The Morning Wire / Mon Oct 5, 2026

The Morning Wire

The trading day in one page — Mon, Oct 5

● Written from USDA reportsEvery figure as filed

← Oct 3Oct 5Oct 6 →

Summary

Mon, Oct 5

Choice cutout closed $4.07 higher at $378.26. 55 barns across 19 states reported 3,832 priced lots.

Feeder steers

National, week of Oct 5 USDA

Weighted across every reported lot, by weight class. Weekly rather than daily — one day's barns are too thin a base for a national figure.

Weight	Price	vs prior week	Head	Barns
300-399 lb	533.84/cwt	$20.03 higher	4,660	163
400-499 lb	482.80/cwt	$20.94 higher	15,688	181
500-599 lb	430.36/cwt	$15.70 higher	26,018	183
600-699 lb	380.51/cwt	$14.13 higher	15,892	182
700-799 lb	344.45/cwt	$0.58 higher	8,153	163
800-899 lb	334.06/cwt	$1.13 higher	8,928	120

Barn by barn, 500–599 lb steers

Same day, same class USDA

Every barn that sold at least 20 head of this class on Mon, Oct 5, weighted by head. Spread of $98.07 between the top and bottom of 20 barns. An average moves with the cattle that showed up as much as with the buyers in the seats — a yard with better grade will average higher on the same demand. This is where the money landed, not a verdict on the barn.

Barn	State	Average	Head
Torrington Livestock Commission Company	WY	459.61/cwt	741
West Point Livestock Auction	NE	431.06/cwt	48
Callaway Livestock Center	MO	424.53/cwt	98
Lexington Livestock Auction - Kentucky	KY	416.94/cwt	42
Tina Livestock	MO	407.68/cwt	46
Farmers Livestock Exchange, Inc.	VA	397.33/cwt	150
Tulsa Stockyards Inc.	OK	392.50/cwt	135
Roanoke Hollins Stockyard	VA	391.18/cwt	42
Joplin Regional Stockyards	MO	390.09/cwt	442
Lynchburg Livestock Market, Inc.	VA	387.90/cwt	85
Harned Livestock Auction	KY	387.28/cwt	26
Meridian Livestock Auction	MS	385.92/cwt	61
Donalsonville	GA	385.04/cwt	24
Paris Livestock Auction	KY	382.75/cwt	49
Roswell Livestock Auction	NM	379.04/cwt	61
Oklahoma National Stockyards Market	OK	374.01/cwt	256
Unionville Livestock Auction - Unionville, TN	TN	370.60/cwt	41
Arcadia Stockyard (Mon)	FL	369.45/cwt	56
Cleburne County Livestock Auction	AR	365.69/cwt	62
Carrollton	GA	361.54/cwt	20

Boxed beef

PM close · Oct 5 USDA

Choice $378.26, $4.07 higher. Select $358.57, $4.08 higher. The Choice–Select spread stands at $19.69. 67 loads traded.

Fed cattle

Negotiated cash, week to date USDA

24,298 head traded Sep 26–Oct 2.

Region	Basis	Price	Head
Iowa-Minnesota	Dressed Delivered	348.45	2,602
Iowa-Minnesota	Dressed FOB	345.00	40
Iowa-Minnesota	Live Delivered	220.75	283
Iowa-Minnesota	Live FOB	219.38	7,538
Nebraska	Dressed Delivered	346.10	8,344
Nebraska	Live Delivered	226.00	700

At the barns

USDA market reporters, as filed USDA

One barn per state, largest first — more states file than fit here. Your own state is linked below.

CLOSE Compared to last week feeder steers under 800 lbs. sold 2.00-10.00 lower with the exception of light seven weight steers which sold 3.00 higher. Weights over 800 lbs. sold steady to 3.00 higher.
Joplin Regional Stockyards · Missouri

Compared to last week: Feeder steers over 800 lbs steady to 2.00 lower; under 800 lbs 3.00-8.00 lower. Feeder heifers mostly steady, 600-700 lbs 5.00 higher. Demand moderate to good for feeder cattle and buyers more particular for kind.
Oklahoma National Stockyards Market · Oklahoma

Compared to last sale: Demand mostly good for moderate offerings. Dairy feeder steers traded 7.00-22.00 lower. Next sale will be November 2, 2026.
Centennial · Colorado

Compared to last week: Yearling feeder steers sold with higher undertones, much lighter flesh condition this week as several consignments of yearlings were right off grass. Yearling heifers not well compared.
Sioux Falls Regional Livestock · South Dakota

Compared to last week's sale, Slaughter Steers were $1.00-$4.00 lower, Slaughter Dairy Cows traded $3.00-$6.00 higher, and Slaughter Bulls were $3.00 higher. Feeder Dairy Calves traded $50.00 to $80.00 higher.
New Holland Sale Stables · Pennsylvania

Compared to last week, Feeder Steers $3.00-$6.00 lower, Feeder Heifers unevenly steady, Feeder Bulls $6.00-$10.00 lower, Slaughter Cows $8.00-$10.00 lower, Slaughter Bulls $3.00-$6.00 lower. Quality fair to good, Demand moderate to good.
Dickson Livestock Auction · Tennessee

Total receipts were 864 compared to 1,277 last week. Lower number of cattle due to good rain in the area late last week. Feeder steers under 500 lbs. were 12.00 to 20.00 higher. The steers over 500 lbs. were 6.00 to 10.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 500 lbs. were 5.00 to 15.00 higher.
Giddings Livestock Commission · Texas

Compared to last sale; Because of the rain-shortened sale last week, steer calves had no comparable numbers but a steady to higher market was evident this week. Feeder steers 600-700 lbs sold 12.00-20.00 higher. Heifer calves 350-500 lbs sold 15.00-25.00 higher with 500-550 lbs being 2.00 lower.
Roswell Livestock Auction · New Mexico

Cows and bulls

National direct, dressed USDA

Class	Price	Direction	Head
Breaker (75% lean)	252.95/cwt	$3.43 lower	525
Boner (85% lean)	266.14/cwt	$1.06 lower	2,316
Cutter (90% lean)	267.72/cwt	$3.92 lower	3,743
Premium White	287.35/cwt	$1.34 lower	1,896
Bull (92% lean)	322.52/cwt	$0.57 higher	484

Reports published

See every report →

144 USDA reports carried this date — sale barns, state summaries, video and board sales, grain, hay and the national desks.

Source: USDA AMS. Every figure is USDA's as filed, and the direction words — higher, lower, steady— follow the arithmetic rather than an opinion. Quoted comment is the work of USDA market reporters, credited to the sale it came from. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of USDA data, not a copy of USDA's document and not endorsed by USDA.