Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 12, 2021

15,313 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $134.65/cwt -2.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,254/hd at 931 lb · 1,235 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $137.58/cwt -1.79 vs last sale · ≈ $1,201/hd at 873 lb · 1,107 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $133.79/cwt -1.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,044/hd at 780 lb · 809 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 15,313 28,127 9,058
Feeder cattle 13,674 26,787 8,662
Slaughter cattle 1,639 1,340 396

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 2.00 to 5.00 lower, heifers 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Moderate to good demand for all classes and weights. The market was under pressure as CME Live and Feeder Cattle futures lost 3.00 and nearly 6.00 respectively. Corn continued it’s ascent as it moves towards 6.00. Cattle feeders have reached a profitable level, finally, and cautious as they move forward as cost of gains are being figured in at over a dollar a pound. Packers’ profit margins are very large, and continue to rise as boxed beef values rise over 270.00, and supplies of market ready cattle in the north have much much more manageable, all of these factors have helped to push the fat market higher. Drought conditions remain in place across the state, the worst is in the northwestern and north central parts. Good spring moisture has to come or there will not be much of a grazing season. Slaughter cows and bulls steady to 3.00 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
386 386 7 203.00 $203.00 $784 -6.82
413–420 419 60 186.00–194.00 $187.88 $787 -10.82
463–495 480 15 182.00–184.00 $183.18 $879 -11.67
504–544 525 126 173.00–192.00 $179.92 $945 -5.01
554–593 566 108 166.00–180.50 $171.82 $973 -1.97
600–641 622 301 159.50–171.00 $165.67 $1,030 -5.78
655–697 667 504 147.00–173.00 $159.03 $1,061 +6.03
659–693 668 67 150.00–153.00 $150.72 $1,007 -2.28
701–748 724 526 143.50–159.50 $153.87 $1,114 -1.33
753–798 779 602 136.00–155.50 $145.43 $1,133 -4.73
756–796 786 58 122.50–142.50 $135.74 $1,067 -14.42
805–846 825 757 134.50–145.75 $140.77 $1,161 -4.67
850–899 873 1,087 130.00–143.50 $137.84 $1,203 -1.53
889 889 20 123.25 $123.25 $1,096 -16.12
902–949 931 1,235 124.00–138.50 $134.65 $1,254 +5.15
954–992 972 551 127.50–136.25 $131.88 $1,282 -1.82
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1001–1033 1019 346 120.85–128.25 $126.92 $1,293 -4.75
1052–1095 1062 213 124.25–127.00 $126.59 $1,344 -3.28
1101–1116 1108 224 123.75–123.85 $123.80 $1,372 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1262–1274 1264 24 122.00–123.50 $123.25 $1,558 —
1327 1327 6 129.00 $129.00 $1,712 —
1379 1379 6 118.00 $118.00 $1,627 —
1421–1498 1465 111 120.00–122.00 $120.75 $1,769 —
1533 1533 9 130.00 $130.00 $1,993 +9.54
1543 1543 12 118.00 $118.00 $1,821 -2.46
1516–1594 1551 280 120.00–123.00 $121.09 $1,878 —
1606–1642 1630 60 120.00–124.25 $121.33 $1,978 +0.33
2063 2063 11 102.00 $102.00 $2,104 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 thin fleshed 315 21 198.00 $198.00 $624 —
390 390 3 163.00 $163.00 $636 -34.28
424 424 6 193.50 $193.50 $820 +8.57
477–499 490 15 166.00–174.00 $170.97 $838 -6.89
517–533 527 18 170.00–171.00 $170.38 $898 -2.65
560 thin fleshed 560 13 164.00 $164.00 $918 —
585–597 594 18 157.50–164.00 $159.28 $946 +3.66
624 624 22 153.00 $153.00 $955 +12.45
652–691 678 41 138.00–152.50 $145.97 $990 +3.97
720–724 722 20 123.00–145.00 $135.07 $975 -6.60
