Cattle Market Pulse

Mitchell Livestock Auction Market Report

Mitchell, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 4, 2024

1,602 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $222.61/cwt -7.15 vs last sale · ≈ $1,862/hd at 836 lb · 328 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $218.37/cwt -1.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,913/hd at 876 lb · 248 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $231.02/cwt +4.29 vs last sale · ≈ $2,241/hd at 970 lb · 123 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,602 2,187 2,457
Feeder cattle 1,602 2,187 2,457

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 950-1000 lbs. sold 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers 750-900 lbs. sold 1.00-4.00 lower. Demand was fair. Due to weekend snow storm, numbers of feeders were down today. The next feeder cattle auction will be April 11th, expecting 3500 head of headers, starting at 9:30 am.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
512 512 3 357.50 $357.50 $1,830
694 694 4 280.00 $280.00 $1,943 -9.87
724–739 727 41 254.00–255.00 $254.78 $1,852 -15.31
755–779 764 23 246.00–248.50 $247.00 $1,887
800–836 813 113 238.00–248.00 $245.47 $1,996 +10.47
877–897 890 27 231.50–239.00 $234.24 $2,085
944 944 26 231.75 $231.75 $2,188 -5.03
958–978 969 116 231.60–232.00 $231.75 $2,246 +4.50
985–988 986 7 216.00–221.00 $218.85 $2,158 -3.15
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1002 1002 42 230.35 $230.35 $2,308
1117 1117 108 213.00 $213.00 $2,379
1170 1170 13 195.75 $195.75 $2,290
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
568–572 570 15 282.50–290.00 $286.01 $1,630 -22.99
679 679 11 277.00 $277.00 $1,881
805–806 805 31 234.00–239.00 $236.58 $1,904
965–978 970 17 201.50–216.00 $206.66 $2,005

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
496 496 7 306.00 $306.00 $1,518
585 585 7 278.00–286.00 $281.43 $1,646 -9.18
618–632 632 95 263.00–277.50 $277.05 $1,751 -17.70
675–696 691 46 245.00–254.50 $252.48 $1,745 -0.33
720 720 11 236.00 $236.00 $1,699 -18.00
762–769 764 91 231.50–235.00 $234.19 $1,789 -1.81
835 835 109 218.00 $218.00 $1,820 -11.76
801–849 837 219 221.85–233.00 $224.91 $1,882 -4.85
852–899 876 248 214.00–221.00 $218.37 $1,913 -1.49
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
518 518 6 289.00 $289.00 $1,497 +7.00
568 568 6 277.00 $277.00 $1,573
650–689 672 7 212.50–218.00 $215.72 $1,450 -29.28
740 740 10 231.00 $231.00 $1,709
773 773 33 227.50 $227.50 $1,759
866 866 16 200.00 $200.00 $1,732
931 931 29 205.50 $205.50 $1,913
998 998 5 185.50 $185.50 $1,851

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
606 606 5 274.00 $274.00 $1,660

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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.