Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 10, 2021

20,005 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $120.23/cwt +1.57 vs last sale · ≈ $1,059/hd at 880 lb · 1,551 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $128.42/cwt -0.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,194/hd at 930 lb · 1,442 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $123.12/cwt -5.26 vs last sale · ≈ $1,020/hd at 828 lb · 1,300 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 20,005 14,986 22,911
Feeder cattle 19,034 13,871 21,966
Slaughter cattle 971 1,115 945

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 650 lbs not well compared, 650-850 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 higher, over 850 lbs unevenly steady. Feeder heifers steady to 2.00 higher, except 600-650 lbs 5.00 to 6.00 higher. Moderate to good demand this week, dependent upon flesh condition and based on what time of the year they will reach finished weights. Old crop corn futures took a hit this week and dropped sharply, which provided some relief to the cattle feeder as the week before it seemed the market was destined to reach 8.00. Cattle feeders are again dealing with losses on outgoing cattle but the 4th quarter of the year on the CME Live Cattle contract is offering a glimmer of hope, this is where the best demand for feeder cattle is, for those cattle that will finish during that time frame. There are fewer outlets to be found for big, fleshy steers and heifers as their costs of gain are currently higher than the cash fat market. The fat market was basically 120.00 this week, which is 5.00 over the June contract, but boxed beef prices up to 316.00 is leaving cattle producers asking if there is a future in raising cattle if they cannot make a profit while consumer demand is this high? Drought is still hanging on and cattle producers continue to sell heifers they planned on keeping. Slaughter cows steady to 1.00 lower, bulls not well compared.

