Cattle Market Pulse

Hub City Livestock Auction Market Report

Aberdeen, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 20, 2023

4,141 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Hub City Livestock Auction report →

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $242.40/cwt -1.67 vs last sale · ≈ $2,136/hd at 881 lb · 848 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $252.00/cwt +0.94 vs last sale · ≈ $2,323/hd at 922 lb · 823 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $250.86/cwt -4.26 vs last sale · ≈ $2,436/hd at 971 lb · 391 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,141 3,623 3,821
Feeder cattle 4,141 3,623 3,821

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: best test on steers 800 to 849 lbs and 900 to 949 lbs steady. Best test on heifers 800 to 899 lbs 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Very good demand for another large offering of yearlings off grass this week. Flesh similar to last week, mostly light to moderate, with some fill on the cattle at times. Quite a few home raised consignments today. Most of the heifers offered were either tested open or spayed. Quality varied a bit more than last week, but still plenty of attractive cattle to choose from. An active market with buyers taking all loads of a cut on many occasions enabling them to fill pens with one man's cattle. Rain forecasted for the next few days and through the weekend will put a damper on harvest. Next feeder cattle sale is Wednesday, September 27.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
723 723 6 277.00 $277.00 $2,003 +7.00
764–787 777 82 262.00–272.25 $270.42 $2,101 +8.35
800–843 826 370 261.25–271.25 $267.35 $2,208 +7.88
854–890 868 268 252.50–258.25 $256.18 $2,224 -3.07
870 870 26 244.50 $244.50 $2,127 -14.75
900–946 922 823 246.25–254.80 $252.00 $2,323 -1.89
951–988 971 391 247.25–251.50 $250.86 $2,436 -4.26
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1061–1077 1069 220 237.00 $237.00 $2,534 —
1104 1104 21 217.00 $217.00 $2,396 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
562 562 15 280.00 $280.00 $1,574 —
715 715 10 242.00 $242.00 $1,730 —
799 799 39 253.50 $253.50 $2,025 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
623–628 627 60 257.00–269.00 $266.22 $1,669 +9.44
630 630 14 244.00 $244.00 $1,537 -12.78
658–686 670 16 254.00–265.00 $260.07 $1,742 +4.59
733–748 742 60 246.00–250.50 $247.46 $1,836 -2.55
756–766 760 20 247.00–248.00 $247.60 $1,882 -10.02
801–834 822 312 238.00–249.00 $246.06 $2,023 +0.76
852–897 881 848 236.00–244.75 $242.40 $2,136 -1.67
901–931 917 103 234.00–239.50 $238.27 $2,185 -2.32
981–999 995 49 229.50–232.50 $229.98 $2,288 -8.98
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
504 504 14 235.00 $235.00 $1,184 —

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Reading this report

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.