Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, August 28, 2023

11,906 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 $239.11/cwt +4.82 vs last sale · ≈ $2,095/hd at 876 lb · 1,486 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $238.37/cwt +13.89 vs last sale · ≈ $2,183/hd at 916 lb · 874 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $244.85/cwt +7.52 vs last sale · ≈ $2,025/hd at 827 lb · 762 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 11,906 8,623 9,402
Feeder cattle 10,110 8,517 7,852
Slaughter cattle 1,796 106 1,550

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers unevenly steady, heifers 4.00 to 8.00 higher. Very good demand for yearling steers and heifers as there were more of these cattle grass. Cash fed cattle were lower but the price is still so much higher than what was anticipated for this time period. Cattle feeders remain very optimistic, especially after just coming through the time of the year where fed cattle supplies are the greatest and prices were able to hold in the 180s. Corn silage harvest underway, wrapping up in some areas as the hot, dry weather really dried the crop down fast. Pastures are getting short and it's the time of the year to be pulling yearlings off grass, no spring born calves, to speak of generally, have been offered yet as it is still early. Slaughter cows steady to weak, bulls not well tested.

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
433–449 441 19 285.00–305.00 $293.89 $1,296 -27.11
462–465 464 29 341.00 $341.00 $1,582 —
613–646 624 182 286.00–303.00 $295.68 $1,845 +8.68
657–678 665 39 265.00–282.00 $277.79 $1,847 -6.26
710 710 8 257.00 $257.00 $1,825 -12.43
706–749 729 338 261.00–290.00 $282.14 $2,057 +12.71
750–791 769 184 251.00–267.00 $261.04 $2,007 -6.23
805–846 824 260 248.00–263.50 $257.30 $2,120 +2.57
853–899 880 690 243.00–260.00 $249.20 $2,193 -1.28
912–942 930 500 233.00–245.00 $240.23 $2,234 -5.87
960–983 966 144 229.75–241.00 $237.43 $2,294 -4.75
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1233–1275 1252 24 178.50–184.50 $181.96 $2,278 —
1313–1422 1389 20 186.00 $186.00 $2,584 —
1441 1441 5 179.00 $179.00 $2,579 -9.45
1447 1447 5 177.00 $177.00 $2,561 -11.45
1326–1492 1462 388 178.00–183.50 $181.23 $2,650 —
1501–1513 1504 71 187.50–188.00 $187.86 $2,825 —
1531–1534 1532 14 181.00–182.00 $181.36 $2,778 —
1510–1559 1541 245 180.00–186.50 $182.06 $2,806 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1011–1037 1030 395 224.50–235.00 $233.53 $2,405 +7.53
1075 1075 7 220.50 $220.50 $2,370 -4.40
1128 1128 52 227.00 $227.00 $2,561 +4.00
1183 1183 28 216.00 $216.00 $2,555 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
503 503 4 265.00 $265.00 $1,333 -41.42
577–583 580 10 255.00–260.00 $257.49 $1,493 -33.54
604 604 5 255.00 $255.00 $1,540 —
688–691 691 52 251.00–255.00 $251.38 $1,737 -18.62
703–741 725 31 240.00–261.00 $252.46 $1,830 —
786 786 4 205.00 $205.00 $1,611 -49.50
851–894 882 88 230.50–238.00 $235.95 $2,081 -2.05
900–904 901 85 229.50–247.00 $243.49 $2,194 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1022–1027 1024 19 216.00–223.00 $219.68 $2,250 —
1182 1182 26 206.00 $206.00 $2,435 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
676 676 13 205.00 $205.00 $1,386 —
961 961 4 180.00 $180.00 $1,730 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 317 6 315.00 $315.00 $999 —
401–449 439 41 277.50–298.00 $293.71 $1,289 —
