Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Mondays

Sale of Monday, October 12, 2026

41,192 head sold ·Official USDA report · Price history in the app

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $443.11/cwt -4.30 vs last sale · ≈ $2,548/hd at 575 lb · 5,033 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $473.02/cwt -7.40 vs last sale · ≈ $2,474/hd at 523 lb · 3,895 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $425.71/cwt -4.47 vs last sale · ≈ $2,652/hd at 623 lb · 3,400 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 41,192 27,681 32,453
Feeder cattle 40,194 26,787 30,859
Slaughter cattle 998 894 1,594

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 500 lbs 10.00 higher, over 500 lbs 4.00 to 7.00 lower. Heifer calves unevenly steady. Yearling feeder steers steady to 5.00 higher, yearling feeder heifers 4.00 to 8.00 higher. Good to very good demand for steer and heifer calves as more farmer feeders are ready to take on bawling calves. Very good demand remains for yearlings as the supply is tightening more with each passing week for those good, light fleshed yearlings coming to town off grass. Farmer feeders have made a lot of progress on their soybean harvest, and just beginning to start on corn, giving them a little time to do the necessary health checks on the calves they are receiving and starting on feed. Cash fed cattle market was higher, up to 225.00 in Iowa and up to 227.00 in Nebraska, giving cattle feeders a little boost in confidence that the market can get better again.

