Wilkes County Stockyard market report — October 20, 2026

Washington, GA · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

130

Last week 101 (+29)
Last year 202

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$352.50† /cwt

$1,967 per head · 2 hd
vs last week −9.13

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

Compared to a week ago Slaughter Cows steady, Slaughter Bulls lightly tested, Replacement Cattle lightly tested, Feeder Steers lightly tested, Feeder Heifers steady, Feeder Bulls mostly 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. 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
500–599 lb	2	558 lb	$352.50†	$1,967	−9.13	—	$350.00 (1 hd)†
600–699 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$314.28 (4 hd)†

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	1	335 lb	$405.00†	$1,357	+2.47	+11.06	$382.50 (2 hd)†
400–499 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$321.95 (7 hd)
500–599 lb	3	547 lb	$313.33†	$1,713	—	+8.38	$303.28 (10 hd)
600–699 lb	1	610 lb	$292.50†	$1,784	—	−10.00	$268.95 (5 hd)
700–799 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$255.00 (1 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	2	1,398 lb	$141.00	$141.00–$141.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	32	1,299 lb	$134.28	$130.00–$138.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	8	1,279 lb	$124.98	$122.00–$128.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	1	1,535 lb	$140.00	$140.00–$140.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	2	925 lb	$126.32	$120.00–$132.50
Lean 85-90%	Low	6	1,028 lb	$115.54	$110.00–$119.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $352.50/cwt
4-week average: $362.35
13-week average: $356.16
4-week vs 13-week: +1.7%

52-wk low $319.00high $483.51

Sales in 7 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $307.50/cwt
4-week average: $305.78
13-week average: $297.58
4-week vs 13-week: +2.8%

52-wk low $275.00high $357.22

Sales in 5 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $313.33/cwt
4-week average: $321.07
13-week average: $323.34
4-week vs 13-week: −0.7%

52-wk low $285.47high $425.00

Sales in 10 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 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	+1.7%	71%	7
Feb	+6.0%	86%	7
Mar	+10.7%	100%	7
Apr	+2.8%	71%	7
May	+3.1%	71%	7
Jun	−1.6%	50%	6
Jul	+0.6%	62%	8
Aug	−0.7%	50%	8
Sep	−3.6%	29%	7
Oct	−6.1%	14%	7
Nov	−6.9%	0%	6
Dec	−3.4%	0%	5

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Apr and May and lowest in Oct 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	+0.4%	25%	4
Feb	+0.5%	67%	3
Mar	+1.9%	67%	3
Apr	+6.9%	100%	3
May	+4.5%	75%	4
Jun	+0.3%	50%	4
Jul	−0.4%	40%	5
Aug	+2.6%	67%	3
Sep	+0.7%	33%	3
Oct	−3.6%	25%	4
Nov	−2.8%	25%	4
Dec	−3.3%	50%	4

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	130	$352.50†	—	$313.33†
Tue Oct 13	123	$361.63†	$307.50†	—
Tue Oct 6	280	$372.93	$304.07	$334.87†
Tue Sep 29	129	—	—	$315.00†
Tue Sep 22	90	—	—	—
Tue Sep 15	112	—	—	$327.50†
Tue Sep 8	113	$330.00†	—	$285.47
Tue Sep 1	348	$337.04	$276.31†	$328.47
Tue Aug 25	133	$330.00†	$275.00†	$300.05†
Tue Aug 18	98	—	—	$323.30
Tue Aug 11	158	—	—	$349.70
Tue Aug 4	419	$409.03	$325.00†	$355.72
Tue Jul 21	168	—	—	$357.98

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	28 mi	Oct 19	$346.94	$303.35
Northeast Georgia Livestock, Athens	40 mi	Oct 21	$403.32†	$307.50†
Franklin County Livestock, Carnesville	53 mi	Oct 20	$375.95	$316.13†
Eastanollee Livestock, Eastanollee	60 mi	Oct 19	$366.62	—
Jackson Regional Stockyard, Jackson	77 mi	Oct 21	$338.09	—
Southern Livestock, Oak Park	98 mi	Oct 20	$394.45	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	130	44	AMS_1944

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Wilkes County Stockyard - Washington, GA” (AMS_1944). 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.