Cattle Market Mobridge Livestock Exchange (Thursday) Market Report
Mobridge, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Thursday, December 7, 20234,316 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest Mobridge Livestock Exchange (Thursday) report →
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 4,316 | 2,889 | 3,585 |
| Feeder cattle | 4,316 | 2,889 | 3,585 |
Market comments — USDA reporter
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Feeder Steers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 370–393 | 380 | 123 | 310.00–332.50 | $330.72 | $1,257 | -16.59 |
| 413–449 | 441 | 94 | 302.50–326.50 | $319.74 | $1,410 | -23.59 |
| 450–497 | 473 | 244 | 300.50–328.00 | $319.11 | $1,509 | -5.80 |
| 504–543 | 518 | 461 | 291.00–309.00 | $298.85 | $1,548 | -14.62 |
| 531 | 531 | 17 | 280.00 | $280.00 | $1,487 | -33.47 |
| 550–595 | 576 | 372 | 274.00–290.00 | $281.66 | $1,622 | -6.13 |
| 602–641 | 620 | 469 | 248.00–266.50 | $262.53 | $1,628 | -0.35 |
| 680–682 | 681 | 171 | 248.00 | $248.00 | $1,689 | -10.71 |
| 705–716 | 713 | 108 | 220.00–230.25 | $227.91 | $1,625 | -27.33 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 354 | 354 | 21 | 270.00 | $270.00 | $956 | — |
| 403–418 | 409 | 13 | 257.00–260.00 | $258.18 | $1,056 | -56.82 |
| 466–496 | 480 | 51 | 257.00–275.00 | $264.31 | $1,269 | -42.92 |
| 507–548 | 522 | 55 | 261.00–275.00 | $270.72 | $1,413 | +1.13 |
| 574–595 | 580 | 59 | 261.00–267.00 | $265.23 | $1,538 | -0.10 |
| 555–598 | 587 | 46 | 253.00 | $253.00 | $1,485 | -12.33 |
Feeder Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 333–343 | 339 | 27 | 265.00–275.00 | $270.63 | $917 | -47.37 |
| 377 | 377 | 29 | 298.00 | $298.00 | $1,123 | — |
| 428–436 | 432 | 68 | 261.00–280.00 | $276.93 | $1,196 | -20.96 |
| 439 | 439 | 121 | 303.50 | $303.50 | $1,332 | — |
| 452–496 | 475 | 270 | 264.00–287.50 | $276.45 | $1,313 | -4.84 |
| 477 | 477 | 36 | 257.00 | $257.00 | $1,226 | -24.29 |
| 504 | 504 | 116 | 297.00 | $297.00 | $1,497 | +30.78 |
| 501–542 | 525 | 142 | 246.00–260.00 | $253.47 | $1,331 | -12.75 |
| 534 | 534 | 8 | 237.00 | $237.00 | $1,266 | -29.22 |
| 553–582 | 560 | 238 | 231.00–250.75 | $245.03 | $1,372 | -2.49 |
| 603–649 | 637 | 204 | 218.00–232.00 | $230.86 | $1,471 | +4.36 |
| 642 | 642 | 12 | 209.00 | $209.00 | $1,342 | -17.50 |
| 650 | 650 | 88 | 221.00 | $221.00 | $1,436 | -3.39 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 379–395 | 388 | 17 | 247.00–250.00 | $248.21 | $963 | — |
| 454–469 | 464 | 32 | 232.00–247.50 | $237.22 | $1,101 | — |
| 521–549 | 539 | 70 | 218.00–228.00 | $222.82 | $1,201 | -19.06 |
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.
Compared to last week: steers 450 to 649 lbs 5.00 to 9.00 lower. Heifers 450 to 599 lbs mostly steady with instances up to 10.00 lower on 500 to 549 lbs. Moderate to good demand for calves today. A handful of loads and many packages made up the offering, with the majority still coming off the cow. Varied shot records again this week and these, along with hide color and days weaned, some calves weaned just 30 days, cause discrimination. Flesh condition mostly light to moderate but some fill seen on the calves at times. A moderate market with a lower board again today. All the optimism of the early fall has evaporated leaving a cloud of uncertainty as the board continues to drop. The area is enjoying exceptional weather, warm and mild, which is great for feeding and weaning and finishing fall work but is being dampened by the disappointing markets. Few feeders expected next week making this the last feeder cattle sale of 2023. Watch local listings for the first feeder cattle sale of 2024. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!