Livingston Co. Livestock Market market report — October 20, 2026

Ledbetter, KY · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

355

Last week 477 (−122)
Last year 560

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$366.21 /cwt

$2,023 per head · 10 hd
vs last week +1.81

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

Compared to last week feeder steers and heifers under 500lbs sold sharply higher. Feeder steers over 500lbs sold 2.00 to 6.00 higher and heifers over 500lbs sold steady to 4.00 higher. Good quality offering of new crop calves with strong demand. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 lower.
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	2	393 lb	$437.52†	$1,719	+17.60	−22.99	—	—
400–499 lb	10	447 lb	$423.95	$1,895	+12.03	+8.06	—	—
500–599 lb	10	552 lb	$366.21	$2,023	+1.81	−24.02	$406.48 (7 hd)	$343.33 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	31	639 lb	$346.55	$2,215	+11.80	−19.89	$361.26 (6 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	370 lb	$415.00†	$1,536	−7.95	−7.03	—
400–499 lb	16	470 lb	$369.46	$1,736	+12.86	−16.66	$345.00 (1 hd)†
500–599 lb	13	540 lb	$331.73	$1,792	+1.87	−24.86	$313.33 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	7	629 lb	$314.25	$1,977	−0.24	−21.15	$296.67 (3 hd)†
700–799 lb	8	741 lb	$307.54	$2,279	+12.54	+17.54	$270.00 (2 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	5	1,151 lb	$148.06	$140.00–$170.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	13	1,244 lb	$128.71	$120.00–$135.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	4	1,155 lb	$108.62	$105.00–$115.00
Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1	1,130 lb	$100.00	$100.00–$100.00
Breaker 75-80%	High	1	1,490 lb	$140.00	$140.00–$140.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	4	1,454 lb	$133.55	$131.00–$135.00
Lean 85-90%	High	1	990 lb	$140.00	$140.00–$140.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	4	904 lb	$120.10	$116.00–$122.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	5	917 lb	$110.02	$105.00–$114.00
Lean 85-90%	Very Low	2	910 lb	$83.42	$70.00–$92.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $366.21/cwt
4-week average: $374.28
13-week average: $376.76
4-week vs 13-week: −0.7%

52-wk low $353.61high $484.43

Steers 700–799 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $342.07/cwt
4-week average: $335.86
13-week average: $329.90
4-week vs 13-week: +1.8%

52-wk low $308.35high $379.82

Sales in 12 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $331.73/cwt
4-week average: $336.56
13-week average: $344.04
4-week vs 13-week: −2.2%

52-wk low $325.99high $414.13

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 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	−0.6%	57%	7
Feb	+2.3%	71%	7
Mar	+4.1%	71%	7
Apr	+4.9%	71%	7
May	+3.2%	71%	7
Jun	+4.1%	71%	7
Jul	+1.2%	71%	7
Aug	+0.1%	43%	7
Sep	+0.5%	57%	7
Oct	−3.0%	43%	7
Nov	−5.1%	0%	7
Dec	−3.8%	29%	7

7-weight steers

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

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	−0.3%	57%	7
Feb	+1.1%	43%	7
Mar	−2.0%	43%	7
Apr	−1.0%	57%	7
May	−0.9%	43%	7
Jun	+1.6%	57%	7
Jul	+2.6%	57%	7
Aug	+3.0%	71%	7
Sep	+5.7%	86%	7
Oct	+2.2%	50%	6
Nov	−1.4%	29%	7
Dec	−3.6%	14%	7

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	355	$366.21	—	$331.73
Fri Oct 16	342	$398.20	$345.50	$363.09
Tue Oct 13	477	$364.40	$329.00	$329.86
Tue Oct 6	564	$368.96	$330.56	$332.97
Tue Sep 29	421	$368.51	$334.95	$333.59
Tue Sep 22	306	$367.76	—	$333.17
Fri Sep 18	585	$358.97	$332.23	$332.02
Tue Sep 15	208	$356.97	—	$355.51
Tue Sep 8	181	$363.95	$310.00†	$335.23
Tue Sep 1	184	$370.05†	$315.00†	$326.85
Tue Aug 25	233	$353.61	$323.28	$325.99
Tue Aug 18	291	$367.53	$320.00†	$361.24
Tue Aug 11	237	$413.00	$335.62	$383.82
Tue Aug 4	325	$411.93	$350.00†	$368.30
Tue Jul 28	124	$394.15	$320.00†	$355.12
Tue Jul 21	532	$418.03	$345.13	$381.03

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Kentucky sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Christian Co. Livestock, Hopkinsville	56 mi	Oct 21	$382.50†	—
KY-TN Livestock Market, Guthrie	78 mi	Oct 22	$403.51	$331.14
Kentuckiana Livestock Market, Owensboro	90 mi	Oct 19	$361.00†	—
Cattleman's Livestock, Rockfield	106 mi	Oct 19	$400.29	—
United Producers Inc., Bowling Green	113 mi	Oct 20	$367.00†	—
United Producers Inc., Harned	123 mi	Oct 19	$388.72	$344.78

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	355	47	AMS_2196
Monthly Feeder Cattle Sale	October 16, 2026	342	9	AMS_2221

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Livingston Co. Livestock Market - Ledbetter, KY” (AMS_2196); “Livingston Co. Livestock Market - Monthly Feeder Cattle Sale - Ledbetter, KY” (AMS_2221). 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.