Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 13, 2023

21,283 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $197.13/cwt -2.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,529/hd at 776 lb · 1,617 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $182.40/cwt -7.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,594/hd at 874 lb · 1,559 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $186.39/cwt -6.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,525/hd at 818 lb · 1,382 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 21,283 22,024 21,831
Feeder cattle 19,861 20,584 20,540
Slaughter cattle 1,422 1,440 1,291

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 750 lbs 5.00 to 8.00 higher, over 750 lbs 1.00 to 2.00 higher. Feeder heifers unevenly steady, except 900-950 lbs 6.00 to 7.00 lower. Good demand for steers and heifers this week, however the winter storm at midweek put some pressure on the market. Feedyard pen conditions are wet and sloppy, making for a very poor environment for cattle to efficiently gain weight. Costs of gain are much higher than they were anticipated to be and this fact has caused cattle feeders to slow down on their pursuit of heavier weight, finishing type cattle. Backgrounders who want to buy lighter weight, and lighter fleshed cattle, don't have as many cattle to select from as there are far fewer of those cattle offered. The market for these lighter cattle is much more active as these cattle have so many more options than a 900 lbs steer. Wet weather in the forecast for the coming week as there are a couple of days of rain/snow mix predicted. Slaughter cows 5.00 to 9.00 higher, bulls 3.00 to 4.00 higher.

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
363–384 372 15 260.00–270.00 $265.92 $989 -26.23
405–448 430 199 250.50–288.00 $268.42 $1,154 +13.97
464 unweaned 464 7 215.00 $215.00 $998 —
457–492 470 125 247.50–272.00 $264.82 $1,245 +12.65
502–543 518 303 230.00–270.00 $255.60 $1,324 +7.84
550–558 fancy 554 17 245.00 $245.00 $1,357 —
567 567 43 244.00 $244.00 $1,383 +10.53
550–598 577 547 221.00–256.00 $240.87 $1,390 +7.40
579 unweaned 579 4 202.00 $202.00 $1,170 —
601–645 624 663 208.00–239.00 $227.80 $1,421 +5.46
622–640 634 16 185.00–205.00 $198.87 $1,261 -23.47
656 656 67 230.50 $230.50 $1,512 +12.03
654–698 676 727 203.50–230.50 $217.34 $1,469 -1.13
665–686 678 43 201.00–210.00 $203.65 $1,381 -14.82
700 thin fleshed 700 80 230.00 $230.00 $1,610 +12.00
701–749 727 858 194.50–216.00 $205.87 $1,497 +5.02
761 761 24 183.00 $183.00 $1,393 -29.50
751–796 775 1,539 187.00–204.75 $197.65 $1,532 +7.65
797 797 54 188.50 $188.50 $1,502 -10.86
804–834 807 88 171.50–178.00 $176.39 $1,423 -12.50
800–843 819 1,294 179.50–195.00 $187.07 $1,532 -1.82
850–895 874 1,542 172.00–191.25 $182.50 $1,595 +3.86
885 885 17 173.50 $173.50 $1,535 -5.14
902–941 922 1,208 170.50–186.00 $181.42 $1,673 -0.73
928–940 933 50 168.50–176.00 $171.37 $1,599 -10.78
940 940 15 172.00 $172.00 $1,617 -10.15
959–992 977 392 170.00–181.00 $175.19 $1,712 -0.09
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680 680 24 200.50 $200.50 $1,363 —
792 792 48 185.50 $185.50 $1,469 —
1000–1040 1017 239 168.50–173.50 $171.85 $1,748 -2.65
1052–1080 1061 313 162.00–175.60 $170.62 $1,810 +4.62
1101 1101 7 152.00 $152.00 $1,674 -11.20
1191 1191 21 160.25 $160.25 $1,909 -3.65
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 326 25 252.00 $252.00 $822 -3.00
363–396 379 58 255.50–265.00 $259.58 $984 +33.58
406–423 415 19 220.00–234.00 $226.95 $942 —
484–498 491 46 206.50–237.00 $223.83 $1,099 +5.48
508–536 524 33 224.00–234.00 $229.00 $1,200 +4.05
575–598 589 191 210.00–225.00 $217.17 $1,279 +6.37
640 640 26 210.00 $210.00 $1,344 +13.25
655–681 668 44 170.00–210.00 $195.11 $1,303 -4.76
707–724 713 18 177.00–181.00 $179.65 $1,281 +0.02
757–780 763 32 183.00–190.50 $188.34 $1,437 +6.77
848 848 39 181.50 $181.50 $1,539 +7.50
924–927 926 12 173.50 $173.50 $1,607 +6.25
957–973 962 42 166.50–173.60 $171.55 $1,650 +4.55
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1291 1291 5 156.00 $156.00 $2,014 —
1293 1293 7 156.00 $156.00 $2,017 —
1413–1462 1436 17 163.50–169.00 $166.13 $2,386 +0.13
1462 1462 8 159.00 $159.00 $2,325 +0.11
1458–1496 1477 16 160.00–166.50 $163.29 $2,412 +4.40
1534 1534 10 158.50 $158.50 $2,431 -7.21
1524–1599 1550 79 164.50–166.75 $165.71 $2,569 +4.62
1565–1596 1570 59 167.00–173.00 $170.97 $2,684 -0.14
1568–1679 1650 104 157.00–166.00 $160.58 $2,650 —
1671 1671 7 172.00 $172.00 $2,874 —
1716–1734 1733 138 160.00 $160.00 $2,773 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357 357 17 253.00 $253.00 $903 +4.91
400–445 425 133 220.50–242.50 $233.70 $993 -2.59
451–496 481 97 208.00–228.00 $221.67 $1,066 -10.85
515 515 47 223.00 $223.00 $1,148 +8.28
519 unweaned 519 10 198.00 $198.00 $1,028 —
500–547 525 261 205.00–220.50 $215.72 $1,133 +1.00
553–597 576 539 194.00–222.50 $208.54 $1,201 +24.54
603–642 624 410 184.50–206.00 $193.62 $1,208 +11.03
610–635 628 197 214.75–215.00 $214.90 $1,350 +17.88
630 630 57 213.00 $213.00 $1,342 +15.98
652–696 672 629 177.00–205.50 $188.84 $1,269 +0.52
664–690 679 37 172.00–179.50 $178.32 $1,211 -34.16
710–720 715 139 190.00–193.50 $191.65 $1,370 +9.30
700–745 720 1,035 172.50–189.50 $182.02 $1,311 -0.33
771 771 55 192.00 $192.00 $1,480 +15.50
751–792 773 567 171.50–185.50 $178.18 $1,377 +1.68
760–796 781 115 165.00–171.00 $167.10 $1,305 -22.34
806 806 4 153.00 $153.00 $1,233 -36.71
800–849 822 931 160.50–180.75 $174.22 $1,432 -0.96
834 834 42 182.00 $182.00 $1,518 +19.74
844 844 20 166.50 $166.50 $1,405 +4.24
855 855 37 179.00 $179.00 $1,530 +9.81
850–899 868 462 160.50–178.00 $170.36 $1,479 +1.17
865–890 875 49 157.00–169.75 $164.72 $1,441 -4.47
902–945 915 368 160.50–168.75 $165.47 $1,514 -6.41
959 959 61 159.75 $159.75 $1,532 -8.04
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326–342 333 24 220.00–240.00 $231.43 $771 +9.88
394 394 4 177.50 $177.50 $699 —
441–446 444 18 219.00–220.00 $219.50 $975 -2.00
461–497 480 60 165.00–209.00 $195.38 $938 +0.08
503–538 515 36 189.00–202.00 $198.12 $1,020 +4.56
553–593 573 102 180.00–201.00 $188.10 $1,078 +3.76
602–644 632 48 157.00–187.50 $180.65 $1,142 +2.74
680–694 685 75 174.00–181.00 $178.11 $1,220 +3.40
702–746 723 14 170.00–176.00 $171.68 $1,241 -0.64
839 839 7 166.00 $166.00 $1,393 +4.13
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1275–1470 1351 29 155.00–159.50 $157.83 $2,132 -1.12
1324–1522 1373 41 164.00–168.00 $166.29 $2,283 +7.34
1332–1516 1478 283 161.00–169.25 $167.85 $2,481 +1.26
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1042 1042 11 155.00–158.00 $156.64 $1,632 +0.33

