Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 27, 2021

21,105 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $180.92/cwt +2.01 vs last sale · ≈ $940/hd at 519 lb · 2,972 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $166.01/cwt +1.77 vs last sale · ≈ $793/hd at 477 lb · 2,168 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $190.37/cwt -3.37 vs last sale · ≈ $899/hd at 472 lb · 1,931 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 21,105 21,602 25,132
Feeder cattle 20,078 19,980 22,996
Slaughter cattle 1,027 1,622 2,136

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer calves traded unevenly, under 500 lbs 3.00 to 6.00 lower, except 400-450 lbs 4.00 higher, over 500 lbs steady to 2.00 higher. Heifer calves under 450 lbs 3.00 to 7.00 higher, over 450 lbs steady to 2.00 higher. Yearling feeder steers and heifers unevenly steady. Good demand for spring born calves but there was some pressure on the market this week as farmer feeders have turned their full attention to soybean harvest and the start of their corn harvest. Many of these cattle feeders don't have the time, or labor, necessary to receive a set of bawling calves and to watch them close enough to keep them healthy and get them started. The drought has continued to rage in the western half of the state and calves continue to come much earlier to market than normal. The lack luster fed cattle market and downward trending futures has put pressure on the calf market. Good demand for yearlings, especially for those that are coming off grass as few of those cattle still exist. Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 higher, bulls sold with higher undertones.

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
293 293 6 217.50 $217.50 $637 +7.50
303–334 328 99 215.00–226.00 $224.36 $736 +22.66
350–398 378 374 190.00–219.00 $209.28 $791 -5.95
403 fancy 403 130 216.00 $216.00 $870 —
401–447 427 947 181.00–217.00 $202.65 $865 +3.46
436 436 25 184.00 $184.00 $802 -15.19
440–442 441 58 177.50–180.00 $178.62 $788 -20.57
450–499 472 1,931 169.50–211.00 $190.37 $899 -3.37
502 fancy 502 74 198.00 $198.00 $994 —
500–541 508 49 164.00 $164.00 $833 -5.00
501–548 520 2,849 160.00–196.50 $180.77 $940 +1.78
551 551 7 152.00 $152.00 $838 -20.55
553–596 572 642 156.00–184.00 $172.44 $986 -0.11
600–648 619 574 156.00–178.00 $164.27 $1,017 -5.56
651–697 664 143 144.00–166.00 $160.92 $1,069 +7.42
701–747 716 237 144.00–167.25 $161.70 $1,158 -11.12
752–794 781 238 150.00–166.00 $157.62 $1,231 -8.47
801–840 818 350 154.00–164.50 $160.72 $1,315 -1.72
850–898 877 264 133.00–161.25 $153.04 $1,342 +0.01
910–942 922 542 138.50–158.75 $154.93 $1,428 +5.13
962–996 990 88 135.75–158.50 $151.91 $1,504 +2.73
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332 332 10 210.00 $210.00 $697 +17.50
353–380 362 27 171.00–196.00 $184.15 $667 +0.92
407–431 419 70 161.00–176.50 $171.17 $717 -8.97
453–496 485 219 147.00–176.00 $173.00 $839 -0.77
489 489 6 169.00 $169.00 $826 -4.77
502–505 504 13 164.50–165.00 $164.77 $830 +3.77
558–584 578 20 140.00–159.50 $154.73 $894 +27.73
660–692 681 46 141.00–159.50 $150.12 $1,022 +6.96
706–740 728 26 139.50–150.50 $145.78 $1,061 -9.21
772–781 776 14 145.00–152.00 $147.81 $1,147 +0.09
800–847 816 57 135.00–148.00 $141.19 $1,152 -9.31
933–935 934 8 123.00 $123.00 $1,149 -13.00
988 988 30 123.00 $123.00 $1,215 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1357–1366 1359 55 117.00–121.00 $120.12 $1,632 -5.53
1406 1406 11 123.00 $123.00 $1,729 +7.89
1409–1421 1417 78 119.00–119.75 $119.27 $1,690 +4.16
1413–1438 1418 143 117.00–120.00 $117.55 $1,667 +2.44
1539–1543 1541 16 115.00–115.50 $115.28 $1,776 —
1515–1565 1542 84 117.75–121.50 $118.61 $1,829 —
1590–1642 1605 113 116.25–118.75 $118.59 $1,903 +0.84
1673 1673 8 112.00 $112.00 $1,874 —
1700 1700 6 114.00 $114.00 $1,938 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
964 964 12 145.75 $145.75 $1,405 —
1002–1034 1013 259 128.00–141.00 $138.63 $1,404 -6.15
1056–1097 1083 229 136.35–144.00 $139.90 $1,515 +4.90
1176 1176 4 125.50 $125.50 $1,476 —
1227 1227 6 118.50 $118.50 $1,454 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
301 301 11 160.00 $160.00 $482 —
391–393 391 61 149.00–159.00 $149.82 $586 —
474 474 4 146.00 $146.00 $692 —
536 536 7 125.00 $125.00 $670 —
647 647 13 139.00 $139.00 $899 —
654–678 662 12 112.00–120.00 $117.27 $776 -6.73
792 792 12 129.00 $129.00 $1,022 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1024 1021 22 120.00–129.50 $121.27 $1,238 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
269–276 272 9 182.50–187.50 $184.75 $503 +15.98
301–347 311 66 160.00–218.00 $203.05 $631 +24.58
369 fancy 369 100 193.00 $193.00 $712 —
350–398 379 618 156.00–192.00 $174.90 $663 +7.99
410 410 26 155.00 $155.00 $636 -51.00
402–447 428 999 158.00–184.00 $172.62 $739 +2.87
454 fancy 454 73 175.00 $175.00 $794 —
450–499 478 1,890 155.50–176.00 $164.66 $787 +0.42
473–488 481 205 174.00–176.50 $175.21 $843 +10.97
502–549 521 455 147.50–161.00 $154.76 $806 -1.33
552–593 569 158 145.00–162.50 $151.95 $865 +7.38
606 606 6 139.50 $139.50 $845 +3.50
605–641 627 163 141.00–167.50 $159.93 $1,003 +1.93
667–699 681 104 140.00–155.50 $145.90 $994 -5.17
707–748 723 319 139.50–157.00 $146.97 $1,063 -5.74
750–796 771 277 141.00–155.75 $146.98 $1,133 -0.64
811 811 77 132.75 $132.75 $1,077 -11.99
801–846 829 437 136.00–152.00 $144.55 $1,198 -0.19
832 832 5 139.50 $139.50 $1,161 -5.24
854–895 872 800 133.00–153.00 $140.21 $1,223 +1.30
918–949 939 231 130.25–145.50 $134.30 $1,261 -4.45
952–992 970 143 123.00–140.50 $138.40 $1,342 +2.80
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
267 267 7 161.00 $161.00 $430 +9.00
320–323 321 12 162.00–164.00 $162.84 $523 -4.05
351–371 366 38 145.00–164.00 $160.16 $586 +2.04
405–445 429 67 149.00–164.00 $156.88 $673 +8.73
466 466 6 156.00 $156.00 $727 +6.76
544 544 7 154.00 $154.00 $838 +7.46
555–595 572 47 143.50–152.00 $149.36 $854 +8.89
610–617 612 11 132.00–144.00 $135.30 $828 -10.52
665–693 673 27 136.00–146.00 $141.36 $951 +0.25
703–724 709 50 132.50–143.00 $140.40 $995 +1.49
757–784 768 45 132.00–142.00 $136.93 $1,052 -4.13
803–826 818 40 127.50–136.00 $131.34 $1,074 -8.25
906–907 906 54 118.50–125.00 $120.07 $1,088 -12.82
983 983 3 125.00 $125.00 $1,229 -0.03
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1282–1329 1293 59 119.00–120.00 $119.24 $1,542 —
1312–1505 1400 209 116.25–118.75 $117.34 $1,643 —
1445 1445 4 111.00 $111.00 $1,604 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1003–1045 1027 192 123.00–135.50 $132.91 $1,365 -4.60
1028 1028 5 123.00 $123.00 $1,264 -14.51
1111 1111 12 131.50 $131.50 $1,461 +5.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 50 135.00 $135.00 $493 —
400 400 4 135.00 $135.00 $540 —
809 809 21 122.00 $122.00 $987 —
975 975 7 110.00 $110.00 $1,072 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005 1005 13 117.50 $117.50 $1,181 —
1050–1053 1052 14 116.50–121.00 $117.46 $1,236 -5.04

