Cattle Market Pulse

Townsend Livestock Auction Market Report

Madison, Florida · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, May 21, 2024

329 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $281.48/cwt ≈ $1,497/hd at 532 lb · 16 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $242.25/cwt ≈ $1,168/hd at 482 lb · 13 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $231.25/cwt ≈ $1,103/hd at 477 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 329 167 435
Feeder cattle 288 147 320
Slaughter cattle 41 20 115

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cattle 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder cattle steady.

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
420–445 440 5 290.00–310.00 $293.82 $1,293 —
465–485 470 8 270.00–275.00 $273.71 $1,286 —
505–535 532 16 275.00–300.00 $281.48 $1,497 —
560–585 573 4 280.00–290.00 $284.89 $1,632 —
615–630 623 2 235.00–255.00 $244.88 $1,526 —
720–740 730 2 220.00–230.00 $225.07 $1,643 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–340 336 4 300.00–320.00 $304.83 $1,024 —
360–380 370 2 280.00–300.00 $289.73 $1,072 —
460–485 468 9 252.50–260.00 $255.09 $1,194 —
520–540 536 5 240.00–245.00 $244.03 $1,308 —
560–585 566 4 260.00–265.00 $261.29 $1,479 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 332 3 265.00–285.00 $271.33 $901 -21.15
420–445 437 3 250.00–260.00 $253.21 $1,107 -11.22
470–485 482 13 240.00–250.00 $242.25 $1,168 —
510–545 532 8 230.00–240.00 $233.60 $1,243 —
560–580 573 6 220.00–225.00 $221.63 $1,270 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–385 373 6 245.00–255.00 $249.83 $932 —
465–485 477 13 225.00–235.00 $231.25 $1,103 —
510–520 515 6 225.00–235.00 $230.05 $1,185 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–290 275 8 305.00–310.00 $307.64 $846 —
360–395 369 8 275.00–300.00 $293.31 $1,082 +13.45
405–445 435 4 265.00–285.00 $269.66 $1,173 +2.29
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460–485 473 2 270.00–275.00 $272.43 $1,289 -10.07
530–540 533 6 260.00–265.00 $263.31 $1,403 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1245 1176 80-85% 14 122.00–131.00 $126.08 $1,483 —
1000–1355 1188 80-85% 4 136.00–140.00 $138.12 $1,641 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1195 1130 85-90% 12 115.00–123.00 $119.23 $1,347 +2.89

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1615–1810 1713 2 146.00–147.00 $146.47 $2,509 —

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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.