Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 30, 2024

24,098 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 $231.37/cwt +4.05 vs last sale · ≈ $2,132/hd at 922 lb · 2,386 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $247.68/cwt +1.15 vs last sale · ≈ $2,309/hd at 932 lb · 1,383 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $239.01/cwt -2.82 vs last sale · ≈ $2,347/hd at 982 lb · 1,291 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 24,098 22,654 21,245
Feeder cattle 23,291 21,467 20,571
Slaughter cattle 807 1,187 674

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: A larger offering of spring born steer and heifer calves sold with a higher undertone, yearlings feeder steers and heifers steady to 4.00 higher. Moderate demand for calves as most cattle feeders are busy with harvest and aren't quite ready to take on a bawling calf, the hot days and cool nights along with the dusty conditions make it difficult to keep calves healthy. Good demand for yearlings as the supply gets tighter and the cattle futures complex had a good week and made solid gains. The bearishness that was present in the futures contracts, that was weighing down the market, has eased currently as the futures have seemed to find a support level. More spring calves will be offered next week as the fall run gets underway. Very dry conditions is making western SD producers send cattle to town. 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
283 283 38 415.00 $415.00 $1,174 -5.00
328–336 332 25 397.50–420.00 $407.30 $1,352 -25.62
358–398 381 342 360.00–413.00 $384.98 $1,467 +6.57
406 thin fleshed 406 113 383.00 $383.00 $1,555 —
403–448 441 674 332.00–372.00 $357.82 $1,578 -8.16
451–494 469 716 315.00–365.00 $344.50 $1,616 +11.90
471–489 474 90 305.00–314.00 $306.65 $1,454 -25.95
502–548 525 916 302.00–336.00 $323.43 $1,698 +13.48
551–598 569 714 275.00–324.00 $305.76 $1,740 +22.22
600–647 612 287 265.00–304.00 $290.66 $1,779 +19.74
654–695 671 146 250.50–290.50 $276.72 $1,857 +25.64
698 698 5 225.00 $225.00 $1,570 —
715–746 732 147 249.00–275.50 $271.42 $1,987 +9.79
753–785 771 281 232.00–280.00 $270.94 $2,089 +11.53
800–849 822 147 253.00–274.00 $263.28 $2,164 +4.50
851–896 876 598 225.00–259.00 $249.26 $2,184 -1.83
894 894 6 236.00 $236.00 $2,110 -23.00
900–948 932 1,341 229.00–253.00 $248.55 $2,316 +2.09
943 943 42 219.75 $219.75 $2,072 -26.71
951–997 982 1,291 220.00–251.25 $239.01 $2,347 -2.85
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 17 234.00 $234.00 $2,118 —
1003–1049 1026 1,881 214.00–242.50 $234.41 $2,405 +0.54
1050–1094 1070 1,089 191.00–235.25 $227.10 $2,430 -1.63
1085 1085 77 210.25 $210.25 $2,281 -18.48
1102–1129 1114 601 219.75–226.00 $223.41 $2,489 -8.82
1128 1128 38 204.50 $204.50 $2,307 -27.73
1150–1191 1172 576 194.00–218.85 $216.73 $2,540 +2.91
1217 1217 52 211.00 $211.00 $2,568 —
1271 1271 9 190.00 $190.00 $2,415 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1308–1411 1321 63 191.50–195.50 $194.96 $2,575 +3.96
1296–1490 1388 60 187.00–192.75 $188.47 $2,616 +3.52
1318–1521 1485 33 186.00–188.00 $186.77 $2,774 —
1501–1528 1505 57 191.00–192.25 $191.95 $2,889 +9.20
1544–1599 1575 9 192.50–193.50 $193.06 $3,041 —
1622 1622 3 184.00 $184.00 $2,984 -0.53
1606–1711 1633 179 186.50–190.25 $188.55 $3,079 +4.02
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
468–479 475 33 297.50–327.50 $320.02 $1,520 -6.54
526–532 529 23 276.00–295.00 $288.93 $1,528 +10.73
554–574 571 23 261.00–298.00 $291.75 $1,666 +41.75
603–646 618 27 249.00–260.00 $255.87 $1,581 -5.54
654–684 667 28 236.00–260.00 $252.15 $1,682 —
723–738 734 53 249.50–267.00 $253.73 $1,862 +2.73
814–827 826 87 221.00–257.50 $255.43 $2,110 +23.23
