Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 7, 2024

29,932 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $326.95/cwt +3.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,715/hd at 525 lb · 2,629 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $237.71/cwt -1.30 vs last sale · ≈ $2,324/hd at 977 lb · 1,846 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $246.00/cwt -1.67 vs last sale · ≈ $2,268/hd at 922 lb · 1,701 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 29,932 24,098 29,142
Feeder cattle 29,864 23,291 28,379
Slaughter cattle 68 807 763

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves steady to 5.00 higher, instances to 8.00 higher on 400-450 lbs steers. Yearling feeder steers and heifers unevenly steady. Very good demand for steer and heifer calves as the fall run gets underway, farmer feeders have a good start on their corn harvest and are ready to buy these high quality calves from Western South Dakota while they are available. Good demand remains for yearlings, supply is tightening as it's time for yearlings to be pulled off grass. Very large calf runs are on the books for West River SD livestock auctions, dry conditions are pushing some cattle to town a bit earlier. Cattle feeders have turned bullish again as cash fed cattle push back up into the high 180s and the Live Cattle futures headed back up to meet the cash. Slaughter cows steady to 2.00 lower, bulls not well compared.

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
318–349 330 71 367.50–420.00 $392.55 $1,295 -14.75
355 thin fleshed 355 83 404.00 $404.00 $1,434 —
353–395 380 178 355.00–410.00 $380.40 $1,446 -4.58
401–448 425 574 332.50–392.50 $366.91 $1,559 +9.09
443 443 38 322.00 $322.00 $1,426 -35.82
451 fancy 451 122 375.00 $375.00 $1,691 —
463 463 5 309.00 $309.00 $1,431 -35.50
450–498 475 1,302 289.00–366.00 $338.24 $1,607 +31.59
500–549 524 2,526 265.00–353.00 $328.35 $1,721 +4.92
511–546 528 39 287.00–307.00 $294.68 $1,556 -28.75
546–547 546 64 290.00–293.00 $291.41 $1,591 -32.02
559 fancy 559 92 326.00 $326.00 $1,822 —
550–597 565 1,340 267.00–330.00 $306.76 $1,733 +1.00
600–646 620 1,172 249.00–305.50 $292.79 $1,815 +2.13
633–640 unweaned 635 119 277.00–289.75 $286.64 $1,820 —
652–687 661 511 256.00–297.50 $286.09 $1,891 +9.37
666 unweaned 666 83 284.50 $284.50 $1,895 —
700–739 717 321 263.00–307.50 $293.90 $2,107 +22.48
752–787 765 231 263.00–278.50 $270.01 $2,066 -0.93
812 812 43 269.00 $269.00 $2,184 +5.72
803–845 815 746 240.25–272.75 $265.19 $2,161 +1.91
858–859 858 94 235.25–237.25 $236.57 $2,030 -12.69
854–898 878 700 216.50–262.00 $251.86 $2,211 +2.60
900–946 921 1,643 221.00–253.50 $246.53 $2,271 -2.02
945 945 58 231.00 $231.00 $2,183 +11.25
956–963 958 281 227.50–231.00 $230.17 $2,205 -8.84
951–998 981 1,565 228.00–249.25 $239.06 $2,345 +0.05
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
464 464 11 326.00 $326.00 $1,513 —
580–589 581 68 284.50–297.00 $295.70 $1,718 —
684 684 5 232.00 $232.00 $1,587 —
1002–1046 1020 1,163 217.10–239.75 $230.46 $2,351 -3.95
1022–1042 1031 56 208.75–221.50 $214.73 $2,214 -19.68
1054–1094 1071 573 222.75–225.50 $224.58 $2,405 -2.52
1085 1085 67 206.50 $206.50 $2,241 -3.75
1105–1122 1118 381 210.50–223.00 $219.77 $2,457 -3.64
1137 1137 55 208.00 $208.00 $2,365 +3.50
1153 1153 129 211.75 $211.75 $2,441 -4.98
1236 1236 48 195.75 $195.75 $2,419 -15.25
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
366–389 372 45 315.00–345.00 $336.11 $1,250 —
406–448 439 110 296.00–354.00 $327.66 $1,438 —
467–497 487 148 292.00–322.00 $312.42 $1,521 -7.60
526–541 532 49 294.00–306.00 $297.61 $1,583 +8.68
550–571 561 32 269.00–275.00 $272.24 $1,527 -19.51
610 unweaned 610 11 277.00 $277.00 $1,690 —
611 611 5 246.00 $246.00 $1,503 -9.87
688 688 14 250.00 $250.00 $1,720 -2.15
