Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 18, 2023

10,218 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $194.36/cwt +4.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,809/hd at 931 lb · 554 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $267.02/cwt +4.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,673/hd at 627 lb · 495 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $243.86/cwt +2.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,770/hd at 726 lb · 439 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 10,218 17,848 4,323
Feeder cattle 8,834 16,674 3,446
Slaughter cattle 1,384 1,174 877

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: A much lighter offering as many auction markets did not host a sale because of the Christmas holiday, steer calves 7.00 to 10.00 higher with instances to 15.00 higher. Heifer calves 8.00 to 10.00 higher. Yearling feeder steers steady to 3.00 higher, heifers steady to 5.00 higher. Very good demand for calves, moderate to good for yearlings. Cash cattle finally managed to trade higher, 172.00, which was enough to give a glimmer of hope to cattle feeders and they responded and jumped back into the calf market with both feet. Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 higher, bulls firm.

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
301 301 6 370.00 $370.00 $1,114 +35.00
374–397 389 62 321.00–382.50 $348.09 $1,354 +14.37
406–448 430 50 324.00–367.50 $346.83 $1,491 +21.30
453–486 472 128 297.50–357.50 $328.00 $1,548 +16.50
471–477 472 34 293.00–295.00 $294.58 $1,390 -16.92
501–544 526 235 290.00–337.50 $311.62 $1,639 +43.62
532–543 535 73 295.00–300.00 $297.81 $1,593 +29.81
552–599 564 357 273.00–300.00 $287.30 $1,620 +10.43
573–597 582 8 263.00–268.00 $266.08 $1,549 -10.79
600–648 625 447 256.00–283.00 $268.74 $1,680 +13.46
642 642 48 251.00 $251.00 $1,611 +17.00
653–696 672 356 245.00–271.50 $262.86 $1,766 +5.54
700–741 725 419 231.00–253.25 $244.88 $1,775 +2.52
741–747 745 20 221.00–225.00 $222.39 $1,657 -7.61
762 762 8 210.00 $210.00 $1,600 -19.71
751–788 766 135 215.00–246.25 $233.88 $1,792 +4.17
804–849 829 149 214.00–236.00 $227.29 $1,884 +1.67
853–897 874 122 206.00–227.00 $215.34 $1,882 -0.99
904–937 912 303 208.50–224.00 $218.99 $1,997 -0.13
968 968 65 205.00 $205.00 $1,984 -8.99
952–999 991 169 192.00–215.00 $208.92 $2,070 +15.92
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1199–1323 1237 13 163.00–166.50 $165.35 $2,045 -3.93
1288–1487 1414 28 150.00–155.00 $153.87 $2,176 -5.30
1304–1475 1436 53 168.00–173.00 $171.11 $2,457 +1.25
1453–1454 1454 9 166.00–171.50 $169.67 $2,467 —
1415–1495 1468 9 163.00 $163.00 $2,393 -2.80
1500–1594 1517 242 167.00–174.00 $168.31 $2,553 +0.75
1509–1662 1575 88 171.00–178.00 $175.47 $2,764 —
1518–1592 1588 118 163.00–165.00 $164.73 $2,616 —
1609 1609 6 166.00 $166.00 $2,671 -3.51
1607–1675 1636 126 167.00–174.00 $169.33 $2,770 -0.18
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1024–1026 1025 131 205.00–206.50 $205.61 $2,108 +2.71
1064 1064 14 188.00 $188.00 $2,000 -11.75
1151–1167 1165 32 175.00–176.00 $175.12 $2,040 —
1229 1229 9 183.00 $183.00 $2,249 +7.00
1369 1369 13 173.75 $173.75 $2,379 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 341 9 328.00 $328.00 $1,118 +16.00
368 368 3 322.50 $322.50 $1,187 +33.13
438 438 3 280.00 $280.00 $1,226 -20.49
455–476 474 53 285.00–301.00 $286.45 $1,358 +13.08
532–544 540 33 255.00–292.00 $275.81 $1,489 +4.80
601–649 629 16 240.00–245.00 $242.26 $1,524 +4.39
723–724 724 17 221.00–226.00 $225.12 $1,630 +10.96
791 791 23 212.00 $212.00 $1,677 +0.76
805 805 6 191.00 $191.00 $1,538 —
