Ashville Stockyard market report — October 19, 2026

Steele, AL · Monday sale · USDA report published 10/19/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

271

Last week 8 (+263)
Last year 16

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

Compared to one week ago: Feeder steers sold steady, feeder heifers sold 6.00 to 8.00 higher, feeder bulls sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady. Replacement cows and pairs sold mostly steady.
USDA Market News reporter, October 19, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 19

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 12. Last year = sale of Oct 20. No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	2	330 lb	$460.00†	$1,518	—	−10.00	—
600–699 lb	26	652 lb	$329.29	$2,146	−3.71	−33.30	$316.39 (10 hd)

Feeder heifers — Oct 19

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 12. Last year = sale of Oct 20. No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	No. 2 $/cwt
400–499 lb	2	405 lb	$365.00†	$1,478	—	−24.99	$347.44 (7 hd)
500–599 lb	12	526 lb	$336.40	$1,769	+12.71	+1.40	$310.24 (12 hd)
600–699 lb	1	635 lb	$310.00†	$1,968	+15.29	+8.00	$286.75 (6 hd)
700–799 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$265.02 (4 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 19

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	Average	6	1,166 lb	$133.14	$129.00–$136.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	2	1,235 lb	$116.07	$114.00–$118.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	1	1,525 lb	$153.00	$153.00–$153.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	3	1,065 lb	$109.47	$106.00–$111.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 5, 2026): $414.95/cwt
4-week average: $404.28
13-week average: $392.80
4-week vs 13-week: +2.9%

52-wk low $347.90high $470.00

Sales in 5 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Falling

Latest (week of September 28, 2026): $310.00/cwt
4-week average: $314.00
13-week average: $329.23
4-week vs 13-week: −4.6%

52-wk low $310.00high $425.00

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $336.40/cwt
4-week average: $328.14
13-week average: $343.83
4-week vs 13-week: −4.6%

52-wk low $317.53high $446.24

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Direction compares the 4-week average with the 13-week average: Rising +1% or more, Steady within ±1%, Easing −1% to −3%, Falling −3% or more. Weekly prices are head-weighted averages of Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 feeder cattle, regular lots.

The label describes recent prices; it is not a forecast. In our backtest of every barn since 2019 (about 35,000 barn-weeks), barns labeled Falling went on to beat other barns' average move over the next 13 weeks 61% of the time, and barns labeled Rising trailed it 56% of the time.

Last 52 weeks

Weekly average $/cwt4-week average

Price history since 2019

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Apr and Mar and lowest in Nov and Oct.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	−0.8%	60%	5
Feb	+3.6%	80%	5
Mar	+7.7%	100%	5
Apr	+8.0%	100%	3
May	+7.4%	100%	5
Jun	+4.5%	100%	5
Jul	+5.3%	75%	4
Aug	+1.0%	80%	5
Sep	−3.2%	40%	5
Oct	−7.0%	20%	5
Nov	−9.3%	0%	5
Dec	−3.8%	20%	5

7-weight steers

Not enough history yet for a seasonal pattern.

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. † Based on fewer than 5 head; treat as a rough price. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Mon Oct 19	271	—	—	$336.40
Mon Oct 12	304	—	—	$323.69
Mon Oct 5	300	$414.95†	—	$317.53†
Mon Sep 28	379	$393.61	$310.00†	$334.95†
Mon Sep 21	213	—	$318.00†	$352.00
Mon Aug 31	197	$347.90	$318.00†	$345.00†
Mon Aug 24	170	—	—	$325.00†
Mon Aug 17	193	—	—	$362.50†
Mon Aug 10	151	$396.97	—	$361.25†
Mon Aug 3	266	$410.55	$348.36†	$380.00
Mon Jul 27	127	—	—	—
Mon Jul 20	260	—	$336.00	$392.90

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Alabama sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Cullman Stockyard, Cullman	41 mi	Oct 20	—	—
Clay County Livestock Auction, Ashland	51 mi	Oct 20	$358.00	—
Valley Livestock, Moulton	73 mi	Oct 21	$420.00†	$320.50
Roanoke Stockyards, Roanoke	73 mi	Oct 21	$389.33	—
Northwest Alabama Livestock, Russellville	96 mi	Oct 19	$387.50†	—
Tennessee Valley Livestock, Florence	104 mi	Oct 19	$393.49	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Monday	October 19, 2026	271	42	AMS_2003

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Ashville Stockyard - Ashville, AL” (AMS_2003). See something wrong? Report a correction. Feeder prices are Medium and Large frame No. 1 and 1–2 cattle, $/cwt, grouped into 100-lb bands by average weight and weighted by head count. Value-added, unweaned and No. 2 lots are shown in their own columns; other lot types (fancy, fleshy, thin-fleshed, spayed, replacement) are left out. $/head = $/cwt × average weight ÷ 100.