Northeast Georgia Livestock market report — October 21, 2026

Athens, GA · Wednesday sale · USDA report published 10/22/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

575

Last week 608 (−33)
Last year 622

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$403.32† /cwt

$2,171 per head · 3 hd
vs last week +44.76

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$307.50† /cwt

$2,337 per head · 2 hd
vs last week —

Compared to one week ago, slaughter cows and bulls mostly steady, feeder steers lightly tested, feeder bulls sharply higher, feeder heifers unevenly steady, all replacements mostly steady.
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	—	—	—	—	—	—	$425.00 (1 hd)†
400–499 lb	3	433 lb	$441.67†	$1,914	+26.67	+14.13	—
500–599 lb	3	538 lb	$403.32†	$2,171	+44.76	+30.83	$365.59 (5 hd)
600–699 lb	4	625 lb	$359.96†	$2,249	+38.55	+3.89	$301.38 (4 hd)†
700–799 lb	2	760 lb	$307.50†	$2,337	—	−11.19	$282.50 (2 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. 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	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	$363.94 (10 hd)
400–499 lb	1	415 lb	$410.00†	$1,702	+60.00	+44.57	$430.00 (3 hd)†	$347.16 (17 hd)
500–599 lb	10	549 lb	$331.99	$1,822	−9.83	+0.32	—	$302.49 (16 hd)
600–699 lb	6	637 lb	$292.50	$1,862	−25.01	−18.36	—	$281.15 (11 hd)
700–799 lb	2	738 lb	$267.50†	$1,973	—	−12.50	—	$242.50 (2 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 21

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	7	1,191 lb	$150.30	$146.00–$154.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	60	1,186 lb	$142.11	$134.00–$149.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	2	1,178 lb	$131.40	$130.00–$133.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	2	1,190 lb	$155.48	$155.00–$156.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	9	1,546 lb	$143.39	$137.00–$147.00
Breaker 75-80%	Low	1	1,270 lb	$130.00	$130.00–$130.00
Lean 85-90%	High	8	1,049 lb	$132.75	$130.00–$136.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	12	919 lb	$124.12	$118.00–$129.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	3	1,010 lb	$114.27	$110.00–$117.50

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $403.32/cwt
4-week average: $376.80
13-week average: $370.08
4-week vs 13-week: +1.8%

52-wk low $333.00high $484.90

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $307.50/cwt
4-week average: $313.12
13-week average: $310.14
4-week vs 13-week: +1.0%

52-wk low $270.00high $372.27

Sales in 8 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $331.99/cwt
4-week average: $334.36
13-week average: $333.24
4-week vs 13-week: +0.3%

52-wk low $284.94high $425.00

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 May 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	+0.4%	71%	7
Feb	0.0%	50%	6
Mar	+3.4%	71%	7
Apr	+5.4%	71%	7
May	+4.4%	86%	7
Jun	+3.0%	71%	7
Jul	+0.8%	62%	8
Aug	−0.2%	62%	8
Sep	−0.6%	71%	7
Oct	−3.7%	43%	7
Nov	−5.9%	14%	7
Dec	−1.7%	43%	7

7-weight steers

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

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	−2.5%	33%	6
Feb	−0.4%	33%	6
Mar	−2.2%	29%	7
Apr	−0.4%	50%	6
May	−2.0%	33%	6
Jun	+3.9%	100%	6
Jul	+3.4%	86%	7
Aug	+4.7%	71%	7
Sep	+4.6%	83%	6
Oct	+1.3%	67%	6
Nov	−4.1%	20%	5
Dec	−2.4%	17%	6

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	575	$403.32†	$307.50†	$331.99
Wed Oct 14	608	$358.56	—	$341.82
Wed Oct 7	704	$371.11	$305.00†	$308.29
Wed Sep 30	549	$364.05	$302.52	$321.90
Wed Sep 23	802	$365.58	$311.23	$347.08
Wed Sep 16	397	$346.96	$270.00†	$316.63
Wed Sep 9	317	—	—	$315.00†
Wed Sep 2	543	$333.00	—	$284.94
Wed Aug 26	312	—	$290.00†	$330.06
Wed Aug 19	168	—	—	$328.54
Wed Aug 12	375	$375.00†	—	$334.42
Wed Aug 5	405	$383.54	—	$352.46
Wed Jul 29	234	—	—	$345.00†
Wed Jul 22	383	$386.05	—	$338.86

Special and graded sales

The last 12 months of this barn's special and graded sales, $/cwt, Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 regular lots (value-added lots where a sale has only those). A sale counts in the weekly trend only when it is a regular feeder sale: a plain special where feeder steers and heifers are most of the head. Graded, replacement, cow-and-pair, preconditioned and Holstein sales stay out.
Sale	Type	Head	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799	Heifers 500–599	In trend
Oct 8, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	971	$387.00	$329.66	$345.00	Yes
Sep 10, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	588	$381.00	$329.50	$336.51	Yes
Aug 13, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	672	$384.00	$341.00	$355.63	Yes
Jul 9, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	606	$465.50	$359.38	$391.80	Yes
Jun 11, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	694	$450.00	$358.46	$383.66	Yes
May 14, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	823	$462.12	$346.00	$388.76	Yes
Apr 9, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	616	$486.50	$372.75	$424.46	Yes
Mar 12, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	791	$440.05	$347.00	$391.00	Yes
Feb 12, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	1,098	$470.73	$371.50	$410.00	Yes
Jan 8, 2026	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	807	$444.00	$349.00	$386.35	Yes
Dec 11, 2025	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	846	$417.00	$337.00	$360.00	Yes
Nov 13, 2025	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	1,322	$371.00	$320.59	$328.00	Yes
Oct 9, 2025	Special Feeder Cattle Salespecial	1,093	$426.00	$358.50	$388.00	Yes

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Georgia sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Duvall Livestock, Greensboro	29 mi	Oct 19	$346.94	$303.35
Franklin County Livestock, Carnesville	30 mi	Oct 20	$375.95	$316.13†
Eastanollee Livestock, Eastanollee	38 mi	Oct 19	$366.62	—
Wilkes County Stockyard, Washington	40 mi	Oct 20	$352.50†	—
Jackson Regional Stockyard, Jackson	57 mi	Oct 21	$338.09	—
Calhoun Stockyard, Calhoun	96 mi	Oct 20	—	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Wednesday	October 21, 2026	575	48	AMS_1940
Special Feeder Cattle Sale special	October 8, 2026	971	13	AMS_2252

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Northeast Georgia Livestock - Athens, GA” (AMS_1940); “Northeast Georgia Livestock Special Feeder Cattle Sale - Athens, GA” (AMS_2252). 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.