Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, May 24, 2021

17,212 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 $131.95/cwt +1.27 vs last sale · ≈ $1,223/hd at 927 lb · 1,465 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $123.91/cwt +2.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,079/hd at 871 lb · 1,139 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $128.45/cwt +1.92 vs last sale · ≈ $1,251/hd at 974 lb · 1,095 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 17,212 22,602 13,704
Feeder cattle 16,006 21,189 12,429
Slaughter cattle 1,206 1,413 1,275

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers steady to 2.00 higher, except 650-750 lbs steady to 2.00 lower, feeder heifers steady to 4.00 higher. Demand moderate overall, unless the cattle are really green then the market gets very active. Flesh condition is the greatest value determining factor, especially in a year like this where feed costs are incredibly high and the fat market is weak. There is currently a lot of pressure on the feeder market. The corn market was very volatile this week, keeping concern of rising feedcosts front and center on cattle producer’s minds. The cash fed cattle market held around the 120.00 mark, this is leaving a spread of 210.00 per hundred between live cattle and boxed beef as Choice boxes ended the week at 330.00. Packers refuse to give up their huge margins as they keep a choke hold on the fat market. Demand for beef from consumers is outstanding, even with the high prices they are faced with but all of the profit in the industry is being taken by one sector of the industry leaving those who produce the product to contemplate leaving the industry. Drought conditions still remain across the state, except for a pocket in the northeast. Without rain cattle producers will have to sell down their herds and yearlings will begin moving off grass soon. Slaughter cows steady to 1.00 higher, bulls steady.

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 6 191.00 $191.00 $737 —
413–430 421 40 173.00–180.00 $177.61 $748 -3.89
461–494 478 48 170.00–186.00 $180.40 $862 +10.40
512–530 521 26 172.00–181.00 $177.48 $925 +0.86
559–598 584 226 165.00–178.00 $169.66 $991 +1.45
607–649 633 171 156.00–170.75 $165.10 $1,045 +0.92
660–695 679 103 150.00–161.00 $153.82 $1,044 -1.19
704–749 727 422 139.50–154.25 $146.55 $1,065 -1.80
756–766 759 26 123.00–138.50 $133.69 $1,015 -0.99
750–795 772 751 137.50–154.50 $147.35 $1,138 +12.67
801–848 838 315 134.00–145.00 $140.83 $1,180 +11.83
853–897 874 915 125.00–143.00 $135.99 $1,189 +1.34
902 thin fleshed 902 6 139.40 $139.40 $1,257 —
902–949 927 1,459 125.00–137.10 $131.92 $1,223 +1.24
951–999 974 1,067 115.00–135.00 $128.73 $1,254 +2.20
984 984 28 117.75 $117.75 $1,159 -8.78
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1044 1019 754 119.75–126.75 $124.63 $1,270 +0.41
1053–1097 1075 607 119.50–124.60 $122.85 $1,321 +1.10
1101–1146 1119 319 115.50–121.60 $119.95 $1,342 +1.50
1155–1183 1174 304 115.50–121.50 $120.51 $1,415 +1.96
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1264–1422 1339 38 115.50–119.00 $116.96 $1,566 —
1350 1350 14 125.00 $125.00 $1,688 —
1371–1492 1459 127 115.50–119.50 $116.77 $1,704 —
1465–1477 1467 26 125.00–126.00 $125.19 $1,837 —
1507–1557 1526 127 118.50–120.50 $120.02 $1,832 -0.55
1502–1579 1563 89 123.00–128.00 $126.57 $1,978 -2.43
1632 1632 11 122.00 $122.00 $1,991 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462–496 478 23 168.50–178.00 $173.56 $830 +18.65
544–546 545 11 168.00–169.00 $168.36 $918 +7.30
580–599 586 33 151.00–159.00 $156.71 $918 +6.62
633–646 638 19 141.50–147.00 $143.48 $915 -4.25
679–698 689 14 145.50–146.00 $145.75 $1,004 +2.33
745–746 746 26 132.00–139.00 $133.08 $993 -5.60
782 thin fleshed 782 16 115.00 $115.00 $899 —
789–795 791 39 130.50–135.75 $132.49 $1,048 -4.19
845 845 8 135.50 $135.50 $1,145 +13.74
991 991 84 110.00 $110.00 $1,090 -6.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1039–1046 1044 29 115.00–116.75 $116.33 $1,214 —
1082 1082 3 115.50 $115.50 $1,250 —
1126 1126 71 108.50 $108.50 $1,222 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
386 386 10 179.50 $179.50 $693 +21.50
407–437 425 84 154.00–171.50 $162.62 $691 +5.85
469–497 485 44 155.50–165.00 $158.82 $770 +5.08
507–548 526 89 140.00–161.50 $157.40 $828 +5.72
554–596 573 350 142.00–157.25 $151.70 $869 +4.03
601–648 633 335 135.00–150.50 $144.59 $915 +3.90
656–699 680 371 128.00–142.00 $136.68 $929 -0.27
689 689 12 128.00 $128.00 $882 -8.95
700–745 724 667 129.00–146.50 $135.84 $983 +3.76
725 725 33 125.50 $125.50 $910 -6.58
752–799 773 949 123.00–135.50 $130.32 $1,007 -0.73
800–847 814 762 123.00–131.25 $126.93 $1,033 +3.77
833–846 844 85 112.50–121.75 $121.05 $1,022 -6.14
850–899 871 1,139 117.00–130.75 $123.91 $1,079 +3.01
900–947 923 514 117.50–125.25 $120.32 $1,111 +0.59
950–988 966 189 113.50–118.50 $117.22 $1,132 -1.06
986 986 15 107.50 $107.50 $1,060 -10.78
1095 1095 41 111.00 $111.00 $1,215 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1014 1014 28 113.00 $113.00 $1,146 -1.87
1012–1046 1031 105 115.00–121.00 $117.48 $1,211 +2.61
1051–1085 1064 181 114.50–115.60 $115.38 $1,228 +2.84
1101–1140 1117 30 111.00–114.00 $112.51 $1,257 —
1158 1158 8 110.00 $110.00 $1,274 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
780 780 21 1,080.00 $1,080.00 —
814–848 833 237 1,055.00–1,105.00 $1,070.67 —
866 866 52 1,100.00 $1,100.00 —
924 924 37 1,100.00 $1,100.00 -55.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1108 1108 7 121.00 $121.00 $1,341 —
1276–1286 1285 82 115.50–118.00 $115.80 $1,488 —
1278–1320 1294 18 113.00–114.50 $113.59 $1,470 —
1296 1296 7 115.50 $115.50 $1,497 —
1245–1491 1342 67 118.50–125.00 $122.25 $1,641 -4.75
1402 1402 9 122.00 $122.00 $1,710 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
441 441 8 131.00 $131.00 $578 -20.81
452 452 10 135.00 $135.00 $610 -3.95
501–538 515 25 140.00–159.00 $147.70 $761 +1.48
571–572 572 38 140.50–141.50 $140.66 $805 +3.02
737–745 740 40 118.00–126.00 $122.84 $909 +7.64
807–825 811 21 106.00–110.00 $109.03 $884 -3.97
880 880 13 118.50 $118.50 $1,043 -1.00

