Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 29, 2024

10,806 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 steers $233.73/cwt -10.29 vs last sale · ≈ $2,171/hd at 929 lb · 1,532 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $243.52/cwt +0.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,878/hd at 771 lb · 947 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $255.25/cwt -7.86 vs last sale · ≈ $2,116/hd at 829 lb · 686 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 10,806 20,022 14,270
Feeder cattle 9,838 19,291 13,518
Slaughter cattle 968 731 752

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 5.00 to 10.00 lower, except 1000-1100 lbs steady to 2.00 lower. Feeder heifers 3.00 to 5.00 lower, instances to 10.00 lower. Moderate to good demand for steers and heifers, pressure on the feeder market this week from the volatility in the cattle futures contracts. Cash fed cattle traded higher, up to 187.00, but the contracts for the summer Live Cattle months are only in the 170s. Turnout time is basically here now, keeping demand red hot for those cattle in light enough flesh to run on grass as a yearling. Cattle feeders are much more cautious in their approach to the feeder market, than the backgrounders are, as the Live Cattle contracts continue to disappoint them. Widespread rain the last week has grass green and growing, drier and warmer weather needed to get corn planting going again. Slaughter cows and 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
417–449 426 65 359.00–391.00 $381.55 $1,625 +19.05
474–498 485 51 346.00–366.00 $362.49 $1,758 +14.72
500–531 519 125 324.00–352.00 $342.69 $1,779 +27.44
561–591 573 138 312.00–336.00 $326.14 $1,869 -4.78
601–648 618 100 303.00–329.00 $317.48 $1,962 -4.66
652–698 663 163 273.00–292.00 $286.36 $1,899 -19.77
689 689 11 274.00 $274.00 $1,888 +3.00
702–741 723 97 263.50–283.00 $275.70 $1,993 -12.73
727 727 9 250.00 $250.00 $1,818 -38.43
767–792 778 108 244.00–263.50 $259.67 $2,020 +13.70
791 791 18 244.00 $244.00 $1,930 -26.49
812–848 829 666 236.00–262.25 $255.83 $2,121 -7.53
835 835 20 236.00 $236.00 $1,971 -3.00
854–894 876 509 234.00–262.25 $248.39 $2,176 -3.53
903–949 929 1,532 223.00–240.50 $233.73 $2,171 -10.29
950–993 970 559 218.50–236.00 $228.53 $2,217 -7.71
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1012–1045 1035 238 214.00–232.85 $223.27 $2,311 +20.05
1059–1098 1084 221 209.00–215.00 $214.17 $2,322 +0.06
1173 1173 205 206.75 $206.75 $2,425 -5.60
1201–1202 1202 82 195.00–202.75 $202.09 $2,429 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1248 1248 2 184.50 $184.50 $2,303 —
1388 1388 4 185.50 $185.50 $2,575 —
1390–1475 1463 65 181.00–185.00 $183.89 $2,690 -5.22
1525–1582 1533 62 184.50–185.00 $184.63 $2,830 -2.69
1515–1563 1547 41 187.00–189.50 $188.03 $2,909 +0.71
1599–1664 1636 87 181.50–186.00 $183.83 $3,007 -4.47
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 374 10 394.00 $394.00 $1,474 +39.00
422–445 430 22 321.00–327.50 $324.41 $1,395 —
452–456 454 16 321.00–338.00 $328.47 $1,491 —
543 543 6 321.00 $321.00 $1,743 +30.00
672–690 687 17 250.00–265.00 $252.59 $1,735 -24.11
701–749 733 12 243.00–252.00 $245.87 $1,802 -19.13
820 820 12 228.00 $228.00 $1,870 -5.85
869 869 8 225.50 $225.50 $1,960 -6.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
529 529 29 272.50 $272.50 $1,442 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
