light 8-weight M&L 1 steers$138.03/cwt+3.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,137/hd at 824 lb · 1,423 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers$128.39/cwt+7.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,043/hd at 813 lb · 1,119 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers$133.85/cwt+5.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,161/hd at 868 lb · 1,111 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
14,986
11,899
12,721
Feeder cattle
13,871
10,897
11,869
Slaughter cattle
1,115
1,002
852
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week: Feeder steers steady to 5.00 higher, instances to 6.00 higher on 750-800 lbs, heifers steady to 3.00 higher. Moderate to good demand for all weights of feeder cattle this week, dependent upon flesh condition. Lighter offerings as eastern South Dakota cattle producers have turned their full attention to planting corn and beans. The rapid rise in the corn futures contracts continued again this week, now two contract months are above 7.00. Costs of gain is a real concern and a major detriment to the feeder cattle market. Big, fleshy cattle could be facing costs of gain of 1.50 per pound, well above this week’s cash fed cattle market. Consumer demand for beef is robust, as evidenced by Choice boxes selling at 305.88 at the end of the week. Packers currently have all the market leverage and are choosing to punish the cattle feeder by taking all the profit from the industry. Drought conditions, extreme drought in the north and northwest, remain as replenishing rains have been elusive. Cattle producers continue to sell replacement heifers as they try to pare their numbers back, without good rains soon the grazing season will be incredibly short in those hardest hit areas. Slaughter cows 2.00 lower, except Breaker cows 2.00 higher, bulls not well tested.
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.
Cattle Market
Compared to last week: Feeder steers steady to 5.00 higher, instances to 6.00 higher on 750-800 lbs, heifers steady to 3.00 higher. Moderate to good demand for all weights of feeder cattle this week, dependent upon flesh condition. Lighter offerings as eastern South Dakota cattle producers have turned their full attention to planting corn and beans. The rapid rise in the corn futures contracts continued again this week, now two contract months are above 7.00. Costs of gain is a real concern and a major detriment to the feeder cattle market. Big, fleshy cattle could be facing costs of gain of 1.50 per pound, well above this week’s cash fed cattle market. Consumer demand for beef is robust, as evidenced by Choice boxes selling at 305.88 at the end of the week. Packers currently have all the market leverage and are choosing to punish the cattle feeder by taking all the profit from the industry. Drought conditions, extreme drought in the north and northwest, remain as replenishing rains have been elusive. Cattle producers continue to sell replacement heifers as they try to pare their numbers back, without good rains soon the grazing season will be incredibly short in those hardest hit areas. Slaughter cows 2.00 lower, except Breaker cows 2.00 higher, bulls not well tested.