Northwest Alabama Livestock market report — October 19, 2026

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

Head sold

443

Last week 338 (+105)
Last year 359

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$387.50† /cwt

$2,122 per head · 2 hd
vs last week —

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cattle sold 2.00 lower. Replacement cattle sold firm. Feeder cattle sold unevenly steady. Trade active with good demand on feeder cattle.
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
400–499 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$399.88 (4 hd)†
500–599 lb	2	548 lb	$387.50†	$2,122	—	—	—
600–699 lb	2	640 lb	$330.00†	$2,112	—	−15.00	—

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
300–399 lb	10	356 lb	$410.56	$1,461	−14.38	−9.47	$378.31 (6 hd)
400–499 lb	7	440 lb	$392.04	$1,725	+10.08	−9.17	$363.78 (13 hd)
500–599 lb	19	540 lb	$341.86	$1,846	−3.52	−8.15	$321.55 (14 hd)
600–699 lb	10	622 lb	$325.97	$2,027	+7.44	−9.03	$295.88 (5 hd)
700–799 lb	1	790 lb	$310.00†	$2,449	—	—	$284.79 (2 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 19

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	1	1,250 lb	$142.50	$142.50–$142.50
Boner 80-85%	Average	3	1,027 lb	$132.83	$127.50–$137.50
Boner 80-85%	Low	3	1,122 lb	$123.23	$120.00–$125.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	3	1,550 lb	$131.72	$130.00–$135.00
Lean 85-90%	High	4	916 lb	$130.79	$129.00–$135.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	5	986 lb	$121.52	$120.00–$125.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	7	970 lb	$108.68	$102.50–$117.50

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $387.50/cwt
4-week average: $382.05
13-week average: $389.30
4-week vs 13-week: −1.9%

52-wk low $365.00high $490.00

Sales in 7 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 5, 2026): $311.57/cwt
4-week average: $311.63
13-week average: $312.63
4-week vs 13-week: −0.3%

52-wk low $298.69high $350.00

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $341.86/cwt
4-week average: $348.28
13-week average: $352.78
4-week vs 13-week: −1.3%

52-wk low $315.01high $442.27

Sales in 12 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 May and Apr 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	+1.1%	50%	4
Feb	+0.4%	50%	4
Mar	+1.6%	75%	4
Apr	+4.5%	80%	5
May	+9.5%	100%	3
Jun	+1.5%	50%	4
Jul	+2.7%	75%	4
Aug	+1.6%	75%	4
Sep	+0.3%	50%	4
Oct	−3.1%	25%	4
Nov	−4.7%	0%	3
Dec	−2.8%	25%	4

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	443	$387.50†	—	$341.86
Mon Oct 12	338	—	—	$345.38
Mon Oct 5	349	—	$311.57†	$366.72
Mon Sep 28	414	$376.60	$315.00†	$339.15
Mon Sep 21	209	$391.48	$308.33†	$347.83
Mon Sep 14	189	$373.33†	—	$346.93
Mon Aug 31	182	—	—	$315.01†
Mon Aug 24	309	$382.50†	$305.65†	$372.05
Mon Aug 17	174	—	—	$351.97
Mon Aug 10	305	$411.16†	—	$383.08
Mon Aug 3	481	$402.50†	$336.52	$367.52
Mon Jul 27	310	—	$298.69†	$355.87
Mon Jul 20	402	—	—	$370.42

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
Tennessee Valley Livestock, Florence	23 mi	Oct 19	$393.49	—
Valley Livestock, Moulton	25 mi	Oct 21	$420.00†	$320.50
Cullman Stockyard, Cullman	55 mi	Oct 20	—	—
Ashville Stockyard, Steele	96 mi	Oct 19	—	—
Clay County Livestock Auction, Ashland	138 mi	Oct 20	$358.00	—
Alabama Livestock Auction, Uniontown	143 mi	Oct 20	—	$330.00

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Monday	October 19, 2026	443	43	AMS_2007

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Northwest Alabama Livestock Cattle Sale - Russellville, AL” (AMS_2007). 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.