Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, July 15, 2024

4,534 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 $250.35/cwt +4.49 vs last sale · ≈ $2,403/hd at 960 lb · 752 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $234.63/cwt +8.26 vs last sale · ≈ $2,159/hd at 920 lb · 469 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $240.40/cwt +2.95 vs last sale · ≈ $2,086/hd at 868 lb · 266 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,534 11,190 8,685
Feeder cattle 3,835 10,150 7,631
Slaughter cattle 699 1,040 1,054

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers too lightly tested to make full comparisons, steady to firm undertones noted. Few auctions with feeder cattle sales this week as summer sale schedules are in effect at most locations. Very good demand for all weights of steers and heifers as cattle feeders are feeling very optimistic as the cash markets continue to well outperform the futures contracts. Feed costs are much lower than last year, which is also helping to support the feeder cattle market. Grass yearlings are still out grazing as conditions are adequate, allowing a full grazing season. Cash fed cattle up to 196.00, 13.00 premium to the spot month. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 lower, bulls 2.00 to 3.00 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
319 319 10 440.00 $440.00 $1,404 —
558–586 573 28 324.00–334.00 $328.52 $1,882 —
608 608 5 300.00 $300.00 $1,824 -4.52
729–741 737 23 273.00–275.50 $274.75 $2,025 -14.52
799 799 137 265.00 $265.00 $2,117 -6.88
892 892 27 243.00 $243.00 $2,168 -6.50
906–948 923 220 236.00–253.00 $250.43 $2,311 -5.46
951–989 960 752 235.00–252.10 $250.35 $2,403 +20.85
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1016–1026 1021 44 224.00–238.00 $231.47 $2,363 -13.33
1055–1097 1062 516 227.00–244.25 $236.37 $2,510 +3.76
1138–1145 1143 283 225.50–229.25 $227.33 $2,598 +9.83
1158 1158 21 229.00 $229.00 $2,652 +16.52
1252 1252 29 208.00 $208.00 $2,604 -0.50
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1123–1367 1259 37 190.00–205.00 $195.48 $2,461 —
1308–1466 1417 38 193.50–199.00 $195.53 $2,771 —
1417 1417 3 190.00 $190.00 $2,692 —
1454 1454 25 190.00 $190.00 $2,763 —
1521–1535 1524 39 193.00–196.75 $195.88 $2,985 -7.62
1597 1597 6 191.00 $191.00 $3,050 —
1648 1648 2 199.50 $199.50 $3,288 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
538–545 542 10 315.00–320.00 $317.52 $1,721 —
635 635 5 293.00 $293.00 $1,861 +5.47
681 681 9 271.00 $271.00 $1,846 +20.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
318 318 6 350.00 $350.00 $1,113 —
403 403 8 340.00 $340.00 $1,370 +4.61
546–548 547 24 317.50–318.00 $317.71 $1,738 +9.26
619–622 621 16 267.50–280.00 $273.73 $1,700 -20.51
709–732 727 48 254.50–268.00 $257.97 $1,875 -6.49
752–792 778 130 239.00–245.00 $243.39 $1,894 -5.70
829 829 70 242.00 $242.00 $2,006 -1.52
838–843 841 47 238.00–240.00 $239.02 $2,010 -4.50
851 851 72 249.00 $249.00 $2,119 +10.18
861–884 874 194 231.00–239.00 $237.21 $2,073 -1.61
900–940 920 469 229.50–239.00 $234.63 $2,159 +7.88
964–993 981 178 215.00–231.75 $227.47 $2,231 +6.24
1009 1009 8 216.00 $216.00 $2,179 —
1070 1070 39 213.00 $213.00 $2,279 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1058–1218 1084 28 190.00–198.50 $197.37 $2,139 —
1234–1363 1300 62 194.50–198.75 $197.33 $2,565 -3.39
1268–1506 1301 29 191.00–192.00 $191.16 $2,487 -9.56
1295–1498 1458 132 196.00–199.75 $197.32 $2,877 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1034 1011 78 194.00–230.50 $223.36 $2,258 +9.34
1136 1136 7 204.00 $204.00 $2,317 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
939 939 9 215.00 $215.00 $2,019 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
492 492 5 340.00 $340.00 $1,673 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1762 1405 75-80% 56 135.00–150.00 $141.89 $1,994 —
1515–1590 1553 75-80% 2 151.00–155.00 $153.05 $2,377 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1028–1913 1436 80-85% 35 123.00–134.00 $127.38 $1,829 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1375–1845 1589 65-75% 23 142.00–149.00 $145.79 $2,317 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
873–1180 988 85-90% 7 71.00–86.00 $81.86 $809 —
989–1675 1127 85-90% 9 93.00–110.00 $101.34 $1,142 —
1060–1563 1346 85-90% 5 111.00–122.00 $115.27 $1,552 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1595–1960 1739 6 149.00–157.50 $153.96 $2,677 —
1583–2325 1886 8 172.50–191.00 $184.34 $3,477 +19.98
1610–2200 1890 18 159.00–176.00 $168.42 $3,183 +4.06

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1221 1221 8 187.00 $187.00 $2,283 —
1366 1366 6 187.00 $187.00 $2,554 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1348–1629 1518 14 188.00–193.00 $190.22 $2,888 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1482 1482 5 163.00 $163.00 $2,416 —
1563–1675 1580 13 163.00–170.50 $169.28 $2,675 —

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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.