Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, January 25, 2021

27,502 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary report →

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $152.28/cwt +2.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,022/hd at 671 lb · 2,508 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $168.67/cwt +3.43 vs last sale · ≈ $969/hd at 574 lb · 1,876 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $140.65/cwt -1.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,082/hd at 769 lb · 1,822 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 27,502 40,051 37,514
Feeder cattle 26,201 38,170 36,463
Slaughter cattle 1,301 1,881 1,051

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 700 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 higher, over 700 lbs unevenly steady. Feeder heifers steady to 3.00 higher. Good to very good demand for all weights of feeder cattle this week, best demand was centered on lighter weight and fleshed cattle that will reach finished weights later in the year. With Feb Live Cattle at 116.00 early in the week cattle feeders were feeling much more optimistic and willing to pay more to secure their feeder cattle needs but cash fed cattle sales only reached 113.00 which put some pressure on the heavier feeder cattle. Live Cattle futures closed around 1.00 to 1.50 lower after cash sales failed to rise up high enough to meet the futures market. Slaughter cows 2.00 to 3.00 higher, except Breakers 3.00 lower, bulls 4.00 higher.

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
322–339 330 25 200.00–216.00 $208.01 $686 +8.01
350–394 373 87 190.00–210.00 $199.17 $743 +3.27
405–447 431 135 180.00–202.50 $192.92 $831 +5.78
450–490 472 371 173.00–196.75 $186.10 $878 +3.13
482 thin fleshed 482 225 196.00 $196.00 $945 —
515 515 10 157.00 $157.00 $809 -17.81
532 532 14 151.50 $151.50 $806 -8.39
503–549 534 719 161.50–183.50 $176.10 $940 +16.21
550–574 thin fleshed 565 351 178.00–179.50 $179.23 $1,013 +11.23
551–596 576 1,477 152.50–176.50 $166.62 $960 +13.26
576 576 8 159.00 $159.00 $916 +5.64
581–595 592 40 153.50–153.75 $153.69 $910 +0.33
602–648 623 1,787 147.25–169.00 $160.31 $999 +13.10
628–643 637 19 134.50–147.75 $142.94 $911 -12.74
651–699 671 2,438 136.00–160.00 $152.58 $1,024 +2.72
674–680 679 42 137.50–143.25 $142.30 $966 +11.30
685–694 687 28 140.00–142.00 $141.50 $972 +10.50
712–716 716 191 148.50–150.75 $150.48 $1,077 +5.62
700–748 725 1,292 134.00–152.00 $145.34 $1,054 +0.48
730–739 735 32 131.00–134.75 $132.86 $977 +7.76
750–799 769 1,822 132.75–149.00 $140.65 $1,082 -1.32
803–826 818 44 131.50–131.75 $131.58 $1,076 -3.02
803–847 821 1,001 125.00–141.00 $135.61 $1,113 +1.01
826 826 83 150.10 $150.10 $1,240 +15.50
856 856 51 130.00 $130.00 $1,113 +2.45
851–899 876 941 125.00–137.25 $134.09 $1,175 +0.32
881 881 12 125.75 $125.75 $1,108 -8.02
900–946 907 205 123.75–134.25 $130.49 $1,184 -0.67
914 914 10 121.00 $121.00 $1,106 -10.16
954–985 968 195 126.25–130.00 $128.25 $1,241 +1.23
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
321–325 323 11 190.00–200.00 $194.58 $628 +8.42
384–395 391 28 160.00–183.00 $172.18 $673 +1.13
403–441 417 30 174.00–180.00 $176.34 $735 +12.29
454–490 465 54 145.00–175.00 $166.13 $773 +1.28
515–549 537 54 155.00–170.00 $160.47 $862 +6.03
569–597 578 37 138.00–150.00 $145.38 $840 -0.59
625–644 636 19 140.50–148.50 $145.70 $927 +5.46
650–692 665 29 142.50–146.00 $144.05 $958 +13.88
712–746 730 25 127.00–139.50 $136.91 $999 +6.28
766–795 772 98 127.75–132.75 $131.75 $1,017 +3.35
807–842 837 20 126.50–128.50 $126.79 $1,061 —
874–886 881 22 113.25–121.50 $116.60 $1,027 -5.40
956–982 964 10 113.00–115.50 $113.76 $1,097 -2.24
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1276–1398 1324 25 109.00–117.00 $112.65 $1,491 —
1424 1424 4 109.00 $109.00 $1,552 —
1495 1495 24 111.00–112.50 $111.56 $1,668 —
1533 1533 16 109.00 $109.00 $1,671 —
