Cattle Market Pulse

Mitchell Livestock Auction Market Report

Mitchell, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 19, 2026

2,311 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $339.88/cwt +18.88 vs last sale · ≈ $3,154/hd at 928 lb · 269 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $391.42/cwt +10.36 vs last sale · ≈ $2,877/hd at 735 lb · 244 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $350.99/cwt +8.73 vs last sale · ≈ $3,085/hd at 879 lb · 236 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,311 1,879 4,437
Feeder cattle 2,311 1,879 4,437

Compared to last week: Lower numbers to test against today trend not applicable. A dollars higher undertone on both steers and heifers. Demand was really good. Some large load lots today. The next feeder cattle auction will be March 26th, expecting 3000 head of feeders, starting at 10:00 am.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 3 600.00 $600.00 $2,250
469–494 477 9 510.00–542.00 $521.04 $2,485 -10.22
554–555 555 28 492.50–503.00 $501.13 $2,781 +23.87
602–641 628 90 442.00–462.50 $448.61 $2,817 +8.61
666–672 667 68 415.00–439.00 $435.44 $2,904 +24.79
682 682 6 365.00 $365.00 $2,489 -45.65
715–748 735 244 370.00–399.00 $391.42 $2,877 +10.36
754–775 764 42 370.00–387.50 $379.46 $2,899 +14.15
805–848 832 83 351.50–362.50 $355.48 $2,958 +4.03
856–892 879 236 342.00–359.50 $350.99 $3,085 +7.37
918–948 928 269 328.00–344.50 $339.88 $3,154 +18.88
959–994 980 192 316.50–334.00 $323.43 $3,170
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1016–1040 1023 170 306.75–318.10 $314.47 $3,217 +3.24
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 4 492.00 $492.00 $2,583
554–568 561 8 445.00–470.00 $457.34 $2,566
615 615 9 439.00 $439.00 $2,700 +18.21
698 698 7 385.00 $385.00 $2,687 +2.50
797 797 28 347.50 $347.50 $2,770 -7.50

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
441 441 5 517.50 $517.50 $2,282
519 519 8 462.00 $462.00 $2,398 +13.00
558–565 561 41 440.00–447.00 $444.42 $2,493 +23.98
605–623 617 43 393.00–401.00 $398.11 $2,456 +21.11
665–684 673 102 364.00–390.00 $380.13 $2,558 +6.29
682–683 682 49 356.00–358.00 $356.53 $2,432 -17.31
703–746 720 142 352.00–372.00 $362.83 $2,612 +14.06
772–786 783 77 325.50–334.00 $327.28 $2,563 -6.03
803 803 80 326.00 $326.00 $2,618 -27.00
839 839 24 309.00 $309.00 $2,593 -16.53
888 888 33 309.50 $309.50 $2,748
906–923 918 124 295.85–301.00 $297.49 $2,731 +4.49
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
534 534 6 430.00 $430.00 $2,296 +75.00
560 560 3 402.50 $402.50 $2,254
611–628 617 12 371.00–415.00 $384.99 $2,375
715 715 4 373.00 $373.00 $2,667 +40.00

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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.