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1336–1755 1528 75-80% 64 64.00–75.00 $68.65 $1,049 —
1435–1793 1634 75-80% 12 72.50–75.00 $73.62 $1,203 —
1540–2200 1870 75-80% 2 55.00–56.00 $55.59 $1,040 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
961–1721 1306 80-85% 13 51.00–59.00 $55.06 $719 —
1080–1760 1353 80-85% 60 60.00–69.00 $64.83 $877 —
1410 1410 80-85% 1 69.00 $69.00 $973 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
828–1285 921 85-90% 11 25.00–35.00 $28.83 $266 —
760–1555 1106 85-90% 12 40.00–53.00 $48.37 $535 +1.49
880–1610 1203 85-90% 30 55.00–64.50 $58.41 $703 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1489–1935 1757 65-75% 44 72.00–76.50 $73.29 $1,288 -11.21

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405–1945 1715 6 86.00–89.50 $87.77 $1,505 —
1713–2090 1868 8 88.00–97.50 $93.17 $1,740 +8.84
2015–2075 2045 2 100.50–103.50 $101.98 $2,085 +8.24
YG3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2080 2080 1 83.00 $83.00 $1,726 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
612 612 13 112.50 $112.50 $688 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1352 1352 3 91.00 $91.00 $1,230 —
1296–1378 1358 16 96.00–98.00 $97.52 $1,324 —
1373 1373 10 79.00 $79.00 $1,085 —
1395–1578 1444 33 99.50–102.00 $100.43 $1,450 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
608 608 15 144.00 $144.00 $876 —

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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.