Sale reports / Tennessee / Columbia Livestock Auction / 2026-05-20

Columbia Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Columbia, Tennessee · Wed, May 20
● Final29 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 3785
Feeder Cattle receipts
93 head
62 vs last sale 155 328 vs year ago 421 · 77.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
15 head
26 vs last sale 41 18 vs year ago 33 · 54.5%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

No trends could be established due to light receipts.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $409.78/cwt on 8 head, down $22.72 from the prior sale (only 19 head in that comparison). That ranks 10 of 14 comparable sales and sits +22.03 against this barn's trailing median of $387.75.
Average price
$409.78
22.72 vs prior sale
8 head · 522 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,140
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$3
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$12.27/cwt at this weight
vs the market
5.98
vs TN average
8.48 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1513417.452,1423thin
Medium and Large 2528405.182,1395thin
One grade step is worth $12.27/cwt here — about $3 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

14 sales
448408369330median 387.7512/1702/1104/1506/2408/19
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $433.72, low $343.81, median $387.75 across 14 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
409.78
TN average15 barns · 689 hd
415.76
−5.98
National average175 barns · 12,602 hd
418.26
−8.48
This barn, trailing median14 sales
387.75
+22.03
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsHigh1,753216.093,7885thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,514189.792,8734thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,135179.002,0321thin
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,060150.001,5902thin

Every lot, as filed

29 lots · USDA AMS · Columbia Livestock Center (UPI) - Columbia TN
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,505191.39/cwt190.00–193.002,8803
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,540185.00/cwt185.00–185.002,8491
SteersMedium and Large 2500–550525435.00/cwt435.00–435.002,2841
SteersMedium and Large 1950–1000960325.00/cwt325.00–325.003,1201
SteersMedium and Large 2450–500495440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,1781
HeifersMedium and Large 2500–550516400.22/cwt380.00–415.002,0654
BullsMedium and Large 2650–700650340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,2101
BullsMedium and Large 2400–450430477.00/cwt477.00–477.002,0511
BullsMedium and Large 2500–550548387.00/cwt387.00–387.002,1212
HeifersMedium and Large 1750–800790332.00/cwt332.00–332.002,6231
SteersMedium and Large 1500–550505465.00/cwt465.00–465.002,3481
Bulls1,855224.71/cwt221.00–230.004,1683
Bulls1,600203.15/cwt196.00–209.003,2502
CowsLean 85-90%920125.00/cwt125.00–125.001,1501
CowsLean 85-90%1,200175.00/cwt175.00–175.002,1001
BullsMedium and Large 1400–450400515.00/cwt515.00–515.002,0601
CowsBoner 80-85%1,135179.00/cwt179.00–179.002,0321
HeifersMedium and Large 2400–450435436.01/cwt435.00–437.001,8972
BullsMedium and Large 2350–400390450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,7551
HeifersMedium and Large 2550–600575425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,4441
HeifersMedium and Large 2300–350338397.00/cwt397.00–397.001,3424
HeifersMedium and Large 2350–400388415.11/cwt370.00–462.001,6112
HeifersMedium and Large 1950–1000970282.00/cwt282.00–282.002,7351
SteersMedium and Large 1550–600575425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,4441
HeifersMedium and Large 2450–500478406.68/cwt385.00–430.001,9442
HeifersMedium and Large 1700–750705322.00/cwt322.00–322.002,2701
HeifersMedium and Large 1400–450410445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,8251
HeifersMedium and Large 1500–550513417.45/cwt410.00–422.002,1423
HeifersMedium and Large 1650–700660345.00/cwt345.00–345.002,2771

How this sale compares

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