Cattle Market Pulse

Townsend Livestock Auction Market Report

Madison, Florida · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 3, 2024

533 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $287.56/cwt +3.28 vs last sale · ≈ $1,349/hd at 469 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $244.74/cwt +15.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,158/hd at 473 lb · 12 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 steers $271.13/cwt +8.58 vs last sale · ≈ $1,304/hd at 481 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 533 581 479
Feeder cattle 430 470 420
Slaughter cattle 70 72 59
Replacement cattle 33 39 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

All Florida markets closed last week for Thanksgiving Holiday.

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
255–285 268 4 450.00–490.00 $462.20 $1,239 +34.95
360–380 373 3 345.00–360.00 $349.82 $1,305 -5.96
415–435 423 5 290.00–310.00 $301.77 $1,276 -12.35
460–480 469 14 270.00–310.00 $287.56 $1,349 +3.28
520–540 530 6 275.00–295.00 $284.81 $1,509 +8.35
560–580 572 5 255.00–270.00 $260.87 $1,492 +1.01
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–380 375 2 300.00–310.00 $305.07 $1,144 +21.31
410–440 430 3 280.00–300.00 $286.36 $1,231 +10.53
465–485 481 10 255.00–275.00 $271.13 $1,304 +8.58

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–280 271 6 320.00–340.00 $336.74 $913 +20.89
305–340 323 2 320.00–330.00 $324.73 $1,049 +48.66
380–390 383 3 275.00–310.00 $286.87 $1,099 +33.44
420–440 430 4 270.00–310.00 $289.53 $1,245 +47.63
455–460 458 5 275.00–280.00 $278.01 $1,273 —
465–485 475 2 295.00–300.00 $297.45 $1,413 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–380 365 8 250.00–270.00 $264.79 $966 +22.41
460–485 473 12 235.00–255.00 $244.74 $1,158 +15.56

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–440 424 5 280.00–300.00 $284.15 $1,205 -21.48
480–485 483 2 265.00–270.00 $267.51 $1,292 +5.59
510–540 528 4 270.00–280.00 $274.88 $1,451 +18.51
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–440 435 4 235.00–250.00 $243.68 $1,060 -21.20

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1190 1156 85-90% 10 100.00–108.00 $103.06 $1,191 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–1355 1298 80-85% 9 110.00–120.00 $113.48 $1,473 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565–1605 1585 2 163.00–164.00 $163.51 $2,592 —
1510–1750 1636 8 136.00–139.00 $138.01 $2,258 —
1575–1905 1666 7 147.00–150.00 $148.06 $2,467 +9.49

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
960–1135 1054 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 9 190.00–230.00 $222.02 $2,340

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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.