Valley Livestock market report — October 21, 2026

Moulton, AL · Wednesday sale · USDA report published 10/21/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

418

Last week 375 (+43)
Last year 443

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$420.00† /cwt

$2,163 per head · 1 hd
vs last week +42.33

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$320.50 /cwt

$2,378 per head · 10 hd
vs last week —

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cattle sold steady. Feeder cattle sold mostly steady. Trade active with good demand on feeder calves. Replacement cattle sold firm.
USDA Market News reporter, October 21, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 21

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 14. Last year = sale of Oct 22. 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	—	—	—	—	—	—	$470.00 (1 hd)†
400–499 lb	1	435 lb	$508.00†	$2,210	—	+56.38	$432.15 (7 hd)
500–599 lb	1	515 lb	$420.00†	$2,163	+42.33	+29.26	$372.08 (6 hd)
600–699 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$324.99 (3 hd)†
700–799 lb	10	742 lb	$320.50	$2,378	—	—	$305.00 (1 hd)†

Feeder heifers — Oct 21

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 14. Last year = sale of Oct 22. 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	3	340 lb	$430.03†	$1,464	+15.03	−0.68	$380.00 (1 hd)†
400–499 lb	17	418 lb	$397.89	$1,665	+17.59	−8.43	$358.61 (16 hd)
500–599 lb	22	544 lb	$326.32	$1,774	−14.41	−29.05	$307.02 (7 hd)
600–699 lb	1	600 lb	$310.00†	$1,860	−18.78	−22.17	$283.94 (9 hd)
700–799 lb	1	785 lb	$290.00†	$2,276	−15.00	—	$275.00 (2 hd)†
800–899 lb	1	835 lb	$280.00†	$2,338	−15.00	—	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 21

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	1	1,380 lb	$136.00	$136.00–$136.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	1	1,400 lb	$132.00	$132.00–$132.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	2	1,363 lb	$123.00	$123.00–$123.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	7	1,501 lb	$151.97	$149.00–$155.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	5	1,445 lb	$144.48	$143.00–$146.00
Breaker 75-80%	Low	1	1,130 lb	$138.00	$138.00–$138.00
Lean 85-90%	High	1	1,195 lb	$123.00	$123.00–$123.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	1	1,065 lb	$110.00	$110.00–$110.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $420.00/cwt
4-week average: $398.84
13-week average: $409.22
4-week vs 13-week: −2.5%

52-wk low $376.66high $520.00

Sales in 3 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $320.50/cwt
4-week average: $324.19
13-week average: $324.19
4-week vs 13-week: 0.0%

52-wk low $320.50high $397.50

Sales in 2 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $326.32/cwt
4-week average: $337.21
13-week average: $350.36
4-week vs 13-week: −3.8%

52-wk low $326.32high $486.56

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 Feb and Mar and lowest in Nov and Dec.

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	+0.8%	40%	5
Feb	+4.5%	80%	5
Mar	+4.2%	80%	5
Apr	+2.7%	50%	4
May	+3.4%	80%	5
Jun	+0.8%	60%	5
Jul	+1.0%	75%	4
Aug	+0.4%	60%	5
Sep	−2.2%	0%	5
Oct	−2.2%	40%	5
Nov	−4.2%	0%	4
Dec	−3.7%	20%	5

7-weight steers

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

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
Feb	—	—	2
Mar	—	—	1
Apr	+3.4%	67%	3
May	−2.9%	33%	3
Jun	—	—	2
Jul	—	—	2
Aug	+3.6%	100%	3
Sep	+0.1%	33%	3
Oct	—	—	2
Nov	—	—	2
Dec	—	—	1

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 21	418	$420.00†	$320.50	$326.32
Wed Oct 14	375	$377.67†	—	$340.73
Wed Oct 7	420	—	$327.88	$345.04†
Wed Sep 30	465	—	—	$336.76
Wed Sep 23	307	—	—	$347.50†
Wed Sep 16	440	—	—	$338.60
Wed Sep 9	375	—	—	$336.23†
Wed Sep 2	193	—	—	—
Wed Aug 26	264	—	—	$330.44
Wed Aug 19	303	—	—	$356.11
Wed Aug 12	331	—	—	$360.00†
Wed Aug 5	352	$430.00†	—	$391.65†
Wed Jul 29	266	—	—	$394.96
Wed Jul 22	329	—	$340.00†	$394.95

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
Northwest Alabama Livestock, Russellville	25 mi	Oct 19	$387.50†	—
Tennessee Valley Livestock, Florence	32 mi	Oct 19	$393.49	—
Cullman Stockyard, Cullman	33 mi	Oct 20	—	—
Ashville Stockyard, Steele	73 mi	Oct 19	—	—
Clay County Livestock Auction, Ashland	118 mi	Oct 20	$358.00	—
Alabama Livestock Auction, Uniontown	142 mi	Oct 20	—	$330.00

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Wednesday	October 21, 2026	418	45	AMS_1987

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Valley Livestock - Moulton, AL” (AMS_1987). 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.