Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 6, 2026

27,114 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 $341.91/cwt +8.47 vs last sale · ≈ $3,337/hd at 976 lb · 2,376 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $366.20/cwt +8.05 vs last sale · ≈ $3,216/hd at 878 lb · 2,239 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $384.84/cwt +17.83 vs last sale · ≈ $2,781/hd at 723 lb · 2,183 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 27,114 9,715 23,952
Feeder cattle 27,114 8,602 23,188
Slaughter cattle 0 1,113 764

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers 10.00 to 20.00 higher, except 950-1050 lbs steers 3.00 to 8.00 higher. Very good demand for all weights of steers and heifers, the cattle futures complex continued it's rally, which helped to propel the cash market higher. With hopes of 250.00 cash fat cattle, which materialized by Friday, cattle feeders were willing to chase the market and compete heavily to get cattle bought. The market was incredibly active throughout the week. Grass is turning green and starting to grow, as turnout time is not far away. Much optimism abounds across all sectors of cattle production.

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
400–426 416 19 600.00–635.00 $612.39 $2,548 +10.84
451–477 464 45 522.50–605.00 $562.75 $2,611 +4.72
506–534 514 53 517.50–555.00 $535.25 $2,751 +2.70
525 525 5 475.00 $475.00 $2,494 -57.55
550–598 569 274 477.50–534.00 $503.15 $2,863 +11.10
606–646 630 487 449.00–501.00 $469.12 $2,955 +21.78
650–699 678 761 414.00–470.00 $444.72 $3,015 +21.24
702–747 717 984 395.00–440.50 $424.24 $3,042 +14.73
750–799 776 965 358.00–432.00 $401.68 $3,117 +17.49
799 799 7 375.00 $375.00 $2,996 -9.19
805–847 819 1,199 359.00–399.00 $386.88 $3,169 +10.79
837 837 25 358.00 $358.00 $2,996 -18.09
851–899 878 2,141 346.00–382.50 $367.01 $3,222 +8.86
879–889 886 98 336.00–352.25 $348.41 $3,087 -9.74
907–947 922 1,393 337.75–369.00 $356.89 $3,291 +13.08
924–943 938 40 334.50–337.00 $335.12 $3,143 -8.69
951–996 976 2,308 319.00–348.75 $342.53 $3,343 +27.59
979 979 68 321.00 $321.00 $3,143 +6.06
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1042 1020 726 316.50–335.75 $329.86 $3,365 +2.64
1026 1026 28 307.50 $307.50 $3,155 -19.72
1062–1094 1077 608 310.25–332.50 $324.14 $3,491 +10.14
1104–1131 1122 274 283.00–313.60 $307.95 $3,455 +1.51
1171 1171 63 309.00 $309.00 $3,618 —
1202 1202 73 269.50 $269.50 $3,239 —
1335 1335 4 247.00 $247.00 $3,297 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1496 1496 5 248.00 $248.00 $3,710 —
1504–1595 1566 28 246.00–249.50 $248.17 $3,886 +6.63
1502–1731 1616 41 250.00–254.00 $252.02 $4,073 —
1679–1726 1683 80 246.00–247.00 $246.58 $4,150 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
472–480 478 18 457.50–515.00 $499.22 $2,386 —
509 509 6 475.00 $475.00 $2,418 -10.98
553–596 580 36 400.00–477.50 $447.46 $2,595 —
605–631 621 16 420.00–450.00 $434.14 $2,696 +29.14
663–681 677 27 384.00–418.00 $400.23 $2,710 +7.07
729 729 16 370.00 $370.00 $2,697 -6.00
795 795 7 355.00 $355.00 $2,822 —
804–831 819 9 340.00–361.00 $349.16 $2,860 +4.16
862–876 870 7 325.00–330.00 $327.88 $2,853 —
909 909 5 310.00 $310.00 $2,818 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885 885 8 315.00 $315.00 $2,788 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
366–378 375 18 540.00–615.00 $568.91 $2,133 +43.91
410–446 440 19 539.00–550.00 $540.62 $2,379 -1.91
454–498 469 184 457.50–545.00 $495.40 $2,323 -1.59
511–549 533 138 445.00–485.00 $470.94 $2,510 +11.94
551–593 571 251 405.00–475.00 $447.98 $2,558 +21.89
594 594 30 412.50 $412.50 $2,450 -13.59
602–649 623 994 383.00–456.00 $424.16 $2,643 +25.10
625 625 15 370.00 $370.00 $2,312 -29.06
651–698 678 1,127 372.00–431.00 $399.00 $2,705 +10.41
699 699 9 371.00 $371.00 $2,593 -17.59
700–749 722 1,912 354.00–398.00 $380.94 $2,750 +45.94
719–738 728 271 396.00–450.00 $412.35 $3,002 +44.90
750–799 773 1,048 336.00–385.00 $362.98 $2,806 +9.21
754–786 777 231 381.00–400.00 $392.85 $3,052 +39.08
781–790 789 44 338.00–341.00 $338.34 $2,670 -15.43
805–836 819 448 354.00–412.00 $385.39 $3,156 +54.20
800–849 822 1,424 326.00–364.00 $349.01 $2,869 +17.82
852 852 12 341.00 $341.00 $2,905 +13.87
861 861 25 316.00 $316.00 $2,721 -11.13
850–897 868 1,400 314.25–350.00 $334.19 $2,901 +7.06
900–921 907 255 344.00–357.00 $353.24 $3,204 +43.76
901–948 924 1,272 300.00–339.50 $321.84 $2,974 +12.36
940 940 6 294.00 $294.00 $2,764 -15.48
947 947 37 299.50 $299.50 $2,836 -9.98
956–981 969 161 295.50–314.00 $301.43 $2,921 +20.43
983–996 990 70 267.00–285.00 $278.24 $2,755 -2.76
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
451–480 468 36 420.00–495.00 $450.13 $2,107 —
517–544 533 21 430.00–437.50 $433.63 $2,311 +8.13
557–597 584 123 375.00–432.50 $410.16 $2,395 +35.16
617–642 622 75 282.50–392.50 $354.33 $2,204 -5.14
666–691 668 63 367.00–376.00 $375.41 $2,508 +21.41
704 704 7 350.00 $350.00 $2,464 —
771 771 7 355.00 $355.00 $2,737 —
806 806 4 315.00 $315.00 $2,539 —
883 883 8 312.50 $312.50 $2,759 —
962 962 3 291.00 $291.00 $2,799 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
778 778 9 2,775.00 $2,775.00 -110.00
826–832 829 132 3,100.00–3,230.00 $3,162.28 +273.99
856 856 58 3,150.00 $3,150.00 -45.84
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1304–1560 1452 60 245.75–254.00 $249.14 $3,618 +0.25
1437–1490 1454 134 246.50–249.50 $248.20 $3,609 -0.69
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1079 1079 49 287.00 $287.00 $3,097 +7.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
493 493 18 505.00 $505.00 $2,490 —
595 595 6 420.00 $420.00 $2,499 —
704–706 705 14 360.00 $360.00 $2,538 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1460 1460 33 245.00 $245.00 $3,577 —
1358–1548 1472 79 243.75–246.25 $244.86 $3,604 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1464–1662 1592 58 241.00–244.50 $243.36 $3,874 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 5 440.00 $440.00 $1,971 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1517–1641 1561 17 229.00–230.00 $229.63 $3,585 —

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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.