Cattle Market Pulse

Mitchell Livestock Auction Market Report

Mitchell, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 21, 2021

2,671 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $148.68/cwt +3.02 vs last sale · ≈ $1,307/hd at 879 lb · 588 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $156.54/cwt +7.79 vs last sale · ≈ $1,461/hd at 933 lb · 374 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $149.00/cwt +4.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,106/hd at 742 lb · 367 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,671 1,785 3,609
Feeder cattle 2,671 1,785 3,609

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 950-1000 lbs. sold 1.00 lower, steers 1050-1100 lbs. sold 3.00 higher. Heifers 800-950 lbs. sold 2.00-3.00 higher. Demand was good with many load lots in todays offering. The next feeder cattle auction will be Oct.28th, expecting 5000-6000 head of feeders, about half yearlings half spring calves, starting at 8:30 am.

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
538 unweaned 538 10 161.00 $161.00 $866 —
742 742 18 164.75 $164.75 $1,222 —
757–779 769 16 160.50–166.50 $163.92 $1,261 —
811–843 824 119 157.75–162.75 $160.64 $1,324 —
920 920 14 152.25 $152.25 $1,401 +3.50
917–948 934 360 152.25–158.75 $156.71 $1,464 +7.96
985–998 990 215 147.00–155.50 $154.20 $1,527 -2.14
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1003 1003 56 154.00 $154.00 $1,545 +1.95
1054–1097 1085 195 148.00–151.25 $149.97 $1,627 +3.97
1109 1109 17 144.75 $144.75 $1,605 —
1152 1152 59 146.50 $146.50 $1,688 —
1222 1222 6 115.50 $115.50 $1,411 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
456 456 4 178.00 $178.00 $812 +12.00
538 538 10 162.00 $162.00 $872 —
572 572 4 152.00 $152.00 $869 —
794 794 6 156.00 $156.00 $1,239 +44.00
844 844 15 154.00 $154.00 $1,300 +3.31
931–940 934 30 143.00–143.75 $143.23 $1,338 +0.23
958 958 12 148.75 $148.75 $1,425 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160 1160 6 122.00 $122.00 $1,415 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
699 699 12 154.50 $154.50 $1,080 +0.50
742 742 367 149.00 $149.00 $1,106 +4.00
758–789 773 154 155.50–159.25 $157.69 $1,219 —
808–845 838 112 142.50–152.50 $146.88 $1,231 +3.25
858–896 879 588 146.00–159.00 $148.68 $1,307 +3.02
909–910 910 173 144.00–145.25 $144.82 $1,318 +2.50
963 963 8 131.50 $131.50 $1,266 +1.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1004–1047 1010 68 135.25–139.50 $135.83 $1,372 —
1119 1119 4 118.00 $118.00 $1,320 -5.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
494 494 14 155.50 $155.50 $768 —
640 640 27 146.00 $146.00 $934 -2.50
791 791 9 145.25 $145.25 $1,149 +8.25
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1033 1033 11 123.00 $123.00 $1,271 —

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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.