Cattle Market Pulse

Mitchell Livestock Auction Market Report

Mitchell, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 14, 2024

4,060 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $255.78/cwt +1.31 vs last sale · ≈ $2,105/hd at 823 lb · 853 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $236.54/cwt -7.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,160/hd at 913 lb · 416 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $218.98/cwt -2.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,897/hd at 866 lb · 328 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,060 4,970 2,819
Feeder cattle 4,060 4,970 2,819

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week steers less than 800 lbs sold 5.00 to 8.00 higher and over 800 lbs sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Heifers less than 850 lbs sold unevenly steady, over 850 lbs sold 2.00 to 6.00 higher. Demand was good with some internet buying. Several load lots on hand Thursday with the normal run of packages. Bulk of the cattle coming out of grow yards and sold in medium flesh and a few carried some tag (mud).

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
466 466 20 379.00 $379.00 $1,766 —
502–517 504 37 349.00–351.00 $350.72 $1,768 —
628 628 9 304.00 $304.00 $1,909 +8.87
671–673 672 42 295.50–301.00 $299.56 $2,013 +5.76
703–727 714 113 272.00–285.50 $276.37 $1,973 +4.69
751–788 773 181 246.00–254.50 $251.40 $1,943 -15.34
801–847 820 759 249.50–260.50 $256.83 $2,106 +2.36
847–849 848 94 247.00–247.50 $247.26 $2,097 -7.21
850–865 856 224 255.50 $255.50 $2,187 +5.60
877–885 880 80 246.75–247.10 $246.96 $2,173 +15.07
900–927 913 416 234.00–241.25 $236.54 $2,160 -7.16
958 958 32 236.25 $236.25 $2,263 +1.09
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
693 693 33 250.00 $250.00 $1,732 —
1000–1004 1002 118 219.50–227.50 $223.56 $2,240 +1.40
1053 1053 72 221.25 $221.25 $2,330 +9.65
1123–1133 1128 110 212.25 $212.25 $2,394 —
1158 1158 9 196.50 $196.50 $2,275 +13.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
453 453 13 345.00 $345.00 $1,563 +2.50
610–624 615 24 281.00–296.00 $290.30 $1,785 +20.26
670–686 679 14 261.00–269.00 $264.38 $1,795 -16.91
729–748 742 51 258.00–268.25 $265.09 $1,967 —
751 751 5 240.00 $240.00 $1,802 -9.06
896 896 84 233.75 $233.75 $2,094 -0.51
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025 1025 13 199.00 $199.00 $2,040 +18.00
1076 1076 7 204.00 $204.00 $2,195 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
344 344 7 350.00 $350.00 $1,204 —
444 444 13 329.00 $329.00 $1,461 —
497 497 7 302.00 $302.00 $1,501 +1.30
588 588 10 290.50 $290.50 $1,708 +16.35
619 619 28 269.00 $269.00 $1,665 -5.45
661–677 667 35 258.00–264.00 $260.75 $1,739 +0.70
691 691 11 238.00 $238.00 $1,645 -22.05
709–733 723 196 250.00–262.00 $255.55 $1,848 +8.51
735 735 11 246.00 $246.00 $1,808 -1.04
777–799 787 153 231.25–232.25 $231.71 $1,824 -8.04
784–787 787 24 219.00–220.00 $219.17 $1,725 -20.58
802–844 820 223 226.00–230.00 $228.15 $1,871 -3.56
850–862 857 73 224.25–228.50 $226.16 $1,938 -1.55
853–882 869 255 210.00–219.85 $216.93 $1,885 -10.78
965–991 980 101 203.75–206.00 $205.06 $2,010 +2.86
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
587 587 14 272.00 $272.00 $1,597 +6.80
649 649 14 244.00 $244.00 $1,584 -9.81
673–674 674 15 240.00–249.00 $243.60 $1,642 +2.12
744 744 71 235.25 $235.25 $1,750 -2.96
757–794 768 13 220.00–227.00 $224.77 $1,726 -2.46
796 796 9 214.00 $214.00 $1,703 -13.23

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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.