Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 6, 2021

12,918 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 $144.98/cwt +0.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,271/hd at 877 lb · 1,103 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $152.16/cwt +1.29 vs last sale · ≈ $1,179/hd at 775 lb · 1,087 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $149.47/cwt +0.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,225/hd at 820 lb · 882 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 12,918 10,163 8,496
Feeder cattle 12,031 9,127 7,356
Slaughter cattle 887 1,036 1,140

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 450 lbs 10.00 to 20.00 higher, over 450 lbs steady to 5.00 lower. Heifer calves under 400 lbs 5.00 to 10.00 lower, over 400 lbs 2.00 to 6.00 lower. Yearling feeder steers 3.00 to 7.00 lower, except 750-900 lbs mostly steady, yearling heifers steady to 5.00 lower. Good demand for spring born calves, but not quite as good as last week as farmer feeders are busying with corn silage harvest and the CME Live and Feeder Cattle futures have really been under pressure. The yearling market was also under pressure, demand still good but the market is not as active as the key back months of the board that were giving producers so much hope have rolled back to the mid 130.00's which is a significant retracement. There has been some rain in central and eastern South Dakota which is helping cattle producers in those regions hang onto their calves longer but the western third is still without good rain and grass is dry and very short and is forcing cattle off the range. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 higher, bulls steady to 3.00 lower.