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327 327 7 200.00 $200.00 $654 —
393 393 11 181.00 $181.00 $711 —
406–439 430 39 167.50–180.00 $170.35 $733 —
473–497 477 27 163.00–170.00 $168.65 $804 —
542 542 10 162.00 $162.00 $878 —
702 702 17 141.50 $141.50 $993 —
779 779 9 140.00 $140.00 $1,091 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1615 1191 85-90% 5 21.00–39.00 $33.52 $399 —
1020–1523 1211 85-90% 9 50.00–56.00 $51.71 $626 +13.76
1010–1670 1232 85-90% 19 58.00–62.50 $60.81 $749 +22.86
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1101–1400 1183 80-85% 7 69.00–71.00 $69.94 $827 —
1160–1410 1329 80-85% 17 64.00–68.00 $65.36 $869 -0.09
1215–1486 1412 80-85% 6 62.00–63.50 $63.20 $892 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1500 1365 75-80% 2 70.00–71.00 $70.55 $963 —
1275–1865 1552 75-80% 10 73.00–79.00 $76.85 $1,193 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1660 1660 65-75% 1 86.00 $86.00 $1,428 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–2065 1688 14 60.00–89.00 $82.08 $1,386 —
1735–2280 2060 5 88.00–95.00 $91.48 $1,884 -2.53

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1229 1229 17 98.00 $98.00 $1,204 +17.98
1380 1380 22 110.50 $110.50 $1,525 —
1444–1659 1557 21 112.00–115.00 $113.67 $1,770 —

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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.