Sand Mountain Stockyards Inc. market report — October 14, 2026

Crossville, AL · Wednesday sale · USDA report published 10/14/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

133

Last week 26 (+107)
Last year —

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$300.00† /cwt

$2,235 per head · 1 hd
vs last week —

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cattle sold 2.00 lower. Replacement cattle sold firm. Feeder cattle sold steady. Trade active with good demand on feeder cattle.
USDA Market News reporter, October 14, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 14

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 7. Last year = sale of Oct 8. 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	1	410 lb	$425.00†	$1,742	−15.00	+7.44	—
600–699 lb	1	665 lb	$335.00†	$2,228	—	−0.03	—
700–799 lb	1	745 lb	$300.00†	$2,235	—	−12.39	$252.50 (1 hd)†

Feeder heifers — Oct 14

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 7. Last year = sale of Oct 8. 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	—	—	—	—	—	—	$338.48 (9 hd)
400–499 lb	7	449 lb	$355.57	$1,595	+27.68	−8.37	$308.49 (3 hd)†
500–599 lb	5	566 lb	$319.46	$1,808	+0.76	−2.13	$296.22 (12 hd)
600–699 lb	2	645 lb	$305.00†	$1,967	−9.02	−10.00	$268.05 (4 hd)†
700–799 lb	2	723 lb	$267.42†	$1,933	−10.11	−32.58	$240.00 (1 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 14

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	1	1,405 lb	$140.00	$140.00–$140.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	3	1,208 lb	$132.05	$130.00–$135.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	1	1,565 lb	$137.00	$137.00–$137.00
Lean 85-90%	High	2	1,020 lb	$126.44	$126.00–$127.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	3	893 lb	$106.79	$102.00–$110.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 5, 2026): $374.69/cwt
4-week average: $394.30
13-week average: $401.26
4-week vs 13-week: −1.7%

52-wk low $348.13high $510.00

Sales in 9 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $300.00/cwt
4-week average: $312.81
13-week average: $315.82
4-week vs 13-week: −1.0%

52-wk low $300.00high $380.00

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $319.46/cwt
4-week average: $323.31
13-week average: $334.72
4-week vs 13-week: −3.4%

52-wk low $308.78high $458.85

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 Apr and Mar 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	−0.6%	80%	5
Feb	+5.2%	100%	5
Mar	+6.5%	100%	5
Apr	+7.9%	100%	5
May	+3.6%	83%	6
Jun	+2.5%	80%	5
Jul	+0.3%	60%	5
Aug	−1.8%	40%	5
Sep	+0.1%	40%	5
Oct	−6.6%	0%	5
Nov	−5.9%	0%	5
Dec	−5.4%	0%	5

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Mar and Jun 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	0.0%	80%	5
Feb	+2.1%	80%	5
Mar	+3.4%	100%	4
Apr	+1.0%	25%	4
May	−1.6%	33%	3
Jun	+3.2%	80%	5
Jul	+2.8%	60%	5
Aug	+3.0%	75%	4
Sep	+0.3%	75%	4
Oct	−3.9%	25%	4
Nov	−6.1%	0%	3
Dec	−3.5%	0%	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
Wed Oct 14	133	—	$300.00†	$319.46
Wed Oct 7	435	$374.69	—	$318.70
Wed Sep 30	244	$380.02	$325.62	$329.56
Wed Sep 23	167	$407.51†	—	$325.50
Wed Sep 16	168	$415.00†	—	$368.41†
Wed Sep 9	109	$411.42	$321.07	—
Wed Sep 2	214	$348.13	$308.22†	$329.60
Wed Aug 26	199	—	$300.00†	$327.46
Wed Aug 19	95	—	—	$320.86
Wed Aug 12	371	$420.07†	$340.00	$350.02
Wed Aug 5	269	—	—	$362.16
Wed Jul 29	108	—	—	$346.38
Wed Jul 22	203	$392.09	—	$318.55
Wed Jul 15	380	$462.42	$379.86	$380.03

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
Ashville Stockyard, Steele	26 mi	Oct 19	—	—
Cullman Stockyard, Cullman	49 mi	Oct 20	—	—
Clay County Livestock Auction, Ashland	71 mi	Oct 20	$358.00	—
Valley Livestock, Moulton	75 mi	Oct 21	$420.00†	$320.50
Roanoke Stockyards, Roanoke	87 mi	Oct 21	$389.33	—
Northwest Alabama Livestock, Russellville	100 mi	Oct 19	$387.50†	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Wednesday	October 14, 2026	133	47	AMS_1998

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Sand Mountain Stockyards Inc. - Kilpatrick, AL” (AMS_1998). 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.