Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 22, 2021

31,536 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $145.73/cwt +1.86 vs last sale · ≈ $910/hd at 624 lb · 2,052 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $139.39/cwt +5.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,008/hd at 723 lb · 2,033 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $143.71/cwt +6.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,176/hd at 818 lb · 1,903 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 31,536 10,328 13,877
Feeder cattle 29,985 9,676 12,115
Slaughter cattle 1,551 652 1,762

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 700 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 higher, 700-850 lbs 5.00 to 10.00 higher, over 850 lbs 1.00 to 3.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 600 lbs 6.00 to 10.00 higher, over 600 lbs 2.00 to 4.00. Good to very good demand for feeder cattle, best demand is centered on those light weight, light fleshed cattle to make yearlings out of whether they are backgrounded on grass or grown in a feedyard. CME Live Cattle futures made some gains this week, April up 1.70 to finally get back to the 120.00 level, which helped to support the feeder market at the auctions. Turn out time is quickly arriving, although West River, SD is in need of good spring moisture as dams are nearly empty and the soil profile is pretty dry. The supply of lightweight cattle is tight which is keeping that market red hot, in comparison to the heavier weight cattle which are widely available. Cattle feeders are getting closer to being profitable and with Aug Live Cattle contract at 121.00 and Oct and Dec at 124.00 and 127.00 there is hope for better days to come. East River has had rain and is now dealing with muddy ground conditions but temps are mild and wind in the forecast will help to improve that quickly. Cash fed cattle only reached 117.00, keeping cash 3.00 behind the April board. Cattle feeders are hoping to push the fat market higher this week as boxed beef keeps climbing higher. Calving time is upon us in full swing across much of the state and weather conditions have been pretty good making it much easier for cattlemen to keep those calves alive and healthy. Slaughter cows 1.00 to 2.00 higher, bulls 4.00 to 5.00 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
313 313 4 225.00 $225.00 $704 —
356–398 386 53 192.50–209.00 $199.42 $770 -8.58
403–444 432 117 187.00–204.00 $193.06 $834 +6.59
450–498 482 420 179.00–203.00 $190.12 $916 +7.53
500–549 523 504 162.00–190.50 $181.57 $950 -2.61
570 thin fleshed 570 238 191.50 $191.50 $1,092 +9.50
550–597 577 831 159.50–189.00 $172.21 $994 +4.50
578 578 10 164.00 $164.00 $948 -3.71
602–649 624 1,110 153.00–173.50 $164.99 $1,030 +3.72
631 thin fleshed 631 84 177.75 $177.75 $1,122 +3.75
630–634 632 16 150.00–158.50 $153.20 $968 +2.70
634 634 90 172.00 $172.00 $1,090 +21.50
630–648 639 44 147.00–153.00 $149.88 $958 -0.62
650–698 678 1,125 148.00–165.00 $157.46 $1,068 +4.11
702–749 721 1,378 140.50–162.00 $153.69 $1,108 +9.91
719–743 738 32 126.00–148.00 $143.73 $1,061 +7.73
752–798 774 1,629 136.00–152.00 $145.99 $1,130 +7.68
776–788 782 14 135.00–138.00 $136.49 $1,067 -1.82
800–848 818 1,903 124.00–151.00 $143.71 $1,176 +6.18
850–899 878 821 128.00–139.50 $135.60 $1,191 +1.68
887 887 3 126.00 $126.00 $1,118 -7.92
922 thin fleshed 922 93 138.75 $138.75 $1,279 —
900–948 925 1,425 120.00–139.00 $134.32 $1,242 +3.07
952–999 978 847 124.00–134.75 $129.25 $1,264 +1.15
1012 1012 42 126.00 $126.00 $1,275 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
610 610 5 148.00 $148.00 $903 —
675 675 6 148.00 $148.00 $999 —
1003–1037 1021 322 121.50–134.75 $128.31 $1,310 +1.14
1052–1073 1063 324 124.75–127.50 $125.81 $1,337 -1.57
1144 1144 106 124.50 $124.50 $1,424 +5.00
1250 1250 6 111.00 $111.00 $1,388 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1202 1202 6 113.75 $113.75 $1,367 —
1340–1351 1346 40 108.50–112.25 $110.09 $1,482 —
1382–1497 1468 152 112.00–113.50 $112.72 $1,655 —
1508–1550 1540 130 112.50–113.50 $113.14 $1,742 —
1607–1660 1646 76 113.75–114.50 $113.94 $1,875 -1.43
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