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
385 385 4 170.00 $170.00 $654 —
407–449 425 151 176.00–192.50 $181.80 $773 -11.20
453 453 30 163.00 $163.00 $738 -16.00
483–499 493 39 175.00–186.00 $178.23 $879 -0.77
507–546 527 351 162.00–176.50 $172.12 $907 +0.20
543 543 9 147.00 $147.00 $798 -7.50
552–596 567 278 161.50–170.50 $166.91 $946 +0.52
603–648 633 515 149.00–163.00 $157.10 $994 -5.21
637 unweaned 637 18 148.00 $148.00 $943 —
652–696 667 612 140.00–165.75 $156.74 $1,045 +14.51
695 695 27 146.50 $146.50 $1,018 -8.14
706 706 9 139.00 $139.00 $981 -8.69
702–744 731 804 137.00–155.75 $150.22 $1,098 +2.53
734 734 18 136.50 $136.50 $1,002 -11.19
750 750 9 136.00 $136.00 $1,020 +14.87
750–799 777 551 131.00–156.00 $146.50 $1,138 +5.77
802–847 819 1,079 130.00–147.50 $139.66 $1,144 +1.59
846 846 71 133.50 $133.50 $1,129 +11.00
851–895 876 792 126.00–136.25 $133.63 $1,171 -0.40
854–896 881 45 129.50–130.50 $130.16 $1,147 -3.87
901–947 930 1,442 118.50–134.50 $128.42 $1,194 -0.74
951–998 979 1,020 119.00–134.50 $124.38 $1,218 +16.38
992 992 11 120.25 $120.25 $1,193 -2.78
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
635 635 7 130.00 $130.00 $826 —
730 730 20 134.50 $134.50 $982 +14.00
1003–1039 1018 353 116.50–123.25 $120.83 $1,230 -1.47
1065–1099 1079 529 115.25–123.85 $120.80 $1,303 +1.46
1118–1137 1122 42 110.00–119.35 $117.54 $1,319 -1.46
1190 1190 50 116.60 $116.60 $1,388 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1401–1484 1465 157 117.00–118.00 $117.59 $1,723 —
1502–1599 1534 168 118.00–120.50 $119.56 $1,834 +2.08
1657 1657 3 118.00 $118.00 $1,955 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382 382 27 158.00 $158.00 $604 —
411 411 14 161.00 $161.00 $662 —
513–546 533 17 145.00–159.00 $155.04 $826 —
593–596 594 22 143.00–150.00 $147.13 $874 +1.49
680–697 686 19 138.00–139.00 $138.63 $951 -1.89
700–744 719 31 130.00–145.50 $137.09 $986 —
775–798 784 18 127.50–131.50 $129.41 $1,015 —
819–844 821 77 121.35–126.00 $121.78 $1,000 —
876–895 884 21 122.00–123.00 $122.57 $1,084 —
940 940 10 110.50 $110.50 $1,039 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
496 496 5 155.00 $155.00 $769 —
598 598 7 135.00 $135.00 $807 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1014 1014 5 111.50 $111.50 $1,131 +10.66
1163 1163 4 96.00 $96.00 $1,116 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356–398 376 37 153.00–166.00 $160.14 $602 —
406–425 416 87 157.50–171.00 $166.08 $691 +11.91
451–496 483 234 147.50–169.00 $158.39 $765 +10.03
510–529 519 75 143.00–150.00 $146.61 $761 +3.52
562 unweaned 562 22 130.00 $130.00 $731 —
551–598 571 385 134.50–146.00 $141.77 $810 -1.66
566–596 583 67 134.00–138.50 $135.82 $792 -7.61
602–645 626 514 136.00–146.25 $141.76 $887 +20.26
619–642 636 19 134.00–135.00 $134.26 $854 -0.68
652–667 664 38 122.00–127.50 $125.42 $833 -11.06
654–697 667 364 132.00–142.50 $137.44 $917 +0.96
657–692 675 21 127.50–132.00 $130.13 $878 -1.37
696 696 83 145.75 $145.75 $1,014 +14.25
718 718 16 128.50 $128.50 $923 -2.69
704–748 732 647 120.50–136.00 $131.31 $961 +12.56
775 775 4 119.00 $119.00 $922 -5.00
753–798 777 676 111.00–131.50 $126.89 $986 +2.89
802 802 79 128.00 $128.00 $1,027 -6.05
813–846 830 1,196 117.50–127.00 $122.89 $1,020 +2.12
802–841 836 25 118.50–119.00 $118.94 $994 -1.83
858 858 6 112.50 $112.50 $965 -6.16
870 870 70 122.00 $122.00 $1,061 +3.34
852–899 881 1,475 111.00–125.35 $120.18 $1,059 +1.52
908 908 6 106.50 $106.50 $967 -10.27
901–940 920 550 112.00–120.85 $118.73 $1,092 +1.96
953–995 968 652 113.25–119.85 $118.17 $1,144 +2.50
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
796 796 71 1,035.00 $1,035.00 -90.00
805–841 830 210 1,010.00–1,120.00 $1,086.08 -1.42
853–874 861 182 1,050.00–1,100.00 $1,079.19 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
376 376 11 156.00 $156.00 $587 —
428 428 5 154.00 $154.00 $659 +9.78
473–476 475 21 147.50–156.00 $153.58 $730 +10.58
501–543 524 54 136.00–140.00 $138.82 $727 +1.45
556–590 575 51 131.00–144.00 $136.13 $783 -5.87
601–648 625 22 124.50–133.00 $126.98 $794 —
657–685 673 82 117.00–128.00 $125.39 $844 —
731–737 734 10 104.50–107.50 $105.99 $778 —
752 752 3 114.50 $114.50 $861 -0.50
907–924 914 10 100.50–103.00 $101.99 $932 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1008–1046 1022 190 114.00–116.00 $114.87 $1,174 +8.87
1186 1186 5 112.00 $112.00 $1,328 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1299 1299 10 106.00 $106.00 $1,377 -9.62
1138–1444 1336 129 115.00–117.50 $116.21 $1,553 —
1480 1480 10 106.00 $106.00 $1,569 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
552 552 6 147.00 $147.00 $811 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1114–1355 1233 80-85% 9 69.50–70.00 $69.88 $862 —
1155–1688 1382 80-85% 47 59.00–67.00 $62.76 $867 —
1630–1995 1873 80-85% 3 57.00–58.50 $57.44 $1,076 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–1440 1046 85-90% 10 36.00–53.00 $42.97 $449 —
1138–1328 1233 85-90% 4 22.50–31.00 $27.08 $334 —
1235–1375 1277 85-90% 4 61.50–62.50 $62.26 $795 +28.06
710–1608 1365 85-90% 28 52.50–61.00 $57.04 $779 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435 1435 75-80% 1 73.50 $73.50 $1,055 +3.75
1035–2170 1541 75-80% 37 64.50–75.00 $69.10 $1,065 —
1370–2000 1642 75-80% 7 61.00–65.00 $62.92 $1,033 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1450–1864 1718 65-75% 40 76.00–88.00 $80.01 $1,375 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–2365 1762 8 71.00–88.00 $82.66 $1,456 —
1530–2215 1800 6 90.00–98.00 $92.41 $1,663 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1461–1524 1488 20 94.50–96.50 $95.15 $1,416 —
1502–1687 1544 24 99.50–101.50 $100.98 $1,559 +2.74
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
646 646 10 115.00 $115.00 $743 —
704 704 15 132.00 $132.00 $929 —

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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.