865–898 878 92 222.00–245.00 $235.09 $2,064 -0.13
960–989 985 36 229.25–233.75 $229.86 $2,264 +5.36
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
884 884 24 224.00 $224.00 $1,980 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1053 1053 9 205.00 $205.00 $2,159 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
583 583 5 110.00 $110.00 $641 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
271 271 38 410.00 $410.00 $1,111 +10.00
317–348 332 45 340.00–400.00 $361.48 $1,200 -23.07
353–399 384 408 295.00–355.00 $343.20 $1,318 +37.20
405–446 424 365 279.00–317.50 $308.42 $1,308 -5.22
464 464 9 284.00 $284.00 $1,318 -14.55
451–496 465 780 270.00–326.00 $305.38 $1,420 +6.83
500–538 524 202 256.00–287.00 $276.75 $1,450 +6.43
533–536 535 106 286.00–291.00 $290.01 $1,552 +19.69
555–580 564 150 241.00–280.50 $265.95 $1,500 +5.25
616–648 637 15 240.00–253.00 $248.81 $1,585 -8.19
650–698 677 191 221.00–263.00 $250.05 $1,693 +1.40
691–695 691 90 254.00–255.00 $254.08 $1,756 +5.43
702–747 723 195 237.00–263.00 $256.09 $1,852 +6.09
769 769 76 252.00 $252.00 $1,938 +11.63
750–798 772 558 223.00–249.50 $239.02 $1,845 -1.35
801–842 817 880 223.00–250.00 $239.70 $1,958 +4.22
817 817 58 252.00 $252.00 $2,059 +16.52
861 861 58 242.00 $242.00 $2,084 +13.81
850–899 872 1,159 212.00–246.50 $232.34 $2,026 +4.15
920 920 57 224.00 $224.00 $2,061 -1.35
900–944 921 2,269 205.00–243.00 $231.95 $2,136 +6.60
945 945 60 216.50 $216.50 $2,046 -14.04
959 959 108 236.00 $236.00 $2,263 +6.89
951–996 964 325 211.00–238.50 $232.39 $2,240 +3.28
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
866 866 17 219.50 $219.50 $1,901 —
1005–1037 1023 344 204.00–228.00 $216.59 $2,216 +10.89
1054–1095 1068 105 216.50–222.50 $219.27 $2,342 +9.86
1135 1135 12 205.00 $205.00 $2,327 +11.37
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
314–326 319 9 265.00–280.00 $273.19 $871 -38.93
372–395 386 52 261.00–320.00 $302.81 $1,169 -2.71
424–442 431 15 282.50–293.00 $286.81 $1,236 +24.81
488–493 491 72 276.00–293.00 $286.49 $1,407 +14.35
542 542 3 251.00 $251.00 $1,360 -9.00
605–644 630 14 241.00–252.50 $244.94 $1,543 —
701–716 706 13 225.00–231.00 $226.87 $1,602 -10.13
793 793 18 233.75 $233.75 $1,854 +8.25
820 820 35 228.00 $228.00 $1,870 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1274–1513 1337 28 187.50–192.25 $189.97 $2,540 —
1330–1490 1366 17 189.25–193.00 $190.54 $2,603 +10.67

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 5 343.00 $343.00 $1,372 —
519 519 11 291.00 $291.00 $1,510 +11.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
373 373 6 302.50 $302.50 $1,128 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–1500 1157 85-90% 14 52.50–87.50 $72.52 $839 —
825–1928 1166 85-90% 41 91.00–110.00 $103.47 $1,206 —
980–1853 1369 85-90% 57 112.00–124.00 $116.82 $1,599 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1730 1237 80-85% 17 127.00–133.00 $130.04 $1,609 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1455 1314 75-80% 13 133.00–139.00 $134.60 $1,769 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1707 1707 65-75% 3 131.00 $131.00 $2,236 -0.76

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1675–1985 1815 8 151.00–156.00 $153.01 $2,777 —
1740–2020 1880 2 132.00–144.50 $137.78 $2,590 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1680 1680 4 164.00 $164.00 $2,755 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1404–1663 1623 85 176.00–181.00 $179.60 $2,915 —
2020 2020 2 167.50 $167.50 $3,384 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1534–1894 1597 78 163.50–166.00 $164.38 $2,625 —

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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.