1510–1596 1561 128 109.00–111.50 $110.06 $1,718 +3.12
1600–1678 1655 127 109.75–111.00 $110.35 $1,826 —
1725–1727 1725 76 106.50–107.75 $107.59 $1,856 +4.03
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1008–1041 1022 68 121.25–124.50 $122.66 $1,254 -0.18
1053–1071 1060 25 108.00–120.50 $112.88 $1,197 —
1221 1221 4 117.50 $117.50 $1,435 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
312–345 327 41 172.00–179.00 $174.79 $572 -0.10
354–399 370 194 156.00–179.00 $171.96 $636 +1.06
400–447 424 248 150.00–169.00 $162.38 $688 +0.01
440 thin fleshed 440 117 180.00 $180.00 $792 —
450–495 474 502 150.00–170.00 $161.65 $766 +4.14
490 thin fleshed 490 105 178.50 $178.50 $875 —
502–547 522 890 141.00–163.50 $156.95 $819 +19.09
531 thin fleshed 531 6 171.50 $171.50 $911 —
550–599 570 1,204 139.00–165.00 $150.90 $860 +2.47
597 597 9 138.50 $138.50 $827 -9.93
600 thin fleshed 600 96 153.00 $153.00 $918 +3.00
620 620 86 148.00 $148.00 $918 -4.12
600–649 621 1,283 126.00–152.25 $142.27 $883 -9.85
620–649 641 26 122.00–132.50 $129.77 $832 +0.63
655 655 165 152.75 $152.75 $1,001 -1.57
650–693 665 360 140.60–165.50 $151.26 $1,006 -3.06
650–699 676 1,105 128.50–149.00 $136.71 $924 +2.38
695 695 7 125.50 $125.50 $872 +0.59
700–749 725 652 124.00–138.50 $130.84 $949 +0.80
700–748 731 125 139.50–164.50 $153.59 $1,123 +23.55
755 755 72 137.25 $137.25 $1,036 +10.37
750–797 769 678 116.00–130.50 $126.90 $976 +4.75
773 773 87 149.75 $149.75 $1,158 +27.60
825 825 126 130.00–148.50 $140.87 $1,162 +16.22
804–846 828 464 121.25–129.50 $125.26 $1,037 +0.61
850–898 870 313 119.50–126.35 $125.08 $1,088 +3.53
900–940 914 315 115.00–125.50 $123.44 $1,128 +2.96
970–976 970 72 118.50–120.50 $118.61 $1,151 -0.03
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
246 246 11 194.00 $194.00 $477 —
322–327 324 8 160.00–163.00 $161.14 $522 -2.86
375 375 10 154.00 $154.00 $578 -2.35
415–449 439 56 142.00–154.00 $152.00 $667 +2.56
481–492 486 37 145.00–152.00 $149.81 $728 +11.99
507–548 534 40 123.00–148.00 $138.23 $738 +5.77
579–598 590 109 135.00–141.00 $136.85 $807 +2.64
605–617 613 12 114.00–128.50 $123.73 $758 -2.27
652–676 657 35 120.00–128.50 $121.75 $800 -4.71
732–734 733 26 120.50–124.00 $121.98 $894 -1.28
758–783 781 88 117.50–122.00 $118.29 $924 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1006–1019 1014 63 106.75–121.00 $112.36 $1,139 -2.14
1063–1099 1087 79 107.75–113.25 $111.58 $1,213 —
1106–1134 1126 114 111.50–116.00 $111.77 $1,259 +0.02
1179–1188 1182 67 107.25–110.25 $109.39 $1,293 -7.86
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1124–1615 1365 28 101.00–105.00 $103.23 $1,409 —
1338–1485 1391 216 107.00–111.00 $108.76 $1,513 —
1628 1628 9 107.00 $107.00 $1,742 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 3 151.00 $151.00 $589 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
486 486 89 171.50 $171.50 $833 —
609 609 76 146.50 $146.50 $892 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425 1425 75-80% 1 68.00 $68.00 $969 —
1210–1905 1521 75-80% 130 55.00–62.00 $58.56 $891 —
1553–1818 1643 75-80% 6 53.00–57.00 $56.00 $920 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1600 1285 80-85% 57 53.00–62.00 $57.93 $744 —
1165–1625 1372 80-85% 15 48.00–56.50 $54.57 $749 -1.51
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1422–1830 1646 65-75% 69 61.00–75.00 $66.27 $1,091 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1590 1207 85-90% 5 42.00–47.00 $43.96 $531 -10.54
965–1565 1223 85-90% 25 48.00–56.50 $52.67 $644 -1.83

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565–2210 1880 8 81.00–88.00 $84.07 $1,581 —
1935–2050 1993 2 91.00–94.00 $92.54 $1,844 —
2230 2230 1 81.00 $81.00 $1,806 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1338–1535 1432 64 86.00–95.00 $92.09 $1,319 —
1405–1661 1509 53 90.50–97.50 $93.27 $1,407 —

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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.