452–475 459 29 270.00–282.00 $277.27 $1,273 —
502–541 512 87 277.00–286.50 $283.31 $1,451 +13.10
558–591 588 164 254.00–280.00 $276.78 $1,627 +40.12
605–643 628 114 246.00–274.50 $269.41 $1,692 +6.65
655–683 675 366 248.50–267.50 $258.93 $1,748 +8.71
705–746 720 241 241.50–271.00 $252.76 $1,820 +4.50
753–793 777 259 237.00–250.00 $241.07 $1,873 -5.12
787 787 15 236.00 $236.00 $1,857 -10.19
804–847 827 762 233.50–260.00 $244.85 $2,025 +7.52
852–897 876 1,486 231.00–251.50 $239.11 $2,095 +4.82
907 907 390 238.50 $238.50 $2,163 +14.02
904–947 923 484 223.00–250.00 $238.26 $2,199 +13.78
955–998 970 316 221.00–239.50 $226.15 $2,194 +3.63
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427–446 440 24 207.50–240.00 $229.48 $1,010 —
476 476 8 265.00 $265.00 $1,261 —
523–547 542 24 261.00–267.50 $262.31 $1,422 +7.31
574–595 588 22 243.00–253.00 $246.10 $1,447 —
601–614 606 19 242.00–249.00 $244.61 $1,482 —
654 654 4 215.00 $215.00 $1,406 —
706–733 719 13 234.00–235.00 $234.69 $1,687 +3.69
760–782 772 19 225.00–226.00 $225.53 $1,741 -10.45
806–823 810 145 215.50–225.00 $217.11 $1,759 —
899 899 4 200.00 $200.00 $1,798 —
914–928 917 43 203.00–214.00 $211.93 $1,943 -0.07
987 987 11 214.00 $214.00 $2,112 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1159 1159 4 181.00 $181.00 $2,098 —
1203 1203 19 178.25 $178.25 $2,144 —
1206–1270 1239 34 183.00–185.00 $184.02 $2,280 —
1319 1319 5 181.00 $181.00 $2,387 —
1217–1412 1340 272 179.00–184.00 $182.37 $2,444 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1042 1033 30 218.00–224.00 $221.58 $2,289 +9.88
1051–1090 1060 34 201.00–211.00 $208.58 $2,211 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
526 526 5 230.00 $230.00 $1,210 —
698 698 4 165.00 $165.00 $1,152 —
820 820 4 201.00 $201.00 $1,648 —
865 865 4 165.00 $165.00 $1,427 —
948 948 11 184.00 $184.00 $1,744 —
991 991 15 201.00 $201.00 $1,992 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1001 1001 10 190.00–196.00 $192.40 $1,926 —
1094 1094 8 198.00 $198.00 $2,166 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 6 225.00 $225.00 $1,058 —
518 518 24 225.00 $225.00 $1,166 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
763 763 6 197.50 $197.50 $1,507 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
779–1155 882 85-90% 20 27.50–69.00 $57.71 $509 —
731–1470 1011 85-90% 63 90.00–101.00 $93.54 $946 —
750–1450 1101 85-90% 40 70.00–92.00 $82.37 $907 —
1050–1270 1140 85-90% 7 105.00–109.00 $108.36 $1,235 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–1480 1375 75-80% 2 112.00–112.50 $112.27 $1,544 -15.65
1145–2085 1482 75-80% 109 113.00–124.00 $118.39 $1,755 —
1410–1645 1541 75-80% 9 125.00–130.00 $126.73 $1,953 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1335 1150 80-85% 5 92.00–98.00 $95.24 $1,095 —
1140–1410 1265 80-85% 15 115.00–121.00 $116.57 $1,475 —
1085–1608 1354 80-85% 29 102.00–112.00 $107.23 $1,452 +8.96
1765 1765 80-85% 1 25.00 $25.00 $441 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1855 1480 6 20.00–105.00 $74.09 $1,097 —
1160–2830 1814 39 115.00–127.00 $122.62 $2,224 —
2055–2180 2118 2 131.00 $131.00 $2,775 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1261 1261 6 130.00 $130.00 $1,639 —
1499 1499 4 157.00 $157.00 $2,353 —
1551–1593 1574 13 155.00–162.50 $159.09 $2,504 —

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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.