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
282 282 5 690.00 $690.00 $1,946 +160.00
319–342 334 92 605.00–700.00 $652.55 $2,180 +28.89
350–395 374 478 530.00–670.00 $613.92 $2,296 +11.05
403–405 fancy 404 61 597.50–600.00 $599.14 $2,421 —
401–448 425 1,111 480.00–595.00 $557.41 $2,369 -8.85
450–499 478 3,236 482.50–535.00 $507.44 $2,426 -5.66
500–547 523 3,895 430.00–505.00 $473.02 $2,474 -7.50
551–599 575 5,019 408.00–465.00 $443.22 $2,549 -4.37
577 577 14 402.00 $402.00 $2,320 -45.59
601–648 623 3,400 395.00–444.00 $425.71 $2,652 -4.47
650–691 661 766 370.00–424.00 $404.55 $2,674 +1.64
702–740 715 326 369.00–394.00 $385.89 $2,759 -16.50
753–765 762 15 358.50–363.00 $361.81 $2,757 +12.86
785 fancy 785 80 389.00 $389.00 $3,054 —
808 808 38 339.00 $339.00 $2,739 -24.17
806–848 824 456 355.50–379.00 $368.00 $3,032 +4.83
859–896 886 211 331.50–364.75 $348.69 $3,089 +0.96
893 893 10 321.00 $321.00 $2,867 -26.73
904–940 923 126 315.50–320.00 $317.87 $2,934 -24.82
903–946 925 1,206 334.00–356.50 $349.45 $3,232 +6.76
954 954 22 318.00 $318.00 $3,034 -16.94
953–988 974 603 321.50–341.50 $335.33 $3,266 +0.39
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
547 547 45 434.00 $434.00 $2,374 -20.00
573–599 587 76 418.00–419.00 $418.35 $2,456 +7.35
643 643 9 375.00 $375.00 $2,411 -26.00
1017–1048 1037 548 294.00–331.50 $317.96 $3,297 +3.69
1067–1094 1088 124 284.50–312.00 $298.63 $3,249 -5.03
1118–1128 1126 135 281.50–290.00 $283.19 $3,189 +4.61
1180–1199 1187 32 271.00–283.00 $278.83 $3,310 +0.40
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 5 630.00 $630.00 $1,732 —
300–315 308 45 585.00–652.50 $623.16 $1,919 +83.16
352–396 384 117 457.50–620.00 $559.94 $2,150 -5.06
417–449 434 142 485.00–535.00 $519.45 $2,254 -1.13
455–499 481 277 450.00–490.00 $477.72 $2,298 +14.66
519–549 539 132 430.00–450.00 $440.97 $2,377 -21.45
550–597 584 94 395.00–418.00 $412.89 $2,411 +14.07
590 590 5 370.00 $370.00 $2,183 -28.82
618 618 14 401.00 $401.00 $2,478 —
731 731 6 361.00 $361.00 $2,639 +14.00
757–780 760 56 340.00–351.00 $349.39 $2,655 +4.29
841 841 6 340.00 $340.00 $2,859 -4.74
896 896 5 314.00 $314.00 $2,813 -2.31
900 900 62 341.00 $341.00 $3,069 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1226 1226 7 241.00 $241.00 $2,955 —
1495 1495 20 227.00 $227.00 $3,394 —
1515–1569 1534 35 223.00–226.50 $225.44 $3,458 +1.44
1507–1550 1541 51 219.50–221.00 $219.82 $3,387 -4.18
1640–1705 1677 254 216.00–219.00 $217.35 $3,645 -0.47
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 6 455.00 $455.00 $2,016 —
464 464 17 440.00 $440.00 $2,042 —
539 539 18 437.50 $437.50 $2,358 —
573–593 582 76 416.00–423.00 $418.64 $2,436 —
667 667 12 375.00 $375.00 $2,501 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025 1025 17 277.50 $277.50 $2,844 +42.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–348 325 183 500.00–600.00 $566.96 $1,843 +5.03
356–398 378 561 482.50–550.00 $515.33 $1,948 +0.59
400–449 430 1,324 450.00–512.50 $475.90 $2,046 -5.90
449 449 6 417.50 $417.50 $1,875 -92.37
451–452 451 87 504.00–514.00 $510.32 $2,302 +65.90
450–499 477 1,982 400.00–480.00 $448.21 $2,138 +3.79
501–548 521 1,774 368.00–457.50 $423.43 $2,206 +1.50
500–547 523 695 445.00–532.50 $492.06 $2,573 +70.13
552–574 563 186 430.00–530.00 $490.09 $2,759 +93.13
550–598 569 1,568 341.00–434.00 $403.36 $2,295 +6.40
607 fancy 607 96 444.00 $444.00 $2,695 —
600–648 611 466 360.00–456.00 $390.05 $2,383 +23.34
621 621 86 400.25 $400.25 $2,486 +33.54
655–679 667 342 341.00–397.00 $376.73 $2,513 +36.24
726 726 86 373.25 $373.25 $2,710 +0.25
766–786 781 164 337.00–344.50 $342.11 $2,672 -2.68
804–836 815 139 320.50–335.50 $324.20 $2,642 -0.75
810–845 831 184 313.00–335.00 $316.09 $2,627 -8.86
864 864 42 272.50 $272.50 $2,354 -28.50
850–881 865 420 305.00–390.00 $319.07 $2,760 +18.07
907–948 922 650 295.75–322.00 $315.49 $2,909 +8.92
924–939 931 216 285.00–294.00 $291.27 $2,712 -15.30
948 948 120 325.50 $325.50 $3,086 +18.93
951–959 954 356 322.50–325.50 $324.50 $3,096 +38.50
950–999 975 317 283.00–320.00 $306.29 $2,986 -3.71
954–994 977 424 273.00–289.00 $279.55 $2,731 -30.45
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
283–297 291 11 560.00–605.00 $579.92 $1,688 -10.08
321–349 333 45 431.00–560.00 $515.71 $1,717 -39.87
350–399 376 69 430.00–512.50 $478.77 $1,800 +0.33
404–448 435 57 407.50–465.00 $438.51 $1,908 -5.98
474–497 483 152 372.50–428.00 $411.62 $1,988 -2.28
506–549 528 130 375.00–405.00 $389.36 $2,056 +4.83
555–581 571 63 376.00–385.00 $381.39 $2,178 +23.27
662–699 686 28 332.00–347.00 $337.17 $2,313 +1.96
827 827 7 317.50 $317.50 $2,626 +20.00
878 878 5 323.00 $323.00 $2,836 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
494 494 8 410.00 $410.00 $2,025 -27.00
604 604 97 384.00 $384.00 $2,319 +16.50
1000–1049 1019 189 274.00–306.00 $295.38 $3,010 +11.04
1067–1098 1080 54 270.00–277.00 $271.54 $2,933 -11.34
1109 1109 17 291.00 $291.00 $3,227 +14.97
1160 1160 13 269.00 $269.00 $3,120 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090 1090 17 223.75 $223.75 $2,439 —
1351–1486 1424 20 218.00–225.50 $222.19 $3,164 +5.21
1377–1531 1473 115 216.00–219.00 $217.35 $3,202 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 37 410.00 $410.00 $1,948 —
1048 1048 5 292.00 $292.00 $3,060 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
506 506 6 400.00 $400.00 $2,024 —
608 608 6 345.00 $345.00 $2,098 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1408–1593 1501 16 214.50–215.00 $214.73 $3,223 +0.57

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1525–1728 1687 30 211.00–214.50 $213.87 $3,608 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1751 1751 9 209.00 $209.00 $3,660 —

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Price trend

high 509.42 low 379.28 Oct 2025 Oct 2026

550–599 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Oct 5, 2026)