397 397 25 363.00 $363.00 $1,441 +25.85
412–447 421 20 312.50–330.00 $320.22 $1,348 -0.87
460–494 473 64 282.50–314.00 $305.44 $1,445 +0.76
502–547 523 162 283.00–325.00 $297.54 $1,556 -14.95
555–599 581 218 285.00–311.50 $296.31 $1,722 +4.19
602–639 612 120 269.00–288.00 $275.71 $1,687 -10.87
629 629 26 250.00 $250.00 $1,572 -36.58
654–699 676 253 248.00–265.00 $258.15 $1,745 -16.87
711 711 16 237.50 $237.50 $1,689 -26.24
703–748 723 318 238.50–268.00 $252.99 $1,829 +26.99
752–796 770 903 226.00–257.50 $243.84 $1,878 +3.08
798 798 44 237.00 $237.00 $1,891 +8.92
801–849 825 577 221.50–236.25 $231.86 $1,913 -5.93
845 845 15 211.00 $211.00 $1,783 -26.79
875–878 875 121 201.00–206.75 $206.46 $1,807 -8.54
873–881 877 187 219.00–224.50 $222.39 $1,950 +7.39
930–932 932 151 205.00–220.25 $214.58 $2,000 +22.58
944 944 10 211.00 $211.00 $1,992 +19.00
970 970 52 193.25 $193.25 $1,875 -5.25
957–990 980 143 202.10–210.00 $205.56 $2,014 +7.06
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
306–312 308 11 265.00–370.00 $331.35 $1,021 —
416–441 433 87 286.00–341.00 $307.01 $1,329 +21.48
499 499 4 272.50 $272.50 $1,360 -43.50
514–544 528 17 255.00–276.00 $265.18 $1,400 -24.82
563–596 573 50 212.50–278.00 $267.62 $1,533 +0.97
607–627 615 42 230.00–249.00 $243.68 $1,499 -6.32
682–684 683 38 226.00–231.00 $229.42 $1,567 —
702–748 732 53 209.00–236.00 $231.44 $1,694 +7.37
892 892 3 197.50 $197.50 $1,762 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1341–1493 1431 156 181.00–186.00 $184.11 $2,635 -3.84
1254–1521 1435 32 180.00–189.50 $184.95 $2,654 -3.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1040 1021 100 198.85–208.00 $202.78 $2,070 -11.72
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
795 795 40 1,975.00 $1,975.00 —
804 804 39 1,900.00 $1,900.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
442 442 14 255.00 $255.00 $1,127 —
487 487 20 255.00 $255.00 $1,242 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1138–1978 1562 80-85% 78 119.00–129.00 $124.33 $1,942 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1530 1096 85-90% 10 40.00–72.50 $54.10 $593 -31.55
869–1708 1135 85-90% 30 77.00–105.00 $92.76 $1,053 —
1009–1612 1298 85-90% 36 107.00–119.00 $113.56 $1,474 +9.76
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1620 1446 75-80% 5 141.00–149.00 $146.37 $2,117 —
1075–1902 1537 75-80% 70 130.00–140.00 $134.45 $2,066 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1490–1730 1570 65-75% 9 139.00–144.00 $142.15 $2,232 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1873–2045 1922 7 155.00–160.00 $158.48 $3,046 —
1525–2490 2010 10 141.00–151.00 $146.75 $2,950 -0.50
2640 2640 2 138.00 $138.00 $3,643 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1414–1454 1439 16 175.00–176.00 $175.37 $2,524 -1.63

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1348 1348 5 168.00 $168.00 $2,265 —
1493–1705 1672 79 176.00–184.00 $182.92 $3,058 —
1690 1690 4 179.00 $179.00 $3,025 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285 1285 5 177.50 $177.50 $2,281 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1341 1341 4 156.00 $156.00 $2,092 +5.64
1440–1578 1523 25 157.50–161.00 $159.68 $2,432 —
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1157 1157 5 135.00 $135.00 $1,562 —

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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.