886–891 887 19 197.00–202.00 $200.94 $1,782 +11.87
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1101 1101 7 166.00 $166.00 $1,828 —
1189 1189 23 167.25 $167.25 $1,989 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 278 6 315.00 $315.00 $876 —
312–322 316 21 302.00–313.00 $306.27 $968 -28.73
357 357 7 270.00 $270.00 $964 -11.44
374–396 385 35 287.50–305.00 $296.37 $1,141 +14.93
413–444 424 102 268.50–296.00 $283.09 $1,200 +10.72
453–499 480 221 267.50–297.50 $277.46 $1,332 +3.51
496 496 6 261.00 $261.00 $1,295 -12.95
502–546 518 185 258.00–285.00 $271.29 $1,405 +9.93
548 548 6 244.00 $244.00 $1,337 -17.36
551–593 578 358 246.00–274.00 $263.15 $1,521 +11.23
584 584 22 240.50 $240.50 $1,405 -11.42
602 602 6 237.00 $237.00 $1,427 -2.99
605–647 624 268 238.00–265.00 $250.45 $1,563 +10.46
650–687 669 319 233.00–264.00 $238.26 $1,594 +8.61
663–676 672 38 219.00–225.00 $221.46 $1,488 -8.19
703–742 719 117 209.00–223.50 $215.51 $1,550 -0.62
730–748 744 29 191.00–193.00 $191.41 $1,424 -24.72
756 756 7 199.50 $199.50 $1,508 -7.50
751–799 768 355 193.00–221.50 $212.27 $1,630 +5.27
802 802 15 199.50 $199.50 $1,600 +3.55
802–834 809 229 190.00–217.00 $206.51 $1,671 +10.56
872–874 873 125 183.00–197.00 $193.44 $1,689 -2.84
902–946 931 554 183.00–200.00 $194.36 $1,809 +4.05
954–999 973 310 183.00–205.25 $191.04 $1,859 -2.31
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345–348 347 6 289.00–290.00 $289.50 $1,005 —
418–440 429 10 249.00–265.00 $258.56 $1,109 +6.00
460–489 473 11 263.00–267.50 $265.39 $1,255 +21.84
532–546 543 63 227.50–250.00 $231.11 $1,255 +2.10
555–578 565 103 230.00–266.00 $246.81 $1,394 +17.43
616–646 635 48 211.00–219.50 $215.93 $1,371 -7.67
665–684 680 27 193.00–220.50 $199.17 $1,354 -7.77
717 717 11 196.00 $196.00 $1,405 —
838 838 3 180.00 $180.00 $1,508 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1004–1025 1009 83 173.00–193.00 $184.13 $1,858 -6.59
1052–1091 1061 96 165.00–190.00 $180.72 $1,917 -7.56
1111 1111 48 188.75 $188.75 $2,097 +16.75
1135 1135 3 171.00 $171.00 $1,941 +1.00
1155–1171 1161 26 187.50–189.00 $188.02 $2,183 +5.24
1294 1294 7 166.00 $166.00 $2,148 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1080 1080 3 164.00 $164.00 $1,771 —
1328–1378 1341 12 162.50–165.00 $163.14 $2,188 —
1366–1496 1424 128 168.75–175.75 $174.00 $2,478 —
1364–1519 1427 85 173.00–176.00 $174.38 $2,488 —
1495–1498 1497 13 164.00–169.00 $167.46 $2,507 -4.09
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
753 753 12 177.00 $177.00 $1,333 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1097 1097 6 163.00 $163.00 $1,788 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
559–561 560 16 276.00–287.50 $281.04 $1,574 —
671 671 8 247.00 $247.00 $1,657 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
741–1520 1076 85-90% 18 20.00–51.00 $33.30 $358 —
780–1525 1121 85-90% 42 55.00–69.00 $61.89 $694 +19.12
871–1720 1250 85-90% 67 69.50–83.00 $78.90 $986 +1.34
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1650 1396 80-85% 123 83.00–92.00 $87.17 $1,217 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–1790 1419 75-80% 78 92.50–109.00 $99.54 $1,412 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1568–1653 1615 65-75% 17 101.00–103.50 $102.75 $1,659 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1530–2190 1822 12 99.00–119.00 $104.65 $1,907 —
1970 1970 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,891 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1669–1824 1747 14 148.00–148.50 $148.26 $2,590 —

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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.