Name: Townsend Livestock Market livestock auction prices — 2026-05-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 lower. Feeder cattle 3.00 to 5.00 lower.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $466.56/cwt on 8 head, down $36.86 from the prior sale (only 18 head in that comparison). That ranks 12 of 13 comparable sales and sits +55.38 against this barn's trailing median of $411.18.

Average price

$466.56

▼ 36.86 vs prior sale

8 head · 528 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,463

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$322

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2

$52.11/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+21.93

vs FL average

+6.19 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	533	492.61	2,626	4thin
Medium and Large 2	523	440.50	2,304	4thin

One grade step is worth $52.11/cwt here — about $322 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

13 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $503.42, low $347.10, median $411.18 across 13 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale8 hd

466.56

—

FL average4 barns · 47 hd

444.62

+21.93

National average128 barns · 4,767 hd

460.37

+6.19

This barn, trailing median13 sales

411.18

+55.38

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

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
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,209	174.87	2,114	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,127	164.36	1,852	19

Every lot, as filed

23 lots · USDA AMS · Townsend Livestock Auction - Madison, FL

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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	250–300	273	680.46/cwt	670.00–690.00	1,858	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	473	472.57/cwt	470.00–475.00	2,235	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	423	545.15/cwt	540.00–550.00	2,306	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	374	575.88/cwt	570.00–580.00	2,154	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	623	320.40/cwt	300.00–340.00	1,996	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	423	462.87/cwt	450.00–475.00	1,958	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	487.94/cwt	475.00–500.00	2,074	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	273	680.92/cwt	660.00–700.00	1,859	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	533	492.61/cwt	470.00–500.00	2,626	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	523	440.50/cwt	425.00–455.00	2,304	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	428	420.58/cwt	400.00–440.00	1,800	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	275	605.96/cwt	550.00–640.00	1,666	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,127	164.36/cwt	159.00–167.00	1,852	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,209	174.87/cwt	171.00–179.00	2,114	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	333	619.02/cwt	550.00–640.00	2,061	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	505.32/cwt	495.00–515.00	2,375	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	327	666.84/cwt	660.00–670.00	2,181	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	510.67/cwt	490.00–530.00	1,905	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	473	487.83/cwt	475.00–500.00	2,307	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	520.71/cwt	500.00–540.00	2,213	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	373	567.75/cwt	560.00–575.00	2,118	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	323	591.55/cwt	550.00–630.00	1,911	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	200–250	228	660.55/cwt	650.00–670.00	1,506	4

How this sale compares

Florida weighted averages

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

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

Townsend Livestock Auction - Madison, FL

Tue May 26, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Tallahassee, FL (LS-OR)

Feeder CattleReceipts 280Last week 320Year ago 231

Slaughter CattleReceipts 53Last week 60Year ago 21

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 lower. Feeder cattle 3.00 to 5.00 lower.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	200–250	228	650.00–670.00	660.55
8	250–300	273	670.00–690.00	680.46
4	300–350	323	550.00–630.00	591.55
6	350–400	373	560.00–575.00	567.75
6	400–450	425	500.00–540.00	520.71
8	450–500	473	475.00–500.00	487.83
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	250–300	275	550.00–640.00	605.96
4	300–350	333	550.00–640.00	619.02
6	350–400	373	490.00–530.00	510.67
10	400–450	425	475.00–500.00	487.94
4	450–500	473	470.00–475.00	472.57
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	400–450	428	400.00–440.00	420.58
6	600–650	623	300.00–340.00	320.40
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	250–300	273	660.00–700.00	680.92
3	300–350	327	660.00–670.00	666.84
7	350–400	374	570.00–580.00	575.88
12	400–450	423	540.00–550.00	545.15
6	450–500	470	495.00–515.00	505.32
4	500–550	533	470.00–500.00	492.61
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	400–450	423	450.00–475.00	462.87
4	500–550	523	425.00–455.00	440.50

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
19	—	1,127	159.00–167.00	164.36
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
19	—	1,209	171.00–179.00	174.87

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.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

Townsend Livestock Market