Mid State Stockyards LLP market report — October 20, 2026

Letohatchee, AL · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

1,835

Last week 1,680 (+155)
Last year 1,830

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$377.04 /cwt

$2,124 per head · 19 hd
vs last week −2.33

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$326.00 /cwt

$2,344 per head · 7 hd
vs last week +0.08

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady to 1.00 higher. Replacement cows sold steady. Feeder cattle sold 2.00 to 7.00 lower.
USDA Market News reporter, October 20, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 20

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 13. Last year = sale of Oct 21. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	28	352 lb	$490.22	$1,728	−0.14	+15.19	—	$455.28 (24 hd)
400–499 lb	14	462 lb	$433.45	$2,001	+12.79	−12.42	—	$402.45 (22 hd)
500–599 lb	19	563 lb	$377.04	$2,124	−2.33	−24.70	—	$366.69 (34 hd)
600–699 lb	36	637 lb	$347.41	$2,212	+11.41	−24.62	—	$336.19 (46 hd)
700–799 lb	7	719 lb	$326.00	$2,344	+0.08	−28.51	—	$315.27 (18 hd)
800–899 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$324.38 (172 hd)	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 20

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 13. Last year = sale of Oct 21. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). 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	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	15	357 lb	$419.48	$1,500	—	−4.08	—	$391.50 (14 hd)
400–499 lb	11	423 lb	$383.06	$1,620	—	−11.70	—	$346.53 (48 hd)
500–599 lb	6	583 lb	$324.00	$1,889	−23.43	−35.75	—	$322.11 (81 hd)
600–699 lb	8	646 lb	$311.12	$2,011	—	−36.64	—	$297.65 (55 hd)
700–799 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$314.50 (68 hd)	$278.99 (2 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	8	1,271 lb	$144.25	$142.00–$146.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	17	1,195 lb	$137.03	$134.00–$140.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	11	1,153 lb	$127.43	$125.00–$130.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	4	1,350 lb	$148.55	$147.00–$150.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	18	1,279 lb	$142.27	$139.00–$146.00
Breaker 75-80%	Low	6	1,483 lb	$136.73	$135.00–$138.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $377.04/cwt
4-week average: $378.20
13-week average: $386.66
4-week vs 13-week: −2.2%

52-wk low $356.98high $492.60

Sales in 9 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $326.00/cwt
4-week average: $325.96
13-week average: $332.29
4-week vs 13-week: −1.9%

52-wk low $316.98high $369.00

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $324.00/cwt
4-week average: $337.37
13-week average: $343.08
4-week vs 13-week: −1.7%

52-wk low $324.00high $437.65

Sales in 11 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 Mar and Feb and lowest in Oct and Nov.

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	+1.7%	57%	7
Feb	+5.5%	100%	7
Mar	+6.1%	100%	7
Apr	+4.1%	86%	7
May	+0.8%	57%	7
Jun	+3.2%	86%	7
Jul	+0.9%	43%	7
Aug	−1.5%	62%	8
Sep	−3.7%	14%	7
Oct	−6.2%	0%	7
Nov	−4.0%	14%	7
Dec	−0.2%	57%	7

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Feb and Aug and lowest in Nov and May.

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	+2.1%	50%	6
Feb	+4.4%	100%	5
Mar	+0.2%	60%	5
Apr	−1.2%	67%	6
May	−1.5%	20%	5
Jun	+2.5%	100%	5
Jul	+1.6%	67%	6
Aug	+2.6%	83%	6
Sep	+0.7%	50%	6
Oct	−0.8%	50%	6
Nov	−1.5%	29%	7
Dec	−1.4%	25%	4

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
Tue Oct 20	1,835	$377.04	$326.00	$324.00
Tue Oct 13	1,680	$379.36	$325.92	$347.43†
Tue Oct 6	1,580	—	—	—
Tue Sep 29	1,519	—	—	$340.67
Tue Sep 22	1,380	—	$333.00†	—
Tue Sep 15	1,182	$404.76	—	$338.06
Tue Sep 8	836	$394.91†	$330.00	$344.88†
Tue Sep 1	1,070	$356.98†	$316.98	$327.14
Tue Aug 25	1,067	—	$319.00	$327.07
Tue Aug 18	1,290	$369.00	$341.07†	$344.42
Tue Aug 11	1,118	$400.05	$348.95†	$364.55
Tue Aug 4	1,135	$400.85	$348.00	$360.00
Tue Jul 28	891	$397.02	$334.00†	$355.70
Tue Jul 21	1,349	$416.25	$347.00	$392.17

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
South Alabama Stockyards, Troy	38 mi	Oct 21	$400.00†	$318.00†
Opp Livestock, Opp	59 mi	Oct 20	$386.25†	$324.48
Coffee County Stockyards, New Brockton	61 mi	Oct 19	—	—
Alabama Livestock Auction, Uniontown	62 mi	Oct 20	—	$330.00
Frisco City Stockyard, Frisco City	71 mi	Oct 21	—	—
Clay County Livestock Auction, Ashland	88 mi	Oct 20	$358.00	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	1,835	47	AMS_1988

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Mid State Stockyards LLP - Letohatchee, AL” (AMS_1988). 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.