Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 29, 2021

16,098 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $132.31/cwt +3.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,283/hd at 970 lb · 1,074 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $141.49/cwt -2.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,160/hd at 820 lb · 1,066 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $136.55/cwt -2.84 vs last sale · ≈ $986/hd at 722 lb · 971 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 16,098 31,536 23,342
Feeder cattle 15,032 29,985 21,566
Slaughter cattle 1,066 1,551 1,776

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers steady to 3.00 higher, heifers steady to 1.00 higher. Very good demand for light cattle to background, either on grass or on feed, more moderate demand for cattle suitable only for finishing. Spring is progressing, albeit many areas of the state are in dire need of rain, and with it the normal uptick in demand for light cattle is occurring. Cattle to turn out on grass to develop into yearlings are highly sought after and the market is very active. Cattle feeders were able to push the cash fed cattle market higher after 7 straight weeks of holding steady, which lent some support to the feeder market but the large jumps in the corn futures this week was very concerning. April Live Cattle futures managed to climb back to 120.00 but months ago when outgoing cattle were placed on feed the hope was that April would reach 130.00. Packers remain in the drivers seat and have kept a lid on the fat market, ensuring their large margins remain, and leave the cattle feeders in a poor position where they find nothing but losses. Last year’s drought is still hanging on, the western half of the state is severely in need of moisture. Range fires have broken out as high winds created high fire danger this week. Slaughter cows 3.00 to 5.00 higher, bulls 2.00 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
319–343 329 14 215.00–232.50 $224.69 $739 -0.31
371–398 381 22 210.00–215.00 $213.10 $812 +13.68
419–442 428 45 193.00–210.00 $202.37 $866 +9.31
451–494 477 101 175.00–200.00 $190.86 $910 +0.74
502–545 530 149 168.00–194.00 $179.17 $950 -2.40
543 543 9 163.00 $163.00 $885 -18.57
552–598 571 170 161.00–180.00 $172.50 $985 +0.29
580 580 22 157.00 $157.00 $911 -7.00
601–647 624 443 154.50–171.25 $164.64 $1,027 -0.35
654–695 669 351 149.75–169.50 $159.69 $1,068 +2.23
697 697 10 151.00 $151.00 $1,052 -6.46
700–748 718 662 145.00–164.00 $154.97 $1,113 +1.28
754–798 781 704 135.25–148.10 $145.02 $1,133 +8.53
801–848 819 1,023 134.00–148.75 $141.90 $1,162 -1.81
801–849 839 43 128.00–134.00 $131.74 $1,105 -11.97
855–896 872 307 129.50–142.00 $138.83 $1,211 +3.23
900–948 926 856 127.00–138.75 $135.04 $1,250 +0.72
950–998 970 1,074 122.50–139.50 $132.31 $1,283 +3.06
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1046 1031 227 116.50–129.85 $127.73 $1,317 -0.58
1052–1086 1079 260 110.50–126.50 $124.94 $1,348 -0.87
1103–1134 1109 111 121.25–123.75 $123.20 $1,366 -1.30
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1333–1491 1427 58 116.00–120.50 $117.59 $1,678 —
1346–1454 1428 53 114.00–116.00 $115.42 $1,648 —
1511–1558 1528 108 117.00–122.00 $118.17 $1,806 +5.03
1616–1638 1624 17 115.50–118.00 $116.39 $1,890 +2.45
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 5 202.00 $202.00 $768 +19.36
448 448 6 183.00 $183.00 $820 —
452–483 458 16 162.00–186.00 $166.75 $764 -6.77
551–596 579 67 141.00–167.00 $154.41 $894 -1.52
606–631 626 30 156.00–158.00 $156.39 $979 +7.62
658–671 666 8 142.00–156.00 $147.19 $980 —
710–726 715 15 130.00–140.00 $136.62 $977 -4.38
770–799 780 64 121.50–134.50 $131.37 $1,025 -1.34
804 804 7 118.50 $118.50 $953 —
908–930 920 9 123.50–124.50 $123.94 $1,140 —
971 971 5 115.00 $115.00 $1,117 -5.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 388 20 119.00 $119.00 $462 —
483 483 47 130.00 $130.00 $628 —
603 603 38 127.00 $127.00 $766 —
935–938 935 53 112.50–118.00 $117.38 $1,098 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1089 1089 49 113.25 $113.25 $1,233 —
