Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, March 11, 2024

22,561 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 $264.36/cwt +0.89 vs last sale · ≈ $2,060/hd at 779 lb · 1,783 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $255.59/cwt +9.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,851/hd at 724 lb · 1,722 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $257.05/cwt +2.46 vs last sale · ≈ $2,113/hd at 822 lb · 1,499 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 22,561 27,316 21,283
Feeder cattle 21,718 26,265 19,861
Slaughter cattle 843 1,051 1,422

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 550 lbs 8.00 to 10.00 higher, 550-800 lbs 2.00 to 5.00 higher, over 800 lbs steady to 2.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 700 lbs 2.00 to 7.00 higher, instances to 8.00 higher. Very good demand for all weights of steers and heifers. The market is very active on those lightweight cattle to background, as those months of the Feeder Cattle contract are 20.00 higher than the current month, there is great optimism amongst cattle producers that prices would go higher yet. Cattle feeders are much more cautious than the backgrounders as they have been struggling with profitability as the fat market just did not get high enough for them this winter. Iowa cash fat cattle did top at 190.00, which is where many cattle have breakeven prices at. Slaughter cows uneven, Breakers 10.00 higher, Boners 2.00 to 3.00 higher, Lean cows too few to test. Slaughter bulls 5.00 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
351–391 364 48 390.00–411.00 $401.32 $1,461 +11.75
416–445 430 90 365.00–398.00 $379.60 $1,632 +7.52
456–497 469 235 330.00–379.00 $362.46 $1,700 +42.46
502–543 515 394 305.00–368.00 $350.98 $1,808 +25.98
558–595 575 798 315.00–344.00 $329.58 $1,895 +37.08
601–649 621 1,037 295.00–326.00 $312.98 $1,944 +4.71
641 641 5 286.00 $286.00 $1,833 -13.98
665 665 87 314.00 $314.00 $2,088 +21.88
650–697 678 872 271.00–308.00 $295.11 $2,001 +18.72
687 687 11 280.00 $280.00 $1,924 +3.61
698 698 16 264.00 $264.00 $1,843 -12.39
700–748 725 1,293 260.00–294.25 $280.53 $2,034 +4.99
725 fancy 725 57 296.50 $296.50 $2,150 —
711–748 735 55 257.00–273.00 $267.11 $1,963 -8.43
750–798 779 1,734 245.00–282.00 $264.82 $2,063 +1.35
790–795 793 49 244.50–251.00 $248.20 $1,968 -15.27
800–847 820 1,394 236.00–270.00 $257.82 $2,114 +2.95
840–849 847 105 243.00–247.50 $246.82 $2,091 -8.05
850–895 872 1,371 236.00–259.00 $248.03 $2,163 +15.68
877–885 880 80 246.75–247.10 $246.96 $2,173 +14.61
900–949 918 910 225.50–251.50 $239.33 $2,197 -0.86
927 927 26 221.50 $221.50 $2,053 -18.69
953–982 967 446 224.00–242.00 $234.03 $2,263 +0.41
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
693 693 33 250.00 $250.00 $1,732 —
1000–1004 1002 139 219.00–227.50 $222.87 $2,233 +2.31
1053–1058 1056 174 215.00–221.25 $217.58 $2,298 +8.29
1123–1133 1128 110 212.25 $212.25 $2,394 —
1158–1181 1165 13 185.00–196.50 $192.91 $2,247 +9.91
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220 1220 2 171.00 $171.00 $2,086 —
1330–1393 1368 5 180.00–182.00 $180.78 $2,473 +4.78
1429 1429 9 178.00 $178.00 $2,544 -2.00
1469 1469 7 189.00 $189.00 $2,776 +5.05
1494 1494 9 189.00 $189.00 $2,824 +5.05
1508–1525 1514 8 180.00–185.50 $182.08 $2,757 -2.92
1520 1520 16 178.00 $178.00 $2,706 -7.00
1546 value added 1546 10 188.00 $188.00 $2,906 —
1502–1591 1548 101 187.25–192.50 $188.57 $2,919 +3.57
1504–1598 1558 40 190.00–193.50 $192.06 $2,992 +9.54
1599–1765 1619 69 191.00–194.50 $191.67 $3,103 +9.39
1647–1664 1653 60 183.25–186.50 $185.30 $3,063 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 431 17 332.00 $332.00 $1,431 -15.62
453–494 469 39 285.00–345.00 $329.83 $1,547 -7.40
556–595 573 33 285.00–311.00 $300.18 $1,720 -4.96
610–645 619 27 245.00–296.00 $285.05 $1,764 +4.05
670–686 675 48 225.00–277.00 $268.92 $1,815 -7.37
729–748 742 51 258.00–268.25 $265.09 $1,967 —
