Cattle Market Pulse

Mitchell Livestock Auction Market Report

Mitchell, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 12, 2023

1,332 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $216.62/cwt -8.25 vs last sale · ≈ $2,071/hd at 956 lb · 220 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $214.94/cwt -0.36 vs last sale · ≈ $2,011/hd at 936 lb · 125 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $219.21/cwt ≈ $1,876/hd at 856 lb · 114 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,332 1,017 3,072
Feeder cattle 1,332 1,017 3,072

Compared to last week: Light feeder steers and heifers sold on a higher undertone. Heifers 900-950 lbs. sold steady. Majority of todays feeders were heifers. Demand was good. MLM is starting to get spring calves into the offering, next week 700 light calves on list for next week already. The next feeder cattle auction will be Oct. 19th, expecting 3000 head of feeders, starting at 9:00 am.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
478 478 4 297.50 $297.50 $1,422 —
512 512 5 290.00 $290.00 $1,485 —
848 848 9 249.00 $249.00 $2,112 —
851–881 872 92 234.75–241.25 $239.32 $2,087 —
935 935 30 242.00 $242.00 $2,263 —
961 961 28 222.00 $222.00 $2,133 —
984 984 26 216.00 $216.00 $2,125 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1022 1022 4 204.00 $204.00 $2,085 ±0.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 4 275.00 $275.00 $1,045 —
429 429 8 273.00 $273.00 $1,171 —
491 491 8 278.00 $278.00 $1,365 —
720 720 82 249.50 $249.50 $1,796 —
761 761 78 244.50 $244.50 $1,861 +16.75
855–861 856 114 219.00–219.25 $219.21 $1,876 —
925 925 3 201.00 $201.00 $1,859 -13.45
905–945 936 122 214.75–217.25 $215.28 $2,015 +0.83
950 950 27 210.50 $210.50 $2,000 -2.50
953–959 957 193 217.35–217.75 $217.48 $2,081 -14.52
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1022 1022 107 207.00 $207.00 $2,116 -6.50
1068 1068 18 184.50 $184.50 $1,970 —
1061–1094 1070 76 201.10–207.00 $202.42 $2,166 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 374 6 267.50 $267.50 $1,000 +4.50
680 680 11 197.00 $197.00 $1,340 +14.00
707 707 6 226.50 $226.50 $1,601 -1.00
784 784 37 222.00 $222.00 $1,740 —
935 935 34 191.00 $191.00 $1,786 —
999 999 66 209.00 $209.00 $2,088 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1072 1072 49 179.00 $179.00 $1,919 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1028 1028 19 191.00 $191.00 $1,963 —

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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.