Jackson County Regional Livestock Market market report — October 17, 2026

Ripley, WV · Saturday sale · USDA report published 10/24/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

666

Last sale (Sep 26) 766 (−100)
Last year 530

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$394.97 /cwt

$2,108 per head · 25 hd
vs last week —

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

— /cwt

None sold in this weight at the latest sale

62 hd steers based 750 lbs stop 780 lbs flesh 5 85% black 85% number 1s brought $348.5 58 hd steers based 875 lbs stop 900 lbs flesh 5 90% black 85+% number 1s brought $335
USDA Market News reporter, October 17, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 17

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. No sale last week to compare. Last year = sale of Oct 18. 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	16	376 lb	$432.31	$1,625	—	+12.56	$390.68 (9 hd)
400–499 lb	27	450 lb	$420.84	$1,892	—	+34.58	$352.15 (23 hd)
500–599 lb	25	534 lb	$394.97	$2,108	—	+28.63	$316.88 (14 hd)
600–699 lb	43	670 lb	$344.87	$2,312	—	+4.39	$299.89 (6 hd)
700–799 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$292.50 (1 hd)†
800–899 lb	49	816 lb	$335.44	$2,737	—	+38.48	—
900–999 lb	1	945 lb	$271.00†	$2,561	—	—	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 17

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. No sale last week to compare. Last year = sale of Oct 18. 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	17	368 lb	$396.92	$1,460	—	+16.87	$348.78 (19 hd)
400–499 lb	10	460 lb	$352.95	$1,624	—	−7.23	$317.01 (20 hd)
500–599 lb	20	547 lb	$326.30	$1,785	—	+6.58	$299.66 (10 hd)
600–699 lb	11	643 lb	$300.12	$1,930	—	+11.01	$297.11 (7 hd)
700–799 lb	1	780 lb	$287.00†	$2,239	—	+28.25	$275.00 (1 hd)†
800–899 lb	1	890 lb	$292.00†	$2,599	—	+38.28	—
900–999 lb	—	—	—	—	—	—	$240.00 (1 hd)†

Slaughter cows — Oct 17

Grade	Dressing	Head	Avg wt	Avg $/cwt	Range $/cwt
Boner 80-85%	Average	10	1,212 lb	$125.94	$112.00–$172.00
Breaker 75-80%	Average	2	1,685 lb	$123.00	$122.00–$124.00
Lean 85-90%	Average	4	1,159 lb	$112.28	$108.00–$115.00
Lean 85-90%	Low	5	972 lb	$89.32	$85.00–$95.00

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $394.97/cwt
4-week average: $395.11
13-week average: $387.07
4-week vs 13-week: +2.1%

52-wk low $347.39high $486.84

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Falling

Latest (week of September 21, 2026): $333.42/cwt
4-week average: $332.33
13-week average: $345.55
4-week vs 13-week: −3.8%

52-wk low $288.59high $375.78

Sales in 10 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Falling

Latest (week of October 12, 2026): $326.30/cwt
4-week average: $336.04
13-week average: $346.71
4-week vs 13-week: −3.1%

52-wk low $308.52high $428.66

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 Apr and Jul 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	−1.3%	29%	7
Feb	+4.4%	86%	7
Mar	+5.0%	86%	7
Apr	+6.7%	100%	7
May	+1.7%	71%	7
Jun	+1.6%	71%	7
Jul	+5.2%	88%	8
Aug	+2.8%	75%	8
Sep	−1.9%	57%	7
Oct	−5.2%	0%	7
Nov	−8.0%	0%	7
Dec	−5.7%	14%	7

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 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	−2.7%	29%	7
Feb	−0.1%	57%	7
Mar	0.0%	43%	7
Apr	+2.6%	86%	7
May	+1.0%	71%	7
Jun	+4.1%	86%	7
Jul	+6.4%	100%	8
Aug	+7.8%	100%	7
Sep	+0.1%	43%	7
Oct	−4.1%	14%	7
Nov	−5.0%	43%	7
Dec	−4.9%	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
Sat Oct 17	666	$394.97	—	$326.30
Sat Sep 26	766	$395.25	$333.42	$345.78
Sat Sep 19	343	$360.14	$322.00†	$314.49
Sat Sep 12	633	$377.83	$341.56	$344.91
Sat Aug 29	445	$347.39	$340.78†	$321.07
Sat Aug 22	640	$373.35	$340.69	$349.38
Sat Aug 15	237	$386.88	—	$361.01
Sat Aug 8	593	$421.55	$359.64	$377.24
Sat Aug 1	324	$418.40	$355.77†	$361.76
Sat Jul 25	352	$395.00†	$337.50†	$365.15†
Sat Jul 18	301	$407.46	$359.00†	$375.44

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every West Virginia sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Weston Livestock Marketing, Weston	69 mi	Oct 17	$387.58	$315.03†
Buckhannon Stockyards Livestock Auction, Buckhannon	80 mi	Oct 21	$371.73	—
Preston Farmers Market, Terra Alta	124 mi	Oct 23	$375.00†	$310.00†

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Saturday	October 17, 2026	666	43	AMS_1880

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Jackson County Regional Livestock Market - Ripley, WV” (AMS_1880). 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.