Cullman Stockyard market report — October 20, 2026
Cullman, AL · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days
Last year 34
Compared to two weeks ago: Slaughter Cattle sold mostly steady. Feeder steers and bulls sold 4.00 to 8.00 higher, feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 4.00 higher. Trade active with good demand. Replacement cattle sold firm.
USDA Market News reporter, October 20, 2026
Feeder steers — Oct 20
| Weight | Head | Avg wt | $/cwt | $/head | vs last week | vs last year | No. 2 $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500–599 lb | — | — | — | — | — | — | $375.43 (10 hd) |
| 600–699 lb | — | — | — | — | — | — | $337.50 (2 hd)† |
| 700–799 lb | — | — | — | — | — | — | $300.00 (1 hd)† |
Feeder heifers — Oct 20
| Weight | Head | Avg wt | $/cwt | $/head | vs last week | vs last year | No. 2 $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300–399 lb | 11 | 335 lb | $407.68 | $1,366 | +7.75 | −21.25 | $386.15 (10 hd) |
| 400–499 lb | 20 | 442 lb | $374.98 | $1,659 | −3.91 | −9.98 | $354.71 (21 hd) |
| 500–599 lb | 11 | 537 lb | $346.72 | $1,861 | +3.80 | −4.47 | $327.31 (26 hd) |
| 600–699 lb | 3 | 602 lb | $323.32† | $1,946 | −1.68 | −4.34 | $310.68 (7 hd) |
Slaughter cows — Oct 20
| Grade | Dressing | Head | Avg wt | Avg $/cwt | Range $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boner 80-85% | Average | 9 | 1,279 lb | $124.80 | $122.00–$128.00 |
| Breaker 75-80% | High | 2 | 1,323 lb | $130.54 | $130.00–$131.00 |
| Breaker 75-80% | Average | 3 | 1,420 lb | $125.81 | $123.00–$128.00 |
| Breaker 75-80% | Low | 1 | 1,455 lb | $118.00 | $118.00–$118.00 |
| Lean 85-90% | Average | 2 | 1,050 lb | $116.86 | $116.00–$118.00 |
Price trends
Steers 500–599 lb Falling
- Latest (week of September 28, 2026)
- $387.50/cwt
- 4-week average
- $400.83
- 13-week average
- $425.76
- 4-week vs 13-week
- −5.9%
Sales in 8 of the last 13 weeks.
Steers 700–799 lb Easing
- Latest (week of September 21, 2026)
- $330.31/cwt
- 4-week average
- $321.77
- 13-week average
- $328.33
- 4-week vs 13-week
- −2.0%
Sales in 4 of the last 13 weeks.
Heifers 500–599 lb Easing
- Latest (week of October 19, 2026)
- $346.72/cwt
- 4-week average
- $345.51
- 13-week average
- $352.16
- 4-week vs 13-week
- −1.9%
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
Price history since 2019
When to sell: the seasonal pattern
5-weight steers
For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Mar and Feb and lowest in Dec and Oct.
| Month | vs year avg | Pattern | Years above | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | +0.7% | 71% | 7 | |
| Feb | +3.7% | 71% | 7 | |
| Mar | +5.0% | 86% | 7 | |
| Apr | +3.1% | 86% | 7 | |
| May | +1.7% | 50% | 6 | |
| Jun | +0.8% | 43% | 7 | |
| Jul | +1.7% | 43% | 7 | |
| Aug | +2.1% | 83% | 6 | |
| Sep | +0.4% | 40% | 5 | |
| Oct | −4.1% | 20% | 5 | |
| Nov | −3.1% | 17% | 6 | |
| Dec | −5.8% | 17% | 6 |
7-weight steers
For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Jul and Apr and lowest in Dec and Nov.
| Month | vs year avg | Pattern | Years above | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −2.8% | 33% | 6 | |
| Feb | 0.0% | 40% | 5 | |
| Mar | +0.9% | 67% | 6 | |
| Apr | +2.6% | 75% | 4 | |
| May | +2.1% | 80% | 5 | |
| Jun | −0.9% | 50% | 4 | |
| Jul | +9.1% | 100% | 5 | |
| Aug | +2.6% | 60% | 5 | |
| Sep | +1.2% | 33% | 3 | |
| Oct | +0.9% | 50% | 4 | |
| Nov | −4.2% | 25% | 4 | |
| Dec | −5.3% | 0% | 3 |
Recent sales
| Sale | Head sold | Steers 500–599 $/cwt | Steers 700–799 $/cwt | Heifers 500–599 $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Oct 20 | 291 | — | — | $346.72 |
| Tue Oct 13 | 864 | — | — | $342.93 |
| Tue Oct 6 | 246 | — | — | $343.86 |
| Tue Sep 29 | 1,047 | $387.50† | — | $348.53 |
| Tue Sep 22 | 374 | $425.00† | $330.31 | $346.48 |
| Tue Sep 15 | 500 | — | $320.00† | $344.63 |
| Tue Sep 8 | 156 | $390.00† | — | $340.48 |
| Tue Sep 1 | 680 | — | $315.00 | $330.59 |
| Tue Aug 25 | 275 | — | — | $336.64 |
| Tue Aug 18 | 282 | $386.97 | — | $352.12 |
| Tue Aug 11 | 349 | $465.00† | — | $373.88 |
| Tue Aug 4 | 735 | $431.00 | $348.00 | $375.57 |
| Tue Jul 28 | 435 | — | — | $395.67 |
| Tue Jul 21 | 750 | $452.48† | — | $408.49 |
Nearby barns this week
| Barn | Distance | Sale | Steers 500–599 | Steers 700–799 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Livestock, Moulton | 33 mi | Oct 21 | $420.00† | $320.50 |
| Ashville Stockyard, Steele | 41 mi | Oct 19 | — | — |
| Northwest Alabama Livestock, Russellville | 55 mi | Oct 19 | $387.50† | — |
| Tennessee Valley Livestock, Florence | 65 mi | Oct 19 | $393.49 | — |
| Clay County Livestock Auction, Ashland | 85 mi | Oct 20 | $358.00 | — |
| Roanoke Stockyards, Roanoke | 111 mi | Oct 21 | $389.33 | — |
Sale days
| Sale | Latest report | Head | Sales in 52 weeks | USDA report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | October 20, 2026 | 291 | 46 | AMS_2001 |
Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Cullman Stockyard Cattle Auction - Cullman, AL” (AMS_2001). 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.