1100 1100 20 109.50 $109.50 $1,204 —
1268–1276 1274 35 104.00–110.50 $109.21 $1,391 —
1461 1461 14 109.00 $109.00 $1,592 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095 1095 10 109.00 $109.00 $1,194 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
284 284 8 190.00 $190.00 $540 —
356–388 375 31 176.00–185.00 $179.74 $674 +5.85
405–427 414 19 170.00–174.00 $171.37 $709 +7.17
452–495 475 99 155.00–170.00 $164.59 $782 +1.04
500–548 527 135 151.00–165.00 $157.97 $833 +0.68
553–561 thin fleshed 560 68 160.00–161.00 $160.91 $901 —
555–599 582 191 142.00–158.00 $149.70 $871 -1.41
602 thin fleshed 602 29 154.50 $154.50 $930 —
604–649 625 386 137.00–154.75 $148.03 $925 +2.00
635–645 642 39 139.00–139.50 $139.13 $893 +2.13
660 thin fleshed 660 84 155.25 $155.25 $1,025 —
652–696 676 629 132.00–145.50 $140.69 $951 +0.37
690 690 15 128.50 $128.50 $887 -1.16
708 thin fleshed 708 34 141.25 $141.25 $1,000 —
702–746 722 925 127.00–141.75 $136.47 $985 +0.59
747 747 12 129.25 $129.25 $965 -19.80
752–792 775 624 124.50–133.75 $130.55 $1,012 +9.36
805–849 825 855 124.00–133.25 $128.57 $1,061 +0.94
855–896 886 522 120.35–130.50 $124.83 $1,106 +0.97
874–897 888 141 131.50–133.25 $132.99 $1,181 +9.13
900 900 21 119.50 $119.50 $1,076 -8.52
901–948 917 797 113.60–130.50 $126.00 $1,155 -2.02
967–968 967 19 119.50–123.75 $122.63 $1,186 +3.03
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
775–785 782 105 1,090.00–1,120.00 $1,113.77 +93.77
803–841 813 381 1,060.00–1,110.00 $1,080.87 -7.54
900–916 908 133 1,120.00–1,330.00 $1,216.83 —
951 951 60 1,170.00 $1,170.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
379 379 39 127.00 $127.00 $481 —
451 451 53 134.00 $134.00 $604 —
565 565 37 120.00 $120.00 $678 +10.00
819 819 65 115.00 $115.00 $942 —
856 856 8 109.00 $109.00 $933 —
965 965 65 110.25 $110.25 $1,064 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
384–399 389 12 168.00–177.00 $173.92 $677 +8.77
415–424 421 8 163.00–168.00 $164.85 $694 +8.53
460–485 479 52 139.00–157.00 $143.32 $687 -4.46
527–540 530 25 139.00 $139.00 $737 -1.55
563–588 564 69 125.00–139.50 $138.84 $783 -0.04
604–621 613 14 130.00–132.25 $131.51 $806 +0.60
657–697 661 31 128.50–135.50 $134.79 $891 —
719–732 725 13 125.50–128.50 $126.90 $920 —
787–790 788 9 110.00–119.00 $113.01 $891 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1319 1319 35 109.50 $109.50 $1,444 —
1273–1451 1370 151 110.00–121.00 $117.35 $1,608 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1018 1018 32 112.25 $112.25 $1,143 —
1078 1078 6 115.00 $115.00 $1,240 —
1247 1247 46 114.00 $114.00 $1,422 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715 715 29 128.25 $128.25 $917 —
1048 1048 29 121.25 $121.25 $1,271 +0.78
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
755 755 5 120.00 $120.00 $906 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476 476 5 179.00 $179.00 $852 -4.00
512–525 519 11 168.00–172.00 $169.79 $881 —
634 634 6 161.00 $161.00 $1,021 +10.50
678 678 4 139.50 $139.50 $946 —
811 811 6 132.50 $132.50 $1,075 —
934 934 4 105.00 $105.00 $981 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120 1120 80-85% 2 70.00 $70.00 $784 —
1048–1970 1420 80-85% 70 63.50–69.00 $66.45 $944 +4.17
1255–1686 1453 80-85% 14 62.00–63.50 $62.74 $912 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–1840 1503 75-80% 8 65.00–68.50 $66.90 $1,006 —
1075–1975 1532 75-80% 66 66.00–74.00 $70.98 $1,087 —
1548 1548 75-80% 2 79.00 $79.00 $1,223 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
893–1835 1298 85-90% 23 36.00–53.00 $48.28 $627 -6.02
858–1715 1313 85-90% 42 55.00–64.00 $59.87 $786 +23.61
1600 1600 85-90% 1 27.00 $27.00 $432 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1208–2405 1653 8 70.00–87.00 $81.67 $1,350 —
1760–2560 2186 7 85.00–97.00 $92.15 $2,014 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1209–1317 1288 15 92.00–95.50 $92.88 $1,196 —
1308–1599 1440 95 98.00–103.25 $100.77 $1,451 +2.99

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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.