751 751 5 240.00 $240.00 $1,802 -9.06
896 896 84 233.75 $233.75 $2,094 -0.51
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025 1025 13 199.00 $199.00 $2,040 +18.00
1076 1076 7 204.00 $204.00 $2,195 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308–344 328 32 345.00–385.00 $364.43 $1,195 +19.85
409–446 431 248 312.50–360.00 $344.62 $1,485 +22.07
443 443 8 293.00 $293.00 $1,298 -29.55
454–497 484 252 302.00–340.00 $316.42 $1,531 +3.38
510 thin fleshed 510 87 323.00 $323.00 $1,647 —
500–546 522 413 294.00–319.00 $305.67 $1,596 +7.18
551–596 582 561 265.00–308.50 $291.12 $1,694 +8.22
602–648 628 1,259 257.50–292.50 $280.93 $1,764 +5.87
636–640 638 28 265.50–268.50 $266.90 $1,703 +8.39
659 659 7 249.00 $249.00 $1,641 -14.79
656–698 677 835 255.00–276.50 $265.40 $1,797 +1.61
691–697 695 35 238.00–250.50 $246.59 $1,714 +2.62
700–747 722 1,437 242.00–264.50 $254.46 $1,837 +8.63
726–748 736 239 261.00–274.50 $266.30 $1,960 +29.11
726–745 738 46 231.00–246.00 $235.21 $1,736 -1.98
759–785 771 304 253.00–271.50 $263.71 $2,033 +27.15
751–799 774 710 225.00–248.00 $236.77 $1,833 +0.21
784–787 787 24 219.00–220.00 $219.17 $1,725 -21.48
800–844 821 471 223.00–246.00 $231.28 $1,899 +2.20
853–882 868 272 210.00–219.85 $216.87 $1,882 -6.00
850–892 881 485 217.75–229.50 $222.80 $1,963 -0.07
923 923 7 200.00 $200.00 $1,846 -8.87
965–991 980 101 203.75–206.00 $205.06 $2,010 +2.64
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 6 332.50 $332.50 $1,273 +12.50
418 418 9 312.50 $312.50 $1,306 +22.50
543 543 7 280.00 $280.00 $1,520 +11.32
587 587 14 272.00 $272.00 $1,597 +6.80
649 649 14 244.00 $244.00 $1,584 -9.86
660–687 677 61 227.50–249.00 $233.66 $1,582 -5.93
721–744 742 77 235.00–235.25 $235.23 $1,745 -2.98
757–794 768 13 220.00–227.00 $224.77 $1,726 -1.95
796 796 9 214.00 $214.00 $1,703 -12.72
848 848 12 217.00 $217.00 $1,840 -3.06
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1201–1313 1285 48 169.00–182.00 $178.26 $2,291 +2.26
1248–1389 1311 15 186.50–195.00 $190.43 $2,497 —
1382–1406 1400 12 185.00–186.50 $185.37 $2,595 +0.51
1399–1541 1430 55 184.00–190.50 $186.39 $2,665 +1.53
1379–1485 1449 29 188.00–194.00 $192.00 $2,782 —
1465 value added 1465 6 175.00 $175.00 $2,564 —
1498 1498 2 180.00 $180.00 $2,696 —
1725 1725 2 198.00 $198.00 $3,416 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
734 734 110 1,950.00–1,975.00 $1,965.91 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
528 528 89 327.00 $327.00 $1,727 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–2055 1436 75-80% 49 117.00–128.00 $122.82 $1,764 —
1441–1900 1616 75-80% 26 129.00–136.00 $132.35 $2,139 +21.41
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
670 670 85-90% 1 30.00 $30.00 $201 —
743–1164 923 85-90% 19 50.00–70.00 $64.19 $592 —
1122 1122 85-90% 5 101.00 $101.00 $1,133 -10.34
995–1285 1150 85-90% 3 88.00–98.00 $94.10 $1,082 -10.07
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1685 1273 80-85% 19 105.00–115.00 $110.71 $1,409 -4.71
1110–1585 1334 80-85% 5 116.00 $116.00 $1,547 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1721–1894 1784 65-75% 11 132.00–138.00 $135.68 $2,421 +12.67

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1705–2085 1855 4 145.00–160.00 $149.93 $2,781 —
1775–2470 2003 6 124.00–129.00 $126.36 $2,531 —
1725–2545 2108 10 133.00–140.00 $135.82 $2,863 -5.15

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Beef Dairy Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
512 512 6 220.00 $220.00 $1,126 —
626 626 4 205.00 $205.00 $1,283 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1421 1421 8 163.00 $163.00 $2,316 —
1400–1493 1435 16 161.00–169.00 $166.79 $2,393 —
1614 1614 4 185.00 $185.00 $2,986 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1504–1548 1525 17 151.50–157.50 $154.63 $2,358 +2.58
1473–1632 1561 21 155.00–160.00 $157.85 $2,464 —

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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.