318–340 325 22 172.00–180.00 $175.25 $570 —
354–393 377 38 177.00–199.00 $182.64 $689 —
460–488 465 26 159.00–183.00 $173.52 $807 —
520–548 531 99 149.50–175.00 $170.31 $904 +2.61
564–597 574 33 148.00–163.00 $155.93 $895 +0.93
631–648 636 53 131.00–152.00 $148.77 $946 -1.53
730 730 12 141.00 $141.00 $1,029 —
761–796 789 53 126.50–136.50 $132.71 $1,047 —
969 969 4 120.50 $120.50 $1,168 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 431 6 170.00 $170.00 $733 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1004 1004 5 118.50 $118.50 $1,190 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
361–390 379 33 164.00–187.00 $173.89 $659 —
400–445 425 121 149.00–182.75 $164.20 $698 +3.68
450–499 480 524 146.00–180.00 $163.55 $785 +10.75
500–549 529 1,067 144.00–170.50 $157.29 $832 +10.14
549 549 12 146.50 $146.50 $804 -0.65
550–597 576 1,192 133.50–165.00 $151.11 $870 +6.71
600–645 624 2,004 135.50–160.00 $146.03 $911 +14.70
615–641 629 40 131.00–133.00 $132.32 $832 -11.88
645 645 8 137.00 $137.00 $884 -7.20
656 656 7 145.00 $145.00 $951 +7.31
650–699 672 1,348 128.00–149.50 $140.32 $943 +2.63
685–694 692 49 129.00–131.50 $129.66 $897 -10.59
700–749 720 1,458 127.50–140.25 $135.88 $978 -4.41
725 725 20 127.50 $127.50 $924 -4.49
703–746 731 555 141.25–158.00 $149.05 $1,090 +17.06
765–773 769 140 136.00–145.00 $140.73 $1,082 +11.50
750–798 773 888 124.50–136.50 $131.28 $1,015 +2.05
764–792 775 48 121.00–121.50 $121.19 $939 -8.04
798 798 5 125.50 $125.50 $1,001 -3.73
805–838 818 521 130.25–149.00 $137.64 $1,126 +11.34
800–846 820 718 120.50–132.00 $127.63 $1,047 +1.33
845–847 846 8 120.50–122.75 $121.34 $1,027 -8.16
852 852 3 113.00 $113.00 $963 -18.50
855 855 51 136.00 $136.00 $1,163 +4.50
854–899 884 852 117.00–130.75 $123.86 $1,095 -0.99
908–945 919 236 119.75–134.10 $128.02 $1,177 +3.73
968–985 983 60 119.50–121.00 $119.60 $1,176 -0.65
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1331–1502 1410 384 110.00–115.75 $113.81 $1,605 -0.11
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
318–346 335 37 161.00–171.00 $166.62 $558 —
368–395 382 69 160.50–178.00 $165.15 $631 —
405–420 413 32 155.00–157.00 $156.32 $646 —
414 thin fleshed 414 19 160.00 $160.00 $662 —
481–499 492 18 136.00–155.00 $147.78 $727 -5.22
501–549 533 51 135.00–145.00 $140.55 $749 +1.90
575–588 582 17 133.00–144.00 $138.88 $808 +5.88
602–643 627 57 128.00–133.00 $130.91 $821 —
900–915 913 18 121.50–122.00 $121.92 $1,113 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
713 713 53 970.00 $970.00 —
791 791 12 1,020.00 $1,020.00 -10.00
813–838 828 222 1,070.00–1,200.00 $1,088.41 -221.59
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
628–646 639 16 138.00–139.00 $138.37 $884 —
1023–1047 1035 120 118.00–123.00 $120.47 $1,247 +5.22
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
568 568 15 110.00 $110.00 $625 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
456 456 10 183.00 $183.00 $834 —
557 557 35 161.00 $161.00 $897 —
626 626 11 150.50 $150.50 $942 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
447 447 14 167.50 $167.50 $749 —
522 522 9 150.00 $150.00 $783 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115–2015 1454 75-80% 110 64.00–73.00 $67.10 $976 —
1580–1870 1696 75-80% 4 54.00–63.00 $59.46 $1,008 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1615 1615 65-75% 6 82.00 $82.00 $1,324 —
1625 1625 65-75% 1 64.00 $64.00 $1,040 —
1498–1860 1672 65-75% 68 70.00–77.00 $73.98 $1,237 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020–1268 1112 85-90% 15 46.00–51.00 $48.14 $535 -11.29
1043–1735 1263 85-90% 43 49.00–59.50 $54.30 $686 —
1020–1630 1313 85-90% 3 30.00–42.00 $36.26 $476 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1333–1358 1348 80-85% 5 64.50–68.50 $66.08 $891 —
1083–1859 1407 80-85% 40 60.00–64.00 $62.28 $876 —
1310–1832 1605 80-85% 14 59.00–61.50 $59.99 $963 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1540 1229 4 84.00–86.00 $85.37 $1,049 —
1725–2415 2103 15 85.00–95.50 $88.82 $1,868 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1148 1148 2 84.00 $84.00 $964 —
1303–1677 1442 64 93.00–101.50 $97.78 $1,410 +7.78

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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.