Cattle Market Pulse

Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction (Friday) Market Report

Ft. Pierre, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, January 12, 2024

3,247 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction (Friday) report →

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $262.74/cwt -1.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,797/hd at 684 lb · 565 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $236.64/cwt -14.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,829/hd at 773 lb · 487 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $274.96/cwt +12.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,566/hd at 570 lb · 412 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,247 4,992 4,156
Feeder cattle 3,247 4,992 4,156

Compared to last Friday: Steers from 550 lbs to 699 lbs were 2.00 higher to 4.00 lower, steers from 700 lbs to 799 lbs were 10.00 to 12.00 lower; heifers from 500 lbs to 549 lbs were 10.00 to 15.00 lower, heifers from 550 lbs to 599 lbs and heifers from 700 lbs to 749 lbs were 6.00 to 10.00 higher, no other comparisons available. A fairly active market with best demand for full loads. Most of the calves were home raised, fully preconditioned, and long time weaned. Flesh conditions ranged from light fleshed hay fed cattle that had been running out to moderate plus flesh cattle coming out of a grow yard. Bitter cold temperatures and wind chills in the area caused some cancellations. Next feeder sale is scheduled for Friday, January 19, 2024

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 8 322.00 $322.00 $1,240 -15.50
450–498 479 90 298.00–323.00 $316.21 $1,515 -9.02
504–534 522 119 292.00–310.00 $304.52 $1,590 -0.71
542 542 17 287.00 $287.00 $1,556 -18.23
579–585 582 182 299.00–303.00 $301.10 $1,752 +35.10
605 605 183 291.50 $291.50 $1,764 +1.57
612 612 63 264.00 $264.00 $1,616 -25.93
663–698 679 26 239.00–240.50 $239.71 $1,628 -24.46
675–695 684 531 250.00–269.00 $264.34 $1,808 +0.17
698 698 8 231.50 $231.50 $1,616 -32.67
725–746 740 172 231.00–248.00 $243.81 $1,804 +9.31
773–777 773 487 230.00–237.00 $236.64 $1,829 -14.40
806–824 822 83 215.00–220.50 $219.78 $1,807
859 859 65 234.25 $234.25 $2,012
917 917 40 210.00 $210.00 $1,926
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 6 295.00 $295.00 $811

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
353 353 15 284.00 $284.00 $1,003 -32.00
404–408 406 36 268.00–276.00 $271.09 $1,101 +5.09
456–499 472 88 275.00–284.00 $281.63 $1,329 -19.18
504–544 527 129 260.00–283.00 $279.71 $1,474 +28.71
555 555 96 275.00 $275.00 $1,526 +12.54
553–588 574 316 256.00–280.50 $274.95 $1,578 +12.49
615 615 14 243.00 $243.00 $1,494 -4.37
665 665 84 245.50 $245.50 $1,633 +4.14
682–688 685 27 226.00 $226.00 $1,548 -15.36
703–747 725 153 239.00–244.00 $241.44 $1,750 +8.07
742 742 60 223.00 $223.00 $1,655 -10.37
789 789 36 222.50 $222.50 $1,756 +21.50
928 928 11 174.00 $174.00 $1,615 -27.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 323 8 276.00 $276.00 $891

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What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.