Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, April 13, 2026

18,530 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 $353.37/cwt -2.91 vs last sale · ≈ $3,268/hd at 925 lb · 1,698 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $340.56/cwt -17.16 vs last sale · ≈ $2,823/hd at 829 lb · 1,162 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $424.22/cwt -0.02 vs last sale · ≈ $3,071/hd at 724 lb · 1,041 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 18,530 27,114 13,351
Feeder cattle 17,340 27,114 12,795
Slaughter cattle 1,190 0 556

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers unevenly steady. Very good demand for all weights of steers and heifers, but by the end of the week enthusiasm to buy cattle had softened as the futures contracts moved lower. With last week's spike to 250.00 in the cash fat cattle market, the feeder cattle market started the week higher but as the week progressed and the futures turned lower, cattle feeders became a little more wary. Auction sales are becoming more sporadic as we enter the spring marketing season, as many auction markets are selling on an every other week basis. The competition to own feeder cattle is very high, and a biweekly sale schedule creates more even more urgency to buy cattle when they are presented to you. The market was extremely active as there is great hope that the 250.00 level can be maintained.

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
457–492 480 61 520.00–550.00 $535.71 $2,571 -27.04
503–544 532 201 450.00–545.00 $502.40 $2,673 +27.40
551–599 574 214 460.00–522.50 $494.19 $2,837 -8.96
603 thin fleshed 603 8 500.00 $500.00 $3,015 —
603–646 629 590 426.00–490.00 $471.76 $2,967 +2.64
651–699 683 461 415.00–465.00 $440.84 $3,011 -3.88
681–697 693 26 412.50–415.00 $414.34 $2,871 -30.38
700–747 724 1,041 404.00–451.50 $424.22 $3,071 -0.02
753–794 775 863 383.00–417.00 $397.75 $3,083 -3.93
794 794 13 376.00 $376.00 $2,985 +1.00
812–835 826 17 346.00–357.00 $352.54 $2,912 -34.34
801–846 832 688 350.00–389.00 $372.95 $3,103 +14.95
865 thin fleshed 865 47 382.50 $382.50 $3,309 —
852–898 873 860 353.00–376.50 $366.81 $3,202 -0.20
885 885 30 340.00 $340.00 $3,009 -8.41
906–910 909 20 332.50–335.00 $334.25 $3,038 -22.64
900–948 925 1,678 334.00–368.75 $353.60 $3,271 -3.29
951–997 979 733 324.00–347.75 $338.75 $3,316 +17.75
991–999 993 27 315.00–320.00 $316.30 $3,141 -4.70
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1001–1030 1015 1,377 322.00–342.50 $336.49 $3,415 +6.63
1051–1097 1076 150 317.00–319.75 $318.42 $3,426 -5.72
1115 1115 23 309.00 $309.00 $3,445 +1.05
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1312 1312 11 268.50 $268.50 $3,523 —
1405 1405 5 249.50 $249.50 $3,505 —
1463 1463 54 263.00 $263.00 $3,848 +15.00
1451–1491 1473 11 255.00 $255.00 $3,756 +7.00
1502–1599 1539 87 248.50–255.50 $252.81 $3,891 —
1616–1688 1654 19 249.00–252.00 $250.39 $4,141 +3.81
1640–1754 1686 213 250.50–252.50 $250.90 $4,230 +4.32
1816 1816 7 247.00 $247.00 $4,486 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
418–444 430 9 510.00–520.00 $515.41 $2,216 —
497 497 7 502.50 $502.50 $2,497 +3.28
530 530 3 515.00 $515.00 $2,730 +40.00
575–593 581 18 437.00–447.00 $441.91 $2,567 -5.55
605–635 619 50 425.00–448.00 $439.11 $2,718 +4.97
683–690 687 16 412.50–415.00 $414.07 $2,845 +13.84
730–746 741 66 387.50–423.00 $404.06 $2,994 +34.06
878 878 11 351.00 $351.00 $3,082 +23.12
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1029–1032 1031 33 305.00–314.00 $307.99 $3,175 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402–439 422 34 490.00–575.00 $545.53 $2,302 +4.91
450–492 474 81 475.00–505.00 $485.07 $2,299 -10.33
502–540 523 146 445.00–499.00 $466.67 $2,441 -4.27
555–597 577 296 402.50–454.00 $446.44 $2,576 -1.54
582–588 583 42 405.00–427.50 $423.18 $2,467 +10.68
602–646 636 466 395.00–427.50 $414.79 $2,638 +44.79
669–672 670 100 423.50–432.50 $425.31 $2,850 +26.31
650–699 673 755 365.00–425.00 $395.55 $2,662 -3.45
677–691 682 26 350.00–363.00 $357.94 $2,441 -41.06
700–749 722 600 355.00–395.00 $378.95 $2,736 -1.99
724–738 731 249 356.00–364.00 $359.38 $2,627 -52.97
709–742 732 159 400.00–436.00 $417.75 $3,058 +5.40
750–787 767 268 375.00–401.00 $390.86 $2,998 +27.88
750–793 771 398 347.00–379.00 $367.07 $2,830 +4.09
802 802 14 391.00 $391.00 $3,136 +5.61
802–840 829 1,093 331.00–360.50 $340.44 $2,822 -8.57
836 836 55 330.00 $330.00 $2,759 -19.01
851 851 33 394.00 $394.00 $3,353 +53.00
851–895 874 294 315.00–344.50 $333.53 $2,915 -0.66
880 880 12 311.00 $311.00 $2,737 -23.19
900–942 918 436 313.00–343.50 $322.07 $2,957 +0.23
950–984 962 99 300.00–319.00 $314.57 $3,026 +13.14
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1282–1596 1452 262 248.00–252.00 $249.20 $3,618 +0.06
1439–1593 1519 19 248.00–251.00 $249.97 $3,797 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1046 1046 31 287.00 $287.00 $3,002 —
1127 1127 50 285.50 $285.50 $3,218 —
1156–1158 1157 150 285.50 $285.50 $3,303 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440–444 442 12 445.00–470.00 $455.36 $2,013 —
464 464 20 452.50 $452.50 $2,100 +2.37
521–548 535 18 435.00–440.00 $438.11 $2,344 +4.48
584–598 588 34 375.00–420.00 $398.30 $2,342 -11.86
602 thin fleshed 602 5 410.00 $410.00 $2,468 —
624 624 7 395.00 $395.00 $2,465 +40.67
699 699 42 357.00 $357.00 $2,495 -18.41
700–706 705 39 354.00–362.50 $355.08 $2,503 +5.08
780–795 787 27 333.00–335.00 $333.97 $2,628 -21.03
800 800 11 327.00 $327.00 $2,616 +12.00
881 881 15 313.00 $313.00 $2,758 +0.50
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
747 747 63 3,120.00 $3,120.00 —
768 768 12 2,950.00 $2,950.00 +175.00
816 816 37 3,000.00 $3,000.00 -162.28
919 919 61 3,320.00 $3,320.00 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1313–1579 1454 26 246.00–248.00 $247.23 $3,595 +2.23

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390–1659 1560 47 247.00–251.50 $249.89 $3,898 +6.53
1891 1891 9 243.00 $243.00 $4,595 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1323–1849 1528 23 216.00–226.00 $222.23 $3,396 —

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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.