Cattle Market Pulse

Mitchell Livestock Auction Market Report

Mitchell, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 19, 2023

1,920 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $213.06/cwt -3.56 vs last sale · ≈ $2,081/hd at 977 lb · 496 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $213.69/cwt -1.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,998/hd at 935 lb · 216 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $215.73/cwt -3.48 vs last sale · ≈ $1,907/hd at 884 lb · 138 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,920 1,332 3,457
Feeder cattle 1,920 1,332 3,457

Compared to last week: Good light calves sold on a higher undertone. Not enough heavy steers for a good trend. Heifers 850-1000 lbs, sold 1.00-4.00 lower. Demand was good, with a few large load lots in the heifers .The next feeder cattle auction will be Oct. 26th, expecting 6000 head of feeders, around 3000 of locally home raised spring calves for this auction , starting at 8:00 am.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
408–417 414 34 294.00–327.50 $304.68 $1,261
485–495 493 91 295.00–316.00 $301.83 $1,488 +4.33
540–546 544 15 285.00–297.00 $293.03 $1,594 +3.03
566–568 568 44 283.00–301.00 $287.49 $1,633
641–644 642 12 240.00–250.00 $246.66 $1,584
637–646 644 51 262.00–264.50 $263.87 $1,699
692 692 6 251.00 $251.00 $1,737
852–853 852 15 233.00–240.50 $237.50 $2,024 -1.82
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–469 468 8 265.00–281.00 $275.03 $1,287
505 505 14 274.00 $274.00 $1,384
558–591 575 29 244.00–264.00 $254.86 $1,465
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
439 439 8 206.00 $206.00 $904
605 605 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,392
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
852 852 10 198.00 $198.00 $1,687

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
414–425 422 37 286.00–301.00 $296.62 $1,252 +23.62
505–512 507 28 263.00–279.00 $274.38 $1,391
559 559 6 250.00 $250.00 $1,398
782 782 16 231.50 $231.50 $1,810 -13.00
878 878 80 218.00 $218.00 $1,914 -1.21
892 892 58 212.60 $212.60 $1,896
926 926 18 209.25 $209.25 $1,938 +8.25
926–942 936 198 213.35–219.50 $214.09 $2,004 -1.19
962 962 6 197.00 $197.00 $1,895 -20.48
956–990 977 490 210.35–216.75 $213.26 $2,084 -4.22
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
389 389 11 252.50 $252.50 $982 -15.00
416–425 420 12 252.00–273.00 $260.86 $1,096
458–486 482 20 241.00 $241.00 $1,162
525–532 525 47 248.75–249.50 $249.45 $1,310
552 552 5 243.00 $243.00 $1,341
614–644 616 51 224.00–231.00 $230.43 $1,419
678–691 685 12 224.00–230.00 $227.03 $1,555 +30.03
722 722 8 228.00 $228.00 $1,646 +1.50
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
711 711 6 186.00 $186.00 $1,322
789 789 9 177.00 $177.00 $1,397
816 816 76 192.00 $192.00 $1,567
960–962 962 64 170.00–186.50 $185.21 $1,782
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1013 1013 59 209.75 $209.75 $2,125 +2.75
1060 1060 3 201.00 $201.00 $2,131 +16.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1012 1012 8 194.00 $194.00 $1,963 +3.00
1128–1147 1132 24 170.00–173.00 $170.63 $1,932
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 4 195.00 $195.00 $842
570 570 9 205.00 $205.00 $1,168

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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.