Saluda Stockyards market report — October 19, 2026

Saluda, SC · Monday sale · USDA report published 10/19/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

124

Last week 10 (+114)
Last year 19

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$363.45† /cwt

$2,035 per head · 3 hd
vs last week −10.33

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$310.00† /cwt

$2,340 per head · 1 hd
vs last week —

No comparisons made due to limited comparable sales. Active buyer participation on limited offering of average quality cattle.
USDA Market News reporter, October 19, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 19

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 12. Last year = sale of Oct 20. 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	365 lb	$455.00†	$1,661	±0.00	+30.00	—
400–499 lb	5	459 lb	$411.00	$1,886	−1.99	—	$370.00 (1 hd)†
500–599 lb	3	560 lb	$363.45†	$2,035	−10.33	+0.95	$343.38 (3 hd)†
600–699 lb	3	623 lb	$328.38†	$2,046	+0.05	—	$310.02 (8 hd)
700–799 lb	1	755 lb	$310.00†	$2,340	—	—	$295.00 (1 hd)†

Feeder heifers — Oct 19

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 12. Last year = sale of Oct 20. 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	5	377 lb	$417.90	$1,575	+17.90	+12.90	$380.00 (2 hd)†
400–499 lb	3	428 lb	$381.73†	$1,634	+2.36	+10.85	$370.00 (1 hd)†
500–599 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$321.25 (4 hd)†
600–699 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$272.46 (2 hd)†
700–799 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$285.00 (1 hd)†
800–899 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$215.00 (1 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 19

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	Average	5	1,164 lb	$135.43	$128.00–$146.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	4	1,291 lb	$139.88	$138.00–$141.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	3	950 lb	$124.00	$120.00–$126.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	5	1,028 lb	$109.93	$103.00–$113.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $363.45/cwt
4-week average: $360.23
13-week average: $356.95
4-week vs 13-week: +0.9%

52-wk low $330.00high $467.50

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $310.00/cwt
4-week average: $310.00
13-week average: $297.08
4-week vs 13-week: +4.3%

52-wk low $275.00high $336.70

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Easing

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $345.00/cwt
4-week average: $335.57
13-week average: $338.99
4-week vs 13-week: −1.0%

52-wk low $305.77high $425.00

Sales in 11 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 Apr 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	+0.4%	57%	7
Feb	+2.4%	83%	6
Mar	+5.1%	100%	6
Apr	+4.8%	86%	7
May	+3.4%	71%	7
Jun	+2.9%	71%	7
Jul	+1.3%	57%	7
Aug	+2.5%	50%	6
Sep	−1.8%	29%	7
Oct	−4.0%	14%	7
Nov	−5.6%	0%	7
Dec	−1.6%	33%	6

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Aug and Jul and lowest in Nov and Jun.

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%	50%	4
Feb	−0.9%	67%	3
Mar	+1.6%	67%	3
Apr	—	—	2
May	—	—	1
Jun	−2.2%	0%	3
Jul	+1.9%	67%	3
Aug	+3.8%	100%	3
Sep	−1.6%	0%	4
Oct	−2.1%	25%	4
Nov	−4.4%	0%	4
Dec	+0.7%	67%	3

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
Mon Oct 19	124	$363.45†	$310.00†	—
Mon Oct 12	100	$373.78	—	$345.00
Mon Oct 5	129	$343.75†	—	$326.66†
Mon Sep 28	259	$359.94	—	$333.12
Mon Sep 21	83	$367.94	$320.00†	$337.51†
Mon Sep 14	162	$358.70†	$295.00†	$320.00†
Mon Sep 7	193	$350.00†	—	$305.77
Mon Aug 31	115	$330.00†	$277.50†	—
Mon Aug 24	240	$371.34	$305.00†	$360.00†
Mon Aug 17	179	$350.64	$275.00†	$334.17†
Mon Aug 10	74	—	—	$367.50†
Mon Aug 3	143	—	—	$357.50†
Mon Jul 27	106	—	—	$341.63
Mon Jul 20	215	$405.43	—	—

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
Saluda Livestock Exchange, Saluda	0 mi	Oct 19	$366.89	$291.93
Laurens Livestock Exchange, Laurens	37 mi	Oct 21	$368.89	—
Upstate Livestock Exchange, Williamston	59 mi	Oct 19	$383.12	$315.98
Orangeburg Stockyards, Orangeburg	63 mi	Oct 21	$348.37	—
Low Country Livestock Exchange, Darlington	111 mi	Oct 20	—	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Monday	October 19, 2026	124	42	AMS_1961

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Saluda Stockyards - Saluda, SC” (AMS_1961). 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.