Cattle Market Pulse

Mitchell Livestock Auction Market Report

Mitchell, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 26, 2026

5,527 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $365.50/cwt -6.89 vs last sale · ≈ $3,026/hd at 828 lb · 838 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $380.54/cwt +2.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,945/hd at 774 lb · 534 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $351.85/cwt -60.31 vs last sale · ≈ $2,579/hd at 733 lb · 517 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 5,527 5,264 6,519
Feeder cattle 5,527 5,264 6,519

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers600-800 lbs. sold 4.00-9.00 higher, steers 800 lbs. sold steady to 6.00 lower. Feeder heifers 600 lbs. and up sold unevenly steady. Demand was good. Had many large load lots. MLM had one featuring consignment of 1000 head of 800-900 lb. steers. The next feeder cattle auction will be Mar. 5th, expecting 3000 head of feeders, starting at 8:30 am.

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 5 570.00 $570.00 $2,160 —
455 unweaned 455 13 552.50 $552.50 $2,514 —
481 481 11 560.00 $560.00 $2,694 +52.00
510–546 527 22 505.00–527.00 $517.06 $2,725 +5.63
566–586 574 66 470.00–490.00 $482.42 $2,769 +6.13
605–637 614 104 451.00–472.00 $465.52 $2,858 +12.80
631 631 17 441.00 $441.00 $2,783 -11.72
650–698 661 252 413.00–464.00 $438.02 $2,895 +12.86
690–695 690 92 409.00 $409.00 $2,822 -16.16
700–733 726 505 390.00–420.00 $403.68 $2,931 +4.84
729 729 6 385.00 $385.00 $2,807 -13.84
750–795 774 534 370.50–391.00 $380.54 $2,945 +1.49
805–846 828 838 353.50–376.00 $365.50 $3,026 +13.07
854–859 855 40 333.00–347.00 $344.19 $2,943 -12.36
856–889 863 470 344.00–363.00 $357.32 $3,084 +0.77
904–949 921 284 335.00–344.50 $339.69 $3,129 -0.91
950–998 971 333 306.00–331.50 $328.34 $3,188 -7.48
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025 1025 14 285.00 $285.00 $2,921 -25.94
1020–1030 1028 79 320.50–327.50 $326.01 $3,351 +15.07
1073–1089 1084 179 306.75–308.25 $307.77 $3,336 —
1169 1169 116 290.00 $290.00 $3,390 —
1214 1214 30 268.00 $268.00 $3,254 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
471–499 486 11 500.00–515.00 $506.60 $2,462 -5.54
586 586 4 405.00 $405.00 $2,373 -44.00
619–639 632 69 432.50–446.00 $443.46 $2,803 +6.21
663 663 5 406.00 $406.00 $2,692 +11.00
740 740 3 360.00 $360.00 $2,664 —
761 761 5 351.00 $351.00 $2,671 —
926 926 10 336.00 $336.00 $3,111 +5.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
399 399 7 525.00 $525.00 $2,095 —
470–490 481 17 465.00–490.00 $481.08 $2,314 +17.05
509–549 533 27 430.00–455.00 $442.92 $2,361 -1.92
555–572 567 21 415.00–423.00 $420.76 $2,386 -54.24
600–645 615 238 387.50–419.00 $407.40 $2,506 +10.73
659–689 668 49 391.00–396.00 $393.58 $2,629 +2.09
683 683 11 351.00 $351.00 $2,397 -7.00
655–698 686 206 355.00–387.50 $375.53 $2,576 +17.53
702–734 717 60 335.00–337.00 $335.99 $2,409 -6.51
712–748 735 393 340.00–355.00 $349.51 $2,569 -96.33
709–747 736 64 379.50–385.00 $381.07 $2,805 -64.77
750–793 768 243 327.00–366.00 $346.23 $2,659 -3.60
789–793 790 52 320.50–323.00 $321.97 $2,544 -2.61
803–846 812 109 324.00–350.00 $342.43 $2,781 -46.05
819 819 23 324.00 $324.00 $2,654 -14.50
854–894 869 279 310.00–340.00 $327.78 $2,848 +12.78
869 869 43 308.00 $308.00 $2,677 -7.00
905–943 911 167 316.00–328.00 $323.85 $2,950 +4.85
954 954 85 305.00–309.00 $308.81 $2,946 -16.19
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1048 1033 106 265.00–267.00 $265.77 $2,745 -16.73
1192 1192 32 251.50 $251.50 $2,998 —
1278 1278 6 231.50 $231.50 $2,959 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 3 440.00 $440.00 $1,914 —
479 479 11 487.50 $487.50 $2,335 +43.20
682–695 684 17 320.00–346.00 $341.34 $2,335 -1.66
763–790 777 19 325.50–333.00 $328.99 $2,556 -11.01

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Beef/Dairy Heifers

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045 1045 3 278.00 $278.00 $2,905 —

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Beef/Dairy Steers

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
919 919 5 320.50 $320.50 $2,945 —

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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.