701–711 703 23 232.50–242.00 $239.91 $1,687 -13.82
776 776 12 236.00 $236.00 $1,831 —
972 972 6 225.00 $225.00 $2,187 -4.86
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
546 546 7 293.00 $293.00 $1,600 —
567 567 6 286.50 $286.50 $1,624 —
647 unweaned 647 7 262.00 $262.00 $1,695 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
298 298 9 335.00 $335.00 $998 -75.00
303–349 325 95 342.50–407.50 $376.06 $1,222 +14.58
352–399 384 272 310.00–365.00 $348.01 $1,336 +4.81
385 unweaned 385 17 302.50 $302.50 $1,165 —
400–443 420 609 281.00–357.00 $325.53 $1,367 +17.11
427 427 5 277.50 $277.50 $1,185 -30.92
445 445 22 279.00 $279.00 $1,242 -29.42
448 448 6 297.50 $297.50 $1,333 -10.92
451 451 10 273.00 $273.00 $1,231 -11.00
450–499 474 1,167 266.00–317.00 $298.34 $1,414 -7.04
452–487 476 318 317.00–332.00 $321.53 $1,530 +16.15
508 508 61 313.00 $313.00 $1,590 +36.25
502–547 524 722 263.00–297.00 $282.35 $1,480 +5.60
560–566 563 181 304.00–310.00 $306.70 $1,727 +40.75
550–593 566 314 251.00–289.50 $274.65 $1,555 +8.70
595 595 13 258.00 $258.00 $1,535 -7.95
605 605 30 279.00 $279.00 $1,688 +30.19
615 unweaned 615 100 267.00 $267.00 $1,642 —
605–643 626 298 248.00–268.00 $258.00 $1,615 +9.19
651–693 681 176 254.00–265.50 $259.30 $1,766 +9.25
715–749 734 485 241.00–254.00 $249.30 $1,830 -6.79
750–797 771 709 234.00–250.50 $245.46 $1,892 +6.44
800–848 824 970 228.00–247.50 $242.70 $2,000 +3.00
849 849 63 217.50 $217.50 $1,847 -22.20
851–899 869 1,155 214.00–250.00 $235.17 $2,044 +2.83
870 870 60 235.50 $235.50 $2,049 +3.16
884 884 68 222.25 $222.25 $1,965 -10.09
908–946 935 504 216.25–245.00 $222.07 $2,076 +5.57
950–999 977 975 205.00–230.50 $215.87 $2,109 -16.52
962–987 978 628 215.00–235.50 $227.98 $2,230 -4.41
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
542 542 55 279.50 $279.50 $1,515 —
582 582 7 283.00 $283.00 $1,647 —
849 849 5 227.00 $227.00 $1,927 —
940 940 5 226.50 $226.50 $2,129 —
1003–1044 1012 265 200.00–240.00 $215.11 $2,177 -1.48
1052 1052 21 204.50 $204.50 $2,151 -14.77
1058–1061 1060 16 202.00–220.00 $206.49 $2,189 -12.78
1127 1127 46 194.75 $194.75 $2,195 -10.25
1152–1191 1179 19 191.50–199.50 $197.03 $2,323 —
1219 1219 47 185.00 $185.00 $2,255 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341–347 345 26 317.00–339.00 $325.37 $1,123 +52.18
420–449 429 16 283.00–300.00 $294.44 $1,263 +7.63
457–491 478 92 225.00–280.00 $246.07 $1,176 -40.42
506 506 6 237.50 $237.50 $1,202 —
590 590 9 225.00 $225.00 $1,328 —
609–633 616 17 254.50–257.00 $256.24 $1,578 +11.30
750–787 771 32 221.00–238.50 $224.17 $1,728 -9.58
837 837 25 222.50 $222.50 $1,862 -5.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000 1000 4 202.00 $202.00 $2,020 —
1151 1151 6 193.00 $193.00 $2,221 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
573 573 8 267.50 $267.50 $1,533 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 7 230.00 $230.00 $862 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
354 354 38 370.00 $370.00 $1,310 +67.50
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 10 382.50 $382.50 $1,465 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1265 1186 85-90% 4 55.00–87.00 $68.53 $813 -34.94
1025–1638 1223 85-90% 15 112.00–124.00 $117.72 $1,440 —
1075–2310 1412 85-90% 12 101.00–111.00 $103.98 $1,468 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1173–1660 1396 80-85% 23 125.00–133.00 $128.27 $1,791 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1850 1850 1 137.00 $137.00 $2,534 -0.78
1575–2270 1874 10 142.00–147.00 $144.94 $2,716 +7.16

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Dairy Heifers

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
884 884 13 130.00 $130.00 $1,149 —
1074 1074 10 130.00 $130.00 $1,396 —

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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.