Cattlemen's Livestock Auction market report — October 20, 2026

Lakeland, FL · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

296

Last week 68 (+228)
Last year 54

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$352.85 /cwt

$1,994 per head · 12 hd
vs last week −10.10

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$285.00† /cwt

$2,095 per head · 1 hd
vs last week +0.24

Compared to one week ago: Slaughter cattle sold mostly steady with instances up to 10.00 higher. Feeder cattle sold unevenly steady. Replacement cattle sold steady.
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. Value added = lots USDA marks as value added (weaned and vaccinated programs). 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	Value added $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	13	365 lb	$499.50	$1,823	−29.64	−124.94	$574.96 (2 hd)†	$450.97 (5 hd)
400–499 lb	18	458 lb	$419.81	$1,924	+3.34	−63.29	$485.03 (2 hd)†	$359.94 (4 hd)†
500–599 lb	12	565 lb	$352.85	$1,994	−10.10	−52.30	$395.51 (8 hd)	$325.00 (1 hd)†
600–699 lb	4	639 lb	$333.61†	$2,132	+11.13	—	—	$210.00 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	1	735 lb	$285.00†	$2,095	+0.24	—	—	—

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	13	357 lb	$418.41	$1,493	−26.56	−74.89	$381.69 (10 hd)
400–499 lb	32	461 lb	$358.95	$1,656	−19.76	−69.88	$315.00 (6 hd)
500–599 lb	26	533 lb	$329.87	$1,759	+8.99	−42.42	$247.43 (2 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	Average	9	1,140 lb	$126.71	$121.00–$131.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	3	1,050 lb	$116.02	$112.50–$119.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	6	1,161 lb	$135.15	$134.00–$137.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	16	1,292 lb	$127.41	$120.00–$133.00
Breaker 75-80%	Low	3	1,128 lb	$112.01	$111.00–$113.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	2	918 lb	$94.60	$90.00–$100.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $352.85/cwt
4-week average: $363.84
13-week average: $365.32
4-week vs 13-week: −0.4%

52-wk low $332.47high $500.24

Sales in 12 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $285.00/cwt
4-week average: $279.30
13-week average: $288.98
4-week vs 13-week: −3.4%

52-wk low $265.00high $325.00

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $329.87/cwt
4-week average: $325.09
13-week average: $340.31
4-week vs 13-week: −4.5%

52-wk low $318.48high $445.29

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 Mar and Feb and lowest in Oct and Aug.

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	+3.4%	57%	7
Feb	+7.3%	100%	7
Mar	+7.6%	100%	7
Apr	+2.5%	80%	5
May	+3.0%	75%	8
Jun	+1.3%	50%	8
Jul	−1.6%	25%	8
Aug	−3.7%	50%	8
Sep	−2.6%	29%	7
Oct	−6.3%	0%	7
Nov	−2.9%	14%	7
Dec	−2.9%	14%	7

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
Tue Oct 20	296	$352.85	$285.00†	$329.87
Tue Oct 13	454	$362.95	$284.76†	$320.88
Tue Oct 6	498	$375.73	$268.13†	$324.51
Tue Sep 22	442	$371.84	$265.00†	$337.68
Tue Sep 15	716	$373.97	$291.99	$332.01
Tue Sep 8	317	$344.33	—	$328.79†
Tue Sep 1	311	$332.47	$272.49†	$318.48
Tue Aug 25	296	$343.16	$282.55†	$334.39
Tue Aug 18	772	$366.17	$304.91	$329.30
Tue Aug 11	292	$385.57	$315.00†	$359.01
Tue Aug 4	417	$384.93	—	$375.80
Tue Jul 28	387	$389.89	$320.00†	$393.01†
Tue Jul 21	696	$398.52	$325.00†	$354.42

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Florida sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Arcadia Livestock Auction, Arcadia	58 mi	Oct 21	$379.34	—
Okeechobee Livestock Auction, Okeechobee	89 mi	Oct 20	$360.67	—
Columbia Livestock Auction, Lake City	153 mi	Oct 19	$391.65	—
Townsend Livestock Auction, Madison	189 mi	Oct 20	$365.29	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	296	46	AMS_1607

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Cattlemen's Livestock Auction - Lakeland, FL” (AMS_1607). 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.