774–785 779 29 135.00–141.50 $138.24 $1,077 +3.24
842 842 62 134.75 $134.75 $1,135 —
872–890 878 38 121.00–134.25 $129.98 $1,141 +3.98
916–921 918 13 118.00–122.00 $119.54 $1,097 -2.30
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1046 1046 15 112.00 $112.00 $1,172 —
1056 1056 5 118.50 $118.50 $1,251 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 3 150.00 $150.00 $690 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 7 174.00 $174.00 $592 -3.50
362–376 369 14 161.00–181.00 $169.35 $625 -5.15
417–420 419 24 164.00–170.00 $165.08 $692 +2.75
458–496 486 43 166.00–176.00 $171.13 $832 +1.94
500–543 516 100 162.25–169.00 $165.93 $856 +3.73
551 thin fleshed 551 34 167.00 $167.00 $920 —
550–597 579 228 144.50–164.00 $152.58 $883 -3.94
600–648 627 598 138.00–156.00 $147.38 $924 -2.46
652–697 672 633 136.00–149.75 $144.11 $968 +10.33
680 680 13 130.50 $130.50 $887 -13.21
700–746 725 631 130.00–142.75 $138.49 $1,004 -11.98
742 742 6 123.00 $123.00 $913 -27.47
750–799 780 794 128.50–141.50 $134.03 $1,045 -10.87
771–794 785 15 117.00–127.50 $121.13 $951 -23.77
813 813 6 121.50 $121.50 $988 -9.27
808–849 836 743 122.00–134.00 $128.22 $1,072 +10.22
854–890 874 702 120.00–129.50 $125.97 $1,101 -1.24
892 892 11 118.50 $118.50 $1,057 +8.50
900–946 921 544 121.00–130.25 $123.80 $1,140 -3.10
923–938 925 37 114.50–117.75 $117.39 $1,086 -9.51
951–998 972 110 117.00–127.25 $121.37 $1,180 -2.38
1013 1013 38 120.00 $120.00 $1,216 —
1068 1068 3 118.50 $118.50 $1,266 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 thin fleshed 300 20 178.00 $178.00 $534 —
365 thin fleshed 365 24 166.00 $166.00 $606 —
382 382 13 164.00 $164.00 $626 -9.17
443 443 3 138.00 $138.00 $611 +2.13
470–495 485 25 152.00–161.00 $159.20 $772 +2.99
504–543 516 16 139.00–159.00 $151.57 $782 +1.88
589–598 594 8 144.00–148.00 $146.02 $867 +5.62
604–647 625 85 124.00–142.00 $137.58 $860 +0.04
658–695 679 32 116.00–130.00 $123.70 $840 -4.05
729 729 8 110.00 $110.00 $802 -17.99
877 877 11 119.00 $119.00 $1,044 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1308 1308 5 101.00 $101.00 $1,321 -13.39
1320 1320 4 129.00 $129.00 $1,703 +14.61
1267–1483 1359 231 117.00–122.75 $121.58 $1,652 +1.03
1637 1637 5 116.00 $116.00 $1,899 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
862 862 62 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1031–1047 1037 8 118.00 $118.00 $1,224 -2.56
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427 427 3 141.00 $141.00 $602 —

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Slaughter Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–2070 1734 65-75% 249 76.00–90.50 $82.32 $1,427 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1065–1658 1342 80-85% 85 64.00–72.00 $66.78 $896 -7.76
1195–1615 1415 80-85% 12 58.00–69.50 $63.01 $892 -4.26
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1960 1578 75-80% 46 71.50–80.00 $75.17 $1,186 +9.62
1175–2085 1656 75-80% 20 64.00–72.00 $68.93 $1,141 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
660–1010 827 85-90% 3 12.50–26.00 $17.31 $143 —
880–1370 1136 85-90% 15 38.00–59.00 $49.13 $558 -1.58
975–1680 1194 85-90% 33 57.00–65.00 $60.42 $721 —
1199 1199 85-90% 4 65.00 $65.00 $779 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–2365 1746 23 78.00–89.50 $83.78 $1,463 —
1405–2285 1779 33 90.00–103.00 $94.57 $1,682 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1203–1472 1313 9 92.00–100.00 $95.62 $1,255 —
1343–1676 1451 105 101.00–111.00 $107.53 $1,560 —

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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.