273 2 380.00–395.00 $387.84 $1,059 +35.06
370–390 377 3 280.00–300.00 $293.10 $1,105 -42.04
460–480 470 2 280.00–285.00 $282.45 $1,328 +22.19
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–440 430 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,118 -15.07
460–480 473 3 255.00–270.00 $265.14 $1,254 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1195 1084 85-90% 9 108.00–112.00 $109.96 $1,192 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1700 1458 75-80% 7 112.00–120.00 $117.68 $1,716 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1275 1240 80-85% 2 127.00–131.00 $129.06 $1,600 —
1205–1265 1241 80-85% 4 118.00–126.00 $122.82 $1,524 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510–2125 1860 3 138.00–148.00 $141.85 $2,638 —

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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.