Southeast direct cattle trade — week of October 19, 2026
Feeder cattle sold ranch to feedlot, outside the auction ring, Oct 19–October 23, 2026. Covers Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LA, Mississippi, Tennessee.
Delivered — more
Compared to last week: Current FOB steers and heifers were steady to 4.00 higher. Demand was moderate to good.
USDA Market News reporter, week of October 19, 2026
Supply included: 100% Feeder Cattle (60.5% Steers, 39.5% Heifers). Feeder cattle supply over 600 lbs was 96%. Unless otherwise noted, Feeder Cattle prices FOB based on net weights after a 2-3% shrink or equivalent, with up to a 15 cent slide >600 lbs and up to a 20 cent slide <600 lbs.
Feeder steers — week of Oct 19
| Weight | Current head | Avg wt | Current $/cwt | vs last week | Forward $/cwt | Delivered $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 700–799 lb | 330 | 739 lb | $348.45 | +4.34 | — | — |
| 800–899 lb | 874 | 866 lb | $331.54 | +7.31 | $319.70100 hd · Feb | — |
| 900–999 lb | 150 | 969 lb | $299.00 | −11.36 | $328.00230 hd · Nov | — |
Feeder heifers — week of Oct 19
| Weight | Current head | Avg wt | Current $/cwt | vs last week | Forward $/cwt | Delivered $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500–599 lb | 90 | 550 lb | $376.00 | +19.89 | — | — |
| 600–699 lb | — | — | — | — | $338.93355 hd · Nov | — |
| 700–799 lb | 596 | 751 lb | $320.91 | −1.41 | — | — |
| 800–899 lb | 60 | 800 lb | $309.00 | +3.59 | — | — |
Price trends (current F.O.B.)
Steers 700–799 lb Rising
- Latest (week of October 19, 2026)
- $348.45/cwt
- 4-week average
- $343.36
- 13-week average
- $333.94
- 4-week vs 13-week
- +2.8%
Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.
Steers 800–899 lb Rising
- Latest (week of October 19, 2026)
- $331.54/cwt
- 4-week average
- $324.63
- 13-week average
- $320.60
- 4-week vs 13-week
- +1.3%
Sales in 11 of the last 13 weeks.
Heifers 700–799 lb Steady
- Latest (week of October 19, 2026)
- $320.91/cwt
- 4-week average
- $318.31
- 13-week average
- $316.34
- 4-week vs 13-week
- +0.6%
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
Price history
Recent weeks
| Week of | F.O.B. head | Delivered head | Steers 800–899 | Steers 700–799 | Heifers 700–799 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19 | 2,785 | — | $331.54 | $348.45 | $320.91 |
| Oct 12 | 2,717 | — | $324.23 | $344.11 | $322.32 |
| Oct 5 | 2,612 | — | $323.00 | $337.23 | $318.00 |
| Sep 28 | 1,889 | — | $319.76 | $343.64 | $312.00 |
| Sep 21 | 1,798 | — | $310.19 | $335.31 | $313.99 |
| Sep 14 | 1,015 | — | $319.84 | $327.25 | $315.00 |
| Sep 7 | 1,308 | — | — | $317.52 | $305.38 |
| Aug 31 | 904 | — | $314.16 | $321.66 | $301.22 |
| Aug 24 | 2,699 | — | $312.42 | $330.89 | $313.69 |
| Aug 17 | 1,155 | — | $322.55 | $333.36 | $316.00 |
| Aug 10 | 1,363 | — | $320.51 | — | $330.36 |
| Aug 3 | 1,242 | — | $328.41 | — | $320.53 |
| Jul 27 | 802 | — | — | — | $323.00 |
Source: USDA AMS Market News, “Southeast Direct Cattle Report (AL/AR/FL/GA/LA/MS/TN)” (AMS_2709). Direct trades are negotiated between sellers and buyers (often feedlots) and reported to USDA weekly; weights are estimates and prices carry the shrink and slide terms above.