Cattle Market Pulse

Mitchell Livestock Auction Market Report

Mitchell, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 19, 2024

4,250 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $226.84/cwt -11.83 vs last sale · ≈ $2,102/hd at 927 lb · 276 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $222.04/cwt -1.03 vs last sale · ≈ $2,138/hd at 963 lb · 276 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $304.74/cwt -12.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,914/hd at 628 lb · 263 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,250 3,896 3,072
Feeder cattle 4,250 3,896 3,072

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 500-750 lbs. sold unevenly steady, steers over 750 lbs. sold on a higher undertone. Heifers 500-700 lbs. sold unevenly steady, over 700 lbs. sold on a lower undertone Demand was good. Many large load lots in todays offering. Alot of flesh on todays offering. The next feeder cattle auction will be Jan. 2nd. 2025 expecting 6000 head of feeders, starting at 8: 00 am. " Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" From M L M

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
379 379 5 425.00 $425.00 $1,611 -15.82
411–432 418 38 392.50–404.00 $400.60 $1,675 -4.40
466–491 483 147 355.00–368.00 $364.36 $1,760 -7.22
506–534 529 141 340.00–359.50 $352.34 $1,864 +0.20
550–588 568 208 320.00–349.00 $330.60 $1,878 +8.13
600–648 628 263 290.00–314.00 $304.74 $1,914 +22.74
660–690 663 182 276.00–302.00 $294.27 $1,951 +6.49
675 thin fleshed 675 78 310.50 $310.50 $2,096 —
708–748 734 179 272.50–281.00 $277.76 $2,039 +3.11
751–793 760 103 256.00–272.00 $270.45 $2,055 +2.86
819 819 72 267.50 $267.50 $2,191 +6.19
849 849 13 246.00 $246.00 $2,089 ±0.00
873–888 881 83 258.00–260.85 $259.49 $2,286 +11.53
903–911 904 65 251.00–258.50 $257.80 $2,331 +1.21
966 966 82 236.00 $236.00 $2,280 -27.85
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1048 1019 53 239.00–244.00 $242.84 $2,475 +15.84
1080 1080 180 253.10 $253.10 $2,733 +7.84
1127 1127 50 214.50 $214.50 $2,417 —
1151 1151 51 231.50 $231.50 $2,665 +2.26
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 3 342.50 $342.50 $1,045 —
366 366 10 412.50 $412.50 $1,510 -27.50
438 438 3 357.00 $357.00 $1,564 —
451–480 467 25 332.00–347.50 $342.83 $1,601 +2.44
532–548 541 27 317.50–337.50 $324.30 $1,754 +0.30
575–595 580 63 290.00–314.00 $307.33 $1,783 +22.61
601 601 5 257.00 $257.00 $1,545 -20.21
685 685 25 272.50 $272.50 $1,867 +24.44
723 723 9 255.00 $255.00 $1,844 -14.50
776–790 778 17 230.00–253.00 $248.88 $1,936 +6.19
807–831 812 28 215.00–242.00 $220.92 $1,794 —
866 866 8 251.00 $251.00 $2,174 —
911 911 35 247.50 $247.50 $2,255 +0.50
997 997 3 222.00 $222.00 $2,213 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
366–374 371 12 357.00–372.50 $363.38 $1,348 +2.25
405–446 439 25 333.00–341.00 $334.18 $1,467 -15.82
456–494 466 160 316.00–338.00 $330.28 $1,539 +15.38
505–543 525 167 290.00–312.00 $305.26 $1,603 -1.16
552–593 570 127 281.00–294.00 $285.80 $1,629 -6.47
607–629 619 88 262.00–270.00 $267.69 $1,657 -5.16
654–685 668 115 252.00–277.00 $265.49 $1,773 +1.24
707–737 716 55 250.50 $250.50 $1,794 -8.45
765–790 776 93 231.00–249.50 $244.54 $1,898 -11.46
818–841 833 67 234.00–234.75 $234.50 $1,953 -8.09
855–897 857 96 230.50–239.00 $234.99 $2,014 -12.01
900–940 922 227 224.00–237.75 $228.96 $2,111 -9.71
949 949 49 217.00 $217.00 $2,059 -21.67
957–974 963 276 217.85–226.00 $222.04 $2,138 -1.03
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
297 297 3 340.00 $340.00 $1,010 —
323–339 333 11 325.00–350.00 $336.77 $1,121 -3.23
394 394 7 332.50 $332.50 $1,310 -15.00
436–449 442 25 297.50–322.50 $311.08 $1,375 —
482–497 490 6 286.00–315.00 $300.72 $1,474 +22.39
538 538 22 279.00 $279.00 $1,501 +14.00
552 552 17 270.00 $270.00 $1,490 —
600–621 616 31 252.50–260.00 $257.87 $1,588 -2.69
729–744 734 13 211.00–250.50 $226.49 $1,662 -4.51
811–832 821 85 208.00–227.00 $216.84 $1,780 -3.16
856–894 879 36 182.00–227.00 $220.01 $1,934 -10.99
934 934 4 206.00 $206.00 $1,924 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1078 1077 128 209.50–211.75 $210.73 $2,270 —

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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.