Cattlemen's Livestock Auction market report — October 23, 2026

Belen, NM · Friday sale · USDA report published 10/23/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

463

Last week 928 (−465)
Last year —

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$354.82 /cwt

$1,945 per head · 25 hd
vs last week +5.58

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$315.34 /cwt

$2,352 per head · 6 hd
vs last week +14.08

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer cales had no comparable to last week. Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 5.00-8.00 lower, Trade and demand moderate.
USDA Market News reporter, October 23, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 23

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 16. Last year = sale of Oct 17. 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	21	365 lb	$448.33	$1,636	−20.27	+15.13	—	$351.67 (3 hd)†
400–499 lb	26	463 lb	$404.85	$1,874	−13.92	−8.38	—	$280.00 (1 hd)†
500–599 lb	25	548 lb	$354.82	$1,945	+5.58	−17.56	$420.00 (1 hd)†	$295.00 (1 hd)†
600–699 lb	11	638 lb	$327.09	$2,087	−5.96	−34.70	—	$260.00 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	6	746 lb	$315.34	$2,352	+14.08	+0.34	—	$235.00 (2 hd)†
800–899 lb	2	820 lb	$285.24†	$2,339	+9.24	−32.44	—	—
900–999 lb	4	927 lb	$249.94†	$2,317	−8.00	−34.06	—	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 23

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 16. Last year = sale of Oct 17. Unweaned = calves sold straight off the cow. 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	Unweaned $/cwt	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	6	345 lb	$398.50	$1,375	+16.58	+17.81	—	$315.07 (2 hd)†
400–499 lb	16	434 lb	$375.46	$1,629	+6.01	−0.58	$380.00 (1 hd)†	$305.00 (1 hd)†
500–599 lb	13	551 lb	$335.77	$1,851	+8.56	+6.27	—	$295.00 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	12	660 lb	$307.96	$2,034	−5.24	+3.11	—	$225.00 (1 hd)†
700–799 lb	9	757 lb	$296.56	$2,246	+1.56	+5.11	—	—
800–899 lb	7	830 lb	$273.12	$2,266	−16.88	−4.28	—	—
900–999 lb	1	930 lb	$225.00†	$2,092	—	—	—	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 23

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	Average	21	1,153 lb	$131.09	$125.00–$140.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	14	1,227 lb	$121.79	$116.00–$128.00
Breaker 75-80%	Low	3	1,498 lb	$120.00	$120.00–$120.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	22	1,003 lb	$120.70	$115.00–$126.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	14	939 lb	$110.71	$110.00–$114.00
Lean 85-90%	Very Low	5	847 lb	$92.02	$75.00–$101.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $354.82/cwt
4-week average: $346.14
13-week average: $351.50
4-week vs 13-week: −1.5%

52-wk low $322.05high $457.74

Steers 700–799 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $315.34/cwt
4-week average: $300.04
13-week average: $293.82
4-week vs 13-week: +2.1%

52-wk low $256.00high $380.00

Sales in 12 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $335.77/cwt
4-week average: $325.93
13-week average: $327.82
4-week vs 13-week: −0.6%

52-wk low $285.00high $414.32

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 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	−0.6%	14%	7
Feb	+5.1%	86%	7
Mar	+5.7%	100%	7
Apr	+6.3%	100%	6
May	+3.9%	67%	6
Jun	+0.8%	43%	7
Jul	+2.7%	75%	8
Aug	−0.2%	38%	8
Sep	−1.7%	43%	7
Oct	−6.0%	14%	7
Nov	−8.1%	0%	7
Dec	−1.8%	43%	7

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Jul and May 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	+0.1%	43%	7
Feb	+2.3%	86%	7
Mar	+1.5%	57%	7
Apr	+0.9%	67%	6
May	+3.2%	67%	6
Jun	+2.3%	57%	7
Jul	+3.9%	62%	8
Aug	+1.4%	62%	8
Sep	+0.6%	43%	7
Oct	−2.4%	29%	7
Nov	−5.5%	0%	7
Dec	−2.7%	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
Fri Oct 23	463	$354.82	$315.34	$335.77
Fri Oct 16	928	$349.24	$301.26	$327.21
Fri Oct 9	666	$345.50	$283.52	$310.73
Fri Oct 2	207	$334.99	—	$330.00†
Fri Sep 25	373	$322.05	$292.89	$285.00
Fri Sep 18	459	$347.17	$300.31	$290.68
Fri Sep 11	929	$335.05	$286.29†	$334.80
Fri Sep 4	553	$335.97	$296.00†	$326.29
Fri Aug 28	728	$374.67	$256.00†	$329.98
Fri Aug 21	603	$347.65	$268.28	$326.15
Fri Aug 14	742	$382.75	$290.87	$366.25†
Fri Aug 7	606	$364.69	$345.00†	$335.93
Fri Jul 31	641	$374.90	$290.01	$362.85
Fri Jul 24	465	—	$316.70†	$362.50†

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every New Mexico sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Roswell Livestock Auction, Roswell	162 mi	Oct 19	$377.57	$306.94
Clovis Livestock Auction, Clovis	207 mi	Oct 21	$398.76	$328.99

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Friday	October 23, 2026	463	47	AMS_1783

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Cattlemen's Livestock Auction - Belen, NM” (AMS_1783). 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.