Lonestar Stockyards market report — October 20, 2026

Wildorado, TX · Tuesday sale · USDA report published 10/20/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

1,191

Last week 1,274 (−83)
Last year 1,095

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$373.95 /cwt

$2,147 per head · 55 hd
vs last week +1.15

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$340.00 /cwt

$2,411 per head · 5 hd
vs last week +2.16

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves traded mostly 10.00 higher, with increased buyer demand and higher advances noted on 5 weight heifers. Not enough comparable sales on yearlings for a market trend. Winter wheat fields that got dusted in before the rains a couple weeks ago is up and looking good. As a result demand for lighter weight cattle suitable to stock the wheat pastures was on full display today. Trading activity was moderate to active on good buyer demand. Quality was mixed, with the majority of the sale consisting of unweaned or short weaned calves. Rain and cooler temperatures return to the forecast early next week.
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. 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	34	355 lb	$506.95	$1,797	—	+7.72	—	—
400–499 lb	210	456 lb	$438.11	$1,997	+5.61	−33.63	$410.00 (5 hd)	$435.00 (3 hd)†
500–599 lb	55	574 lb	$373.95	$2,147	+1.15	−52.52	$376.26 (22 hd)	—
600–699 lb	83	620 lb	$371.05	$2,301	+27.34	−28.33	$335.84 (14 hd)	—
700–799 lb	5	709 lb	$340.00	$2,411	+2.16	−15.00	$295.00 (6 hd)	$315.42 (12 hd)
800–899 lb	17	883 lb	$315.59	$2,787	—	—	—	—

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. Unweaned = calves sold straight off the cow. These are kept out of the main price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	Unweaned $/cwt
300–399 lb	52	364 lb	$439.12	$1,598	+24.39	−15.43	$445.00 (17 hd)
400–499 lb	60	420 lb	$436.60	$1,836	+30.20	+22.78	$380.67 (42 hd)
500–599 lb	23	526 lb	$381.86	$2,008	+26.81	−2.57	$336.40 (24 hd)
600–699 lb	5	626 lb	$330.00	$2,066	+5.98	−65.00	$316.11 (9 hd)
700–799 lb	19	727 lb	$287.46	$2,090	−15.04	−48.54	$271.15 (9 hd)

Slaughter cows — Oct 20

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	High	10	1,273 lb	$152.00	$152.00–$152.00
Boner 80-85%	Average	20	1,207 lb	$146.47	$145.00–$147.50
Breaker 75-80%	Very Low	2	1,790 lb	$117.50	$117.50–$117.50
Lean 85-90%	Average	6	1,004 lb	$141.00	$141.00–$141.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	7	1,225 lb	$130.87	$125.00–$135.00
Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1	1,135 lb	$110.00	$110.00–$110.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $373.95/cwt
4-week average: $395.16
13-week average: $389.74
4-week vs 13-week: +1.4%

52-wk low $316.00high $540.87

Sales in 12 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $340.00/cwt
4-week average: $337.87
13-week average: $328.19
4-week vs 13-week: +3.0%

52-wk low $290.00high $397.50

Sales in 7 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $381.86/cwt
4-week average: $363.07
13-week average: $357.75
4-week vs 13-week: +1.5%

52-wk low $313.16high $444.74

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 2020

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2020 ran highest against their yearly average in Mar and Apr 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	+1.8%	50%	6
Feb	+1.2%	67%	6
Mar	+4.7%	83%	6
Apr	+3.6%	67%	6
May	+2.7%	50%	6
Jun	+1.8%	67%	6
Jul	+1.1%	71%	7
Aug	−0.1%	67%	6
Sep	+3.5%	83%	6
Oct	−2.7%	17%	6
Nov	−4.6%	17%	6
Dec	−4.0%	0%	6

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2020 ran highest against their yearly average in Oct and Sep and lowest in Dec and Nov.

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	−0.5%	50%	6
Feb	+0.1%	50%	6
Mar	−0.7%	50%	6
Apr	+1.7%	67%	6
May	−1.9%	33%	6
Jun	+1.4%	33%	6
Jul	+3.1%	71%	7
Aug	+2.4%	67%	6
Sep	+5.1%	83%	6
Oct	+5.2%	83%	6
Nov	−3.2%	17%	6
Dec	−3.9%	17%	6

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	1,191	$373.95	$340.00	$381.86
Tue Oct 13	1,274	$372.80	$337.84	$355.05
Tue Oct 6	1,006	$421.29	$335.78	$352.29
Tue Sep 29	581	$412.59	—	—
Tue Sep 22	1,170	$358.65	$328.20	$348.33
Tue Sep 15	1,632	$411.82	—	$362.65
Tue Sep 8	597	$381.30	—	$341.19
Tue Sep 1	619	$320.00	$290.00†	—
Tue Aug 25	1,004	$363.19	$323.62	$339.00
Tue Aug 18	1,135	$419.62	—	—
Tue Aug 11	1,018	$417.15	—	$378.56
Tue Aug 4	909	$424.53	$341.90	$350.00
Tue Jul 28	495	—	—	$368.57
Tue Jul 21	659	$440.00	—	$347.00

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Texas sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Tulia Livestock Auction, Tulia	53 mi	Oct 22	$389.41	$351.08
Cattlemen's Livestock Auction, Dalhart	61 mi	Oct 22	$414.30	$356.01
Producers Livestock, San Angelo	279 mi	Oct 22	$361.82	$316.46
Giddings Livestock Auction, Giddings	463 mi	Oct 19	$362.13	$323.32

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Tuesday	October 20, 2026	1,191	47	AMS_3365

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Lonestar Stockyards - Wildorado, TX” (AMS_3365). 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.