Cattle Market Pulse

Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction (Friday) Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, April 12, 2024

5,326 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $255.68/cwt -10.69 vs last sale · ≈ $2,104/hd at 823 lb · 681 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $258.47/cwt -15.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,771/hd at 685 lb · 470 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $245.66/cwt -3.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,892/hd at 770 lb · 363 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 5,326 4,318 5,321
Feeder cattle 5,326 4,318 5,321

Compared to last sale two weeks ago: Steers from 750 lbs to 899 lbs were generally 8.00 to 10.00 lower with instances of 12.00 to 15.00 lower, heifers from 600 lbs to 649 lbs were 6.00 to 8.00 lower, heifers from 650 lbs to 699 lbs were 10.00 to 12.00 lower, heifers from 700 lbs to 799 lbs were 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Other weight classes not well compared. Good demand for todays offering of mostly home raised, preconditioned feeders and replacement heifers. Flesh ranged from light fleshed hay feed to moderate plus cattle coming out of grow yards. A moderate to active market with mostly order buyers competing with internet buyers. Several strings offered buyers the opportunity to put multiple loads of one owner cattle together, up to nine loads per consignment. Several consignments of reputation replacement heifers were well received. Futures market continue to see downward pressure. Next feeder sale is Friday, April 26, 2024.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382 382 8 393.00 $393.00 $1,501 +10.59
410–438 427 36 371.00–395.00 $379.96 $1,622
476–494 491 33 340.00–355.00 $352.80 $1,732 -11.20
505–547 534 66 322.50–336.00 $332.13 $1,774 -13.77
558–573 563 64 324.00–346.50 $338.28 $1,905 +0.77
591 591 11 300.00 $300.00 $1,773 -37.51
609–632 623 105 298.00–311.00 $303.83 $1,893 -4.31
656–691 671 204 283.50–298.50 $291.33 $1,955 -13.17
691 691 15 270.00 $270.00 $1,866
720–730 725 55 241.00–268.00 $254.16 $1,843 -36.54
771 771 9 232.00 $232.00 $1,789 -41.98
761–787 772 259 254.00–272.00 $266.17 $2,055 -7.81
815–845 823 681 239.00–260.00 $255.68 $2,104 -11.74
874–896 890 305 235.50–239.50 $238.08 $2,119 -26.89
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1006 1006 55 221.50 $221.50 $2,228
1179–1182 1180 15 171.00–172.00 $171.40 $2,023
1356 1356 5 176.00 $176.00 $2,387
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
491 491 11 320.00 $320.00 $1,571
572 572 13 230.00 $230.00 $1,316
629 629 13 269.00 $269.00 $1,692

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
344 344 19 362.50 $362.50 $1,247
361 361 5 355.00 $355.00 $1,282 +8.23
410–449 434 38 325.00–343.00 $336.78 $1,462 +11.78
468–487 475 35 302.00–334.00 $322.74 $1,533 -2.59
501–533 511 211 301.00–335.00 $321.61 $1,643 +7.05
552–585 573 196 287.00–310.00 $297.22 $1,703 +5.56
606–634 624 232 267.00–284.50 $277.37 $1,731 -13.70
650–699 685 470 249.50–278.00 $258.47 $1,771 -15.06
700–740 718 116 242.00–253.00 $249.87 $1,794 -28.04
724 724 10 229.00 $229.00 $1,658 -24.28
733 733 219 252.00 $252.00 $1,847 -1.28
757 757 12 225.00 $225.00 $1,703 -24.50
753–785 769 207 234.50–250.50 $244.19 $1,878 -5.31
773 773 144 249.50 $249.50 $1,929 ±0.00
816–821 819 33 231.00–237.00 $234.83 $1,923 -18.87
810–839 820 318 244.00–251.00 $247.89 $2,033 -5.81
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 15 239.00 $239.00 $1,267
556–586 563 47 261.50–284.00 $271.12 $1,526

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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.