Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 4, 2023

7,017 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $244.83/cwt +7.40 vs last sale · ≈ $2,381/hd at 972 lb · 898 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $249.90/cwt +0.70 vs last sale · ≈ $2,183/hd at 874 lb · 691 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $255.26/cwt +14.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,969/hd at 772 lb · 535 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 7,017 11,906 10,943
Feeder cattle 6,216 10,110 9,955
Slaughter cattle 801 1,796 988

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 3.00 to 8.00 higher, instances to 10.00 higher, feeder heifers unevenly steady. Very good demand for yearling steers and heifers, especially for those light fleshed cattle that are now coming right off grass. The market is very active as cattle feeders want to get their pens filled with these more efficient gaining cattle while they are available. Cattle futures contracts rose this week, lending further support to the feeder cattle market. Cash fed cattle at 182.00-184.00 as cattle feeders were able to gain some leverage back. Silage harvest underway, many completed already as the corn has dried down fast. Yearlings continue to come off grass as the grazing season draws to a close. Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 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
400 400 3 290.00 $290.00 $1,160 —
662–693 684 71 263.00–278.00 $272.08 $1,861 -5.71
719–727 724 75 269.00–275.75 $273.32 $1,979 -8.82
756 756 24 265.00 $265.00 $2,003 +3.96
752–795 776 200 252.50–272.00 $269.47 $2,091 +8.43
829–848 841 201 247.50–259.25 $254.39 $2,139 -2.91
851–867 861 92 230.00–236.00 $233.74 $2,013 -15.46
871 thin fleshed 871 72 255.00 $255.00 $2,221 —
850–893 873 444 239.00–259.25 $252.13 $2,201 +2.93
893–897 894 83 246.00–252.50 $251.48 $2,248 +2.28
901–930 919 422 233.00–256.50 $251.42 $2,311 +11.19
951–965 thin fleshed 958 248 248.75–251.25 $249.99 $2,395 —
954–999 978 650 233.00–249.00 $242.86 $2,375 +5.43
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180 1180 4 170.00 $170.00 $2,006 —
1261 1261 5 192.00 $192.00 $2,421 +10.04
1297 1297 19 194.00 $194.00 $2,516 —
1363 1363 15 185.00 $185.00 $2,522 -1.00
1379–1447 1417 9 183.00–186.00 $184.30 $2,612 +5.30
1419–1475 1446 23 178.50–179.75 $179.11 $2,590 +2.11
1414–1473 1456 139 180.00–182.00 $180.54 $2,629 -0.69
1535–1578 1550 225 180.00–183.00 $180.75 $2,802 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605 605 11 271.00 $271.00 $1,640 +16.00
690 690 11 268.00 $268.00 $1,849 +16.62
706 706 7 250.00 $250.00 $1,765 -2.46
745 745 13 255.00 $255.00 $1,900 +2.54
838 838 70 254.00 $254.00 $2,129 —
892 892 10 236.00 $236.00 $2,105 +0.05
960–997 982 45 215.50–235.00 $221.58 $2,176 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1013 1013 13 217.35 $217.35 $2,202 -16.18
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 13 198.00 $198.00 $1,792 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
713 713 5 229.00 $229.00 $1,633 —
851 851 7 238.00 $238.00 $2,025 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
582 582 15 268.00 $268.00 $1,560 -8.78
601–626 610 55 245.50–261.00 $257.22 $1,569 -12.19
659–691 678 53 254.00–259.50 $256.48 $1,739 -2.45
690–691 691 161 265.75 $265.75 $1,836 +6.82
718 718 71 264.25 $264.25 $1,897 +11.49
700–739 723 218 239.50–260.50 $252.96 $1,829 +0.20
719–737 thin fleshed 725 49 259.00–260.00 $259.67 $1,883 —
755 755 150 269.25 $269.25 $2,033 +28.18
752–798 778 385 236.00–256.50 $249.81 $1,944 +8.74
800–846 825 319 227.00–250.00 $241.11 $1,989 -3.74
853–898 880 360 223.75–246.75 $233.09 $2,051 -6.02
910 thin fleshed 910 11 237.00 $237.00 $2,157 —
907–949 937 169 219.50–241.50 $224.34 $2,102 -13.92
955–993 970 152 213.50–234.50 $224.57 $2,178 -1.58
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1182 1182 10 180.00 $180.00 $2,128 -1.00
1227–1441 1325 24 182.00–185.00 $183.50 $2,431 +2.50
1326 1326 24 176.25 $176.25 $2,337 -4.75
1318–1438 1368 95 179.50–182.00 $180.36 $2,467 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
720 720 5 244.50 $244.50 $1,760 +9.81
773 773 21 234.50 $234.50 $1,813 +8.97
790 790 77 224.00–229.00 $224.78 $1,776 -0.75
800–825 807 18 227.00–237.50 $229.98 $1,856 +12.87
922 922 31 210.00 $210.00 $1,936 -1.93
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1008 1008 45 189.25 $189.25 $1,908 -3.15
1082 1082 6 178.00 $178.00 $1,926 -20.00
1102–1131 1122 28 184.00–184.25 $184.17 $2,066 —
1178 1178 3 179.50 $179.50 $2,115 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1011–1037 1020 58 207.00–224.00 $219.62 $2,240 -1.96
1062 1062 6 214.00 $214.00 $2,273 +5.42
1227 1227 5 183.00 $183.00 $2,245 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665 665 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,530 —
952 952 56 203.50 $203.50 $1,937 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
650 650 10 215.00 $215.00 $1,398 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1618 1102 85-90% 14 12.50–79.00 $56.10 $618 -26.27
855–1428 1140 85-90% 25 80.00–91.00 $85.79 $978 -22.57
1130–1653 1385 85-90% 43 93.00–102.00 $96.96 $1,343 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1332–1455 1363 80-85% 4 86.00–88.00 $87.47 $1,192 -19.76
1163–1635 1402 80-85% 22 92.00–102.00 $97.12 $1,362 —
1295–1520 1408 80-85% 2 114.00–115.00 $114.46 $1,612 —
1220–1685 1450 80-85% 18 103.00–113.00 $106.64 $1,546 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370–1725 1540 75-80% 24 115.00–125.00 $119.63 $1,842 -7.10
1590 1590 75-80% 1 134.00 $134.00 $2,131 —
1905 1905 75-80% 1 25.00 $25.00 $476 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1625 1456 6 80.00–114.00 $98.99 $1,441 +24.90
1500–2060 1703 6 132.50–139.00 $134.63 $2,293 —
1585–1800 1703 5 119.00–127.00 $122.48 $2,086 —

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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.