Opp Livestock market report — October 20, 2026

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

Head sold

316

Last week 15 (+301)
Last year 18

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$386.25† /cwt

$2,120 per head · 4 hd
vs last week +9.56

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$324.48 /cwt

$2,409 per head · 6 hd
vs last week −10.52

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cows and bulls sold sharply higher. Feeder classes sold steady to 5.00 higher. Replacement cows sold steady. There were no pairs recorded. Trade active with good demand on feeder cattle.
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. 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	3	472 lb	$426.67†	$2,012	+6.70	−3.33	$392.17 (7 hd)
500–599 lb	4	549 lb	$386.25†	$2,120	+9.56	−11.21	$367.31 (17 hd)
600–699 lb	11	658 lb	$342.68	$2,254	−13.32	—	$336.50 (8 hd)
700–799 lb	6	742 lb	$324.48	$2,409	−10.52	—	$320.00 (2 hd)†
800–899 lb	1	870 lb	$300.00†	$2,610	—	—	—

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. 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	4	320 lb	$444.77†	$1,423	+28.04	—	$413.84 (9 hd)
400–499 lb	2	405 lb	$400.00†	$1,620	+13.76	+4.38	$377.39 (8 hd)
500–599 lb	8	558 lb	$345.65	$1,929	+3.10	−29.38	$333.40 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	6	623 lb	$326.97	$2,038	+6.97	—	$274.73 (18 hd)
700–799 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$265.00 (4 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	Average	3	1,430 lb	$136.68	$136.00–$137.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	4	1,375 lb	$143.01	$140.00–$146.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	2	1,128 lb	$114.49	$114.00–$115.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	5	1,044 lb	$109.06	$105.00–$110.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $386.25/cwt
4-week average: $385.79
13-week average: $385.58
4-week vs 13-week: +0.1%

52-wk low $348.65high $490.00

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $324.48/cwt
4-week average: $328.62
13-week average: $328.36
4-week vs 13-week: +0.1%

52-wk low $315.00high $385.00

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $345.65/cwt
4-week average: $337.19
13-week average: $335.59
4-week vs 13-week: +0.5%

52-wk low $317.15high $460.05

Sales in 8 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	+1.3%	43%	7
Feb	+5.1%	71%	7
Mar	+7.2%	100%	7
Apr	+3.6%	86%	7
May	+1.7%	57%	7
Jun	+2.8%	57%	7
Jul	+1.3%	71%	7
Aug	−3.7%	38%	8
Sep	−3.2%	43%	7
Oct	−5.2%	14%	7
Nov	−3.7%	0%	7
Dec	−1.2%	17%	6

7-weight steers

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

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%	75%	4
Feb	—	—	2
Mar	+8.2%	100%	3
Apr	−3.2%	33%	3
May	−4.2%	0%	3
Jun	—	—	2
Jul	—	—	2
Aug	+2.3%	100%	3
Sep	−2.0%	33%	3
Oct	—	—	1
Nov	—	—	2
Dec	+1.4%	67%	3

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	316	$386.25†	$324.48	$345.65
Tue Oct 13	137	$376.69†	$335.00†	$342.56†
Tue Oct 6	184	$403.97†	$340.00†	—
Tue Sep 29	243	$376.27	$315.00†	$323.35†
Tue Sep 22	178	$364.01	$328.24†	$347.11
Tue Sep 15	105	$400.00†	$327.47†	—
Tue Sep 8	181	$405.00†	—	$317.15
Tue Sep 1	186	$348.65†	—	$340.41
Tue Aug 25	196	—	—	—
Tue Aug 18	107	$375.00†	—	$342.58†
Tue Aug 11	203	$420.00†	—	$325.90
Tue Aug 4	353	—	—	—
Tue Jul 21	228	$435.29	$368.00	$382.07

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
Coffee County Stockyards, New Brockton	21 mi	Oct 19	—	—
South Alabama Stockyards, Troy	40 mi	Oct 21	$400.00†	$318.00†
Dothan Livestock Co., Dothan	50 mi	Oct 19	$376.42	—
Mid State Stockyards LLP, Letohatchee	59 mi	Oct 20	$377.04	$326.00
Frisco City Stockyard, Frisco City	69 mi	Oct 21	—	—
Alabama Livestock Auction, Uniontown	108 mi	Oct 20	—	$330.00

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	316	42	AMS_1985

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Opp Livestock - Opp, AL” (AMS_1985). 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.