Empire Livestock Sale market report — October 22, 2026
Bath, NY · Thursday sale · USDA report published 10/25/2026 · Sale days
Last year —
Compared to last week's sale slaughter cows sold 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Holstein bull calves sold 5.00 to 15.00 lower. Beef cross bull calves sold 15.00 to 30.00 higher.
USDA Market News reporter, October 22, 2026
Feeder steers — Oct 22
No steers in this weight range at the latest sale.
Feeder heifers — Oct 22
| Weight | Head | Avg wt | $/cwt | $/head | vs last week | vs last year | No. 2 $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500–599 lb | — | — | — | — | — | — | $187.56 (2 hd)† |
Slaughter cows — Oct 22
| Grade | Dressing | Head | Avg wt | Avg $/cwt | Range $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boner 80-85% | High | 1 | 1,282 lb | $121.00 | $121.00–$121.00 |
| Boner 80-85% | Average | 3 | 1,311 lb | $103.68 | $103.00–$105.00 |
| Breaker 75-80% | Low | 1 | 1,582 lb | $117.00 | $117.00–$117.00 |
| Lean 85-90% | High | 2 | 968 lb | $127.41 | $125.00–$130.00 |
| Lean 85-90% | Average | 1 | 802 lb | $115.00 | $115.00–$115.00 |
Price trends
Steers 500–599 lb Rising
- Latest (week of October 5, 2026)
- $391.93/cwt
- 4-week average
- $391.93
- 13-week average
- $372.32
- 4-week vs 13-week
- +5.3%
Sales in 2 of the last 13 weeks.
Steers 700–799 lb Easing
- Latest (week of October 5, 2026)
- $291.93/cwt
- 4-week average
- $291.93
- 13-week average
- $298.81
- 4-week vs 13-week
- −2.3%
Sales in 2 of the last 13 weeks.
Heifers 500–599 lb Rising
- Latest (week of October 5, 2026)
- $338.49/cwt
- 4-week average
- $338.49
- 13-week average
- $323.93
- 4-week vs 13-week
- +4.5%
Sales in 2 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
Price history since 2019
When to sell: the seasonal pattern
5-weight steers
Not enough history yet for a seasonal pattern.
7-weight steers
Not enough history yet for a seasonal pattern.
Recent sales
| Sale | Head sold | Steers 500–599 $/cwt | Steers 700–799 $/cwt | Heifers 500–599 $/cwt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu Oct 22 | 234 | — | — | — |
| Thu Oct 15 | 245 | — | — | — |
| Thu Oct 8 | 175 | — | — | — |
| Thu Oct 1 | 163 | — | — | — |
| Thu Sep 24 | 184 | — | — | — |
| Thu Sep 17 | 265 | — | — | — |
| Thu Sep 10 | 178 | — | — | — |
| Thu Sep 3 | 187 | — | — | — |
| Thu Aug 27 | 164 | — | — | — |
| Thu Aug 20 | 234 | — | — | — |
| Thu Aug 13 | 163 | — | — | — |
| Thu Aug 6 | 199 | — | — | — |
| Thu Jul 30 | 232 | — | — | — |
| Thu Jul 23 | 214 | — | — | — |
Special and graded sales
| Sale | Type | Head | Steers 500–599 | Steers 700–799 | Heifers 500–599 | In trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2026 | Feeder and Replacement Cattle Salespecial | 480 | $391.93 | $291.93 | $338.49 | Yes |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Feeder and Replacement Cattle Salespecial | 302 | $352.72 | $305.69 | $309.37 | Yes |
| May 9, 2026 | Feeder and Replacement Cattle Salespecial | 542 | $504.37 | $362.93 | $438.55 | Yes |
| Apr 11, 2026 | Feeder and Replacement Cattle Salespecial | 639 | $438.40 | $347.19 | $406.93 | Yes |
| Mar 14, 2026 | Feeder and Replacement Cattle Salespecial | 548 | $412.40 | $324.29 | $364.92 | Yes |
| Feb 14, 2026 | Feeder and Replacement Cattle Salespecial | 229 | $454.46 | $376.22 | $411.56 | Yes |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Feeder and Replacement Cattle Salespecial | 463 | $340.24 | $300.26 | $330.33 | Yes |
Nearby barns this week
| Barn | Distance | Sale | Steers 500–599 | Steers 700–799 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canandaigua Stockyards Livestock Auction, Canandaigua | 38 mi | Oct 17 | $387.20 | $300.28 |
Sale days
| Sale | Latest report | Head | Sales in 52 weeks | USDA report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | October 22, 2026 | 234 | 47 | AMS_3692 |
| Feeder and Replacement Cattle Sale special | October 10, 2026 | 480 | 7 | AMS_1973 |
Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Empire Livestock Sale - Bath, NY” (AMS_3692); “Empire Livestock Feeder and Replacement Cattle Sale - Bath, NY” (AMS_1973). 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.