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1523–1688 1587 75-80% 10 102.00–106.00 $103.80 $1,647 +19.46
1446–1735 1588 75-80% 37 86.00–95.00 $93.51 $1,485 +9.17
1300–1960 1667 75-80% 72 91.00–101.50 $99.02 $1,651 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1271–1432 1337 80-85% 19 93.00–99.50 $97.61 $1,305 —
1210–1620 1446 80-85% 65 84.00–95.50 $91.68 $1,326 —
1150–1610 1472 80-85% 12 83.00–89.00 $86.17 $1,268 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685–925 856 85-90% 4 42.50–50.00 $45.45 $389 —
840–1360 1095 85-90% 37 45.00–79.00 $70.80 $775 —
930–1540 1199 85-90% 27 78.00–90.50 $85.45 $1,025 +15.93
1250–1373 1332 85-90% 3 92.00–94.00 $93.37 $1,244 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1751–1910 1790 65-75% 30 103.00–105.00 $103.68 $1,856 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385–2450 1864 7 100.00–107.00 $103.94 $1,937 —
1510–2240 1941 13 109.00–118.00 $113.60 $2,205 +3.76
1985–2130 2033 3 123.00–129.00 $125.10 $2,543 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1435 1435 11 130.00 $130.00 $1,866 -3.67
1479–1645 1552 106 143.50–146.50 $144.18 $2,238 +1.92

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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.