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
306–346 335 67 192.00–222.50 $219.00 $734 -20.39
350–397 369 164 210.00–227.50 $220.75 $815 -7.09
401–448 424 597 179.00–216.00 $205.16 $870 -24.06
454–496 477 375 181.00–214.00 $198.19 $945 +0.67
504–542 520 372 172.00–195.00 $187.98 $977 -0.81
557–585 577 44 163.00–175.00 $166.08 $958 -12.14
608–625 618 12 159.00–171.00 $163.92 $1,013 -7.72
668–677 670 24 151.00–158.50 $156.61 $1,049 -6.97
669–699 686 167 163.50–172.50 $169.12 $1,160 +5.54
702–745 735 189 154.25–162.50 $158.80 $1,167 -7.08
752–799 789 117 156.50–168.50 $162.47 $1,282 +8.97
807–827 818 214 146.00–162.50 $159.04 $1,301 +0.46
853–899 872 572 150.00–162.00 $158.25 $1,380 +0.43
891 891 75 143.75 $143.75 $1,281 -14.07
909 thin fleshed 909 135 160.35–161.75 $161.08 $1,464 —
907–943 920 231 146.50–155.00 $149.67 $1,377 -7.48
920 920 10 134.50 $134.50 $1,237 -22.65
968–994 982 394 143.75–154.50 $150.76 $1,480 +10.26
984–990 989 35 129.00–138.00 $136.46 $1,350 -4.04
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1006–1041 1016 467 137.50–146.10 $142.49 $1,448 -6.07
1097 1097 13 135.00 $135.00 $1,481 —
1157 1157 21 128.00 $128.00 $1,481 —
1274 1274 6 114.00 $114.00 $1,452 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1012–1347 1206 19 121.00–134.00 $125.59 $1,515 +5.11
1272 1272 6 123.00 $123.00 $1,565 -3.00
1297 1297 12 124.00 $124.00 $1,608 -2.00
1341–1368 1363 37 120.00–121.00 $120.78 $1,646 —
1409 1409 14 130.00 $130.00 $1,832 +6.23
1450–1479 1466 63 123.00–124.50 $123.66 $1,813 —
1508–1561 1545 234 122.00–125.00 $124.46 $1,923 -0.36
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 240 6 217.50 $217.50 $522 —
283 283 4 215.00 $215.00 $608 —
324 324 8 203.00 $203.00 $658 —
422 422 4 182.00 $182.00 $768 +50.00
472 472 3 181.00 $181.00 $854 —
620 thin fleshed 620 14 153.00 $153.00 $949 —
631 631 5 163.00 $163.00 $1,029 +23.00
662–686 675 13 156.00–158.00 $156.91 $1,059 —
758 thin fleshed 758 13 140.00 $140.00 $1,061 —
757–786 779 29 140.00–154.00 $143.28 $1,116 -6.34
858–885 879 109 123.00–141.00 $137.17 $1,206 -2.75
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1034–1044 1043 36 124.50–133.75 $132.73 $1,384 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
294 294 7 192.50 $192.50 $566 -37.18
302–348 317 59 190.00–205.00 $196.34 $622 -10.49
350–399 378 145 167.00–191.00 $182.93 $691 -8.65
406–435 417 260 173.00–193.00 $184.35 $769 -1.77
456–498 467 174 155.00–186.00 $178.34 $833 -7.87
534 534 10 138.00 $138.00 $737 -36.24
568 568 7 131.00 $131.00 $744 -34.43
600–622 611 35 155.00–168.50 $163.49 $999 +3.79
660 660 7 144.50 $144.50 $954 -14.63
659–688 674 105 148.00–165.00 $154.41 $1,041 -4.72
706–745 730 251 148.50–156.00 $153.83 $1,123 -5.59
733 733 5 149.25 $149.25 $1,094 -10.17
743 743 24 152.50 $152.50 $1,133 -6.92
750–799 775 1,079 145.00–158.00 $152.21 $1,180 +0.84
775 775 8 145.50 $145.50 $1,128 -5.87
809 809 43 151.50 $151.50 $1,226 +14.00
802–847 820 827 141.25–154.25 $149.62 $1,227 +12.12
848 848 12 131.50 $131.50 $1,115 -18.42
862 862 4 138.00 $138.00 $1,190 -6.90
850–899 877 1,094 138.50–152.50 $145.05 $1,272 +0.15
882 882 5 135.00 $135.00 $1,191 -9.90
908 908 36 130.00 $130.00 $1,180 -14.56
903–947 923 621 138.50–148.00 $143.21 $1,322 -1.35
954–996 967 426 136.25–144.25 $141.58 $1,369 +0.65
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
281 281 8 163.00 $163.00 $458 —
371–393 386 26 142.00–175.00 $157.29 $607 -10.71
439 thin fleshed 439 31 150.00 $150.00 $658 —
440 440 19 157.00 $157.00 $691 —
454 unweaned 454 4 158.00 $158.00 $717 —
463 463 5 169.00 $169.00 $782 +34.00
530–540 534 34 152.00–153.00 $152.55 $815 —
563–586 565 81 153.00–155.50 $155.28 $877 -5.72
617–643 632 12 148.00–150.50 $149.48 $945 +6.76
671–691 676 30 141.00–148.00 $143.04 $967 —
715 715 7 132.50 $132.50 $947 -18.50
738–743 741 36 145.50–147.00 $145.99 $1,082 -5.01
775–790 785 28 143.25–144.50 $144.06 $1,131 —
803 803 5 132.00 $132.00 $1,060 -6.34
860 860 6 138.50 $138.50 $1,191 —
962–980 973 21 114.75–132.25 $118.92 $1,157 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1008–1046 1029 76 128.00–139.00 $133.76 $1,376 -5.05
1070–1088 1078 183 122.00–137.25 $133.43 $1,438 +7.43
1118 1118 6 124.50 $124.50 $1,392 —
1115–1120 1119 34 126.00–129.00 $128.38 $1,437 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
979 979 7 127.00 $127.00 $1,243 —
1189 1189 7 124.00 $124.00 $1,474 —
1240 1240 4 122.50 $122.50 $1,519 +11.50
1307–1435 1375 113 121.25–124.00 $122.54 $1,685 +5.54
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 thin fleshed 443 10 130.00 $130.00 $576 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005 1005 3 111.00 $111.00 $1,116 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
504 unweaned 504 12 164.00 $164.00 $827 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 6 222.50 $222.50 $768 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
771–1475 1089 85-90% 24 21.00–48.00 $39.67 $432 —
1033–1775 1385 85-90% 16 49.00–56.00 $53.74 $744 —
1020–1726 1408 85-90% 43 57.00–62.00 $59.43 $837 —
1270–1474 1440 85-90% 6 63.50 $63.50 $914 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1755 1433 80-85% 14 64.00–68.00 $65.82 $943 +5.60
1614–1750 1672 80-85% 7 61.00–63.00 $61.90 $1,035 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1261–1488 1341 75-80% 10 71.00–76.00 $73.09 $980 —
1373 1373 75-80% 3 83.00 $83.00 $1,140 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1523–1645 1591 65-75% 10 86.00–88.00 $87.23 $1,388 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1890 1743 8 78.00–88.00 $83.87 $1,462 —
1400–2163 1963 4 89.00–90.00 $89.27 $1,752 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1293–1306 1303 28 105.00–110.00 $106.06 $1,382 —
1390–1463 1414 98 109.50–112.00 $110.41 $1,561 —

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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.