Low Country Livestock Exchange market report — October 20, 2026

Darlington, SC · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

352

Last week 365 (−13)
Last year 345

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

No comparisons made this week due to limited comparable sales. Moderate offering of plain to average quality cattle with active buyer participation.
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
400–499 lb	2	455 lb	$419.89†	$1,910	−20.11	+4.98	—
500–599 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$336.50 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	1	630 lb	$330.00†	$2,079	+7.50	−18.00	$290.00 (2 hd)†
700–799 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$285.01 (4 hd)†
800–899 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$286.24 (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	3	342 lb	$400.05†	$1,367	−16.56	+10.05	—
400–499 lb	10	466 lb	$376.48	$1,755	—	—	$354.80 (3 hd)†
500–599 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$316.67 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$281.55 (13 hd)

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	Average	3	1,402 lb	$133.91	$131.00–$137.00
Boner 80-85%	Low	2	1,078 lb	$124.09	$121.00–$127.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	3	952 lb	$132.49	$130.00–$137.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	4	836 lb	$113.95	$104.00–$120.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $360.00/cwt
4-week average: $362.77
13-week average: $366.56
4-week vs 13-week: −1.0%

52-wk low $340.00high $463.35

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 5, 2026): $310.00/cwt
4-week average: $311.50
13-week average: $299.87
4-week vs 13-week: +3.9%

52-wk low $253.33high $375.00

Sales in 5 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $320.00/cwt
4-week average: $328.19
13-week average: $329.83
4-week vs 13-week: −0.5%

52-wk low $314.90high $406.11

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	+0.7%	43%	7
Feb	+5.1%	100%	7
Mar	+5.5%	100%	7
Apr	+4.9%	86%	7
May	+3.8%	67%	6
Jun	+3.2%	71%	7
Jul	+0.3%	57%	7
Aug	+1.5%	71%	7
Sep	−2.4%	43%	7
Oct	−5.4%	0%	7
Nov	−5.4%	0%	7
Dec	−3.2%	0%	7

7-weight steers

Not enough history yet for a seasonal pattern.

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	352	—	—	—
Tue Oct 13	365	$360.00†	—	$320.00†
Tue Oct 6	415	—	$310.00†	$337.78
Tue Sep 29	437	$373.32	$320.00†	$340.00†
Tue Sep 22	581	$355.00†	$321.00†	$315.00†
Tue Sep 15	311	$378.05	$295.00†	$329.48
Tue Sep 8	373	—	—	$322.02
Tue Sep 1	426	—	$253.33	—
Tue Aug 25	436	$340.00†	—	$332.01
Tue Aug 18	217	—	—	—
Tue Aug 11	392	$393.00†	—	$347.06
Tue Aug 4	286	—	—	$340.04
Tue Jul 28	244	—	—	$314.90†
Tue Jul 21	309	—	—	—

Video sales

Low Country Livestock Exchange also sells cattle by video for delivery now or later. $/cwt, all delivery dates; the video page has prices by delivery month. Video sales are not in this page's weekly trend.
Video auction	Last sale	Head reported	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799	Heifers 500–599	Sales, 12 months
Low Country Livestock Exchange Video Auction	Sep 22	63	—	$328.50	—	2

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every South Carolina sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Orangeburg Stockyards, Orangeburg	80 mi	Oct 21	$348.37	—
Saluda Stockyards, Saluda	111 mi	Oct 19	$363.45†	$310.00†
Saluda Livestock Exchange, Saluda	111 mi	Oct 19	$366.89	$291.93
Laurens Livestock Exchange, Laurens	124 mi	Oct 21	$368.89	—
Upstate Livestock Exchange, Williamston	150 mi	Oct 19	$383.12	$315.98

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	352	46	AMS_1956

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Low Country Livestock Exchange - Darlington, SC” (AMS_1956). 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.