Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, July 27, 2026

8,228 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 $329.57/cwt +7.48 vs last sale · ≈ $3,240/hd at 983 lb · 1,178 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $324.06/cwt +7.90 vs last sale · ≈ $2,693/hd at 831 lb · 644 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $305.59/cwt +23.68 vs last sale · ≈ $2,857/hd at 935 lb · 559 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 8,228 4,016 7,705
Feeder cattle 7,226 3,276 6,977
Slaughter cattle 1,002 740 728

Compared to last week: Higher undertones for feeder steers and heifers. Only 1 reported feeder cattle auction as the dangerous heat this week made livestock movement hazardous. Good demand for yearling steers and heifers off grass, albeit at lower price levels. Cattle feeders are faced with much adversity currently as the futures contracts have eroded to unexpected low levels, heat indexes of 120 plus resulting in loss of feedyard cattle, reduced performance and lower fat cattle trade. However, packers did have to raise bids to 235.00 by Friday to get cattle bought. Grass is becoming very short, crops have been severely stressed, making for a long summer.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
572 572 9 462.50 $462.50 $2,646
654–687 679 62 397.00–415.00 $401.01 $2,723 -48.99
747–748 747 15 370.00–385.00 $377.00 $2,816
756 unweaned 756 9 340.00 $340.00 $2,570
769–796 789 439 373.00–381.00 $374.48 $2,955 -5.52
808–809 809 18 335.00–347.00 $343.00 $2,775 -8.50
855–899 880 554 344.00–374.00 $362.19 $3,187 +28.59
915–938 925 255 322.00–341.00 $336.22 $3,110 -6.54
953–998 983 1,114 310.00–342.00 $330.64 $3,250 +7.28
987 987 64 311.00 $311.00 $3,070 -12.36
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1040 1016 972 302.00–332.50 $327.05 $3,323 +15.08
1059 1059 40 302.00 $302.00 $3,198 -6.85
1079–1080 1079 84 296.50–300.00 $298.92 $3,225 -9.93
1138 1138 31 271.50 $271.50 $3,090
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1222–1287 1245 14 227.50–228.00 $227.68 $2,835
1443–1485 1476 173 231.00–236.00 $233.10 $3,441 -12.90
1502–1589 1572 174 230.00–233.25 $231.43 $3,638
1616 1616 17 243.00 $243.00 $3,927
1633 1633 38 234.50 $234.50 $3,829
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
599 599 42 437.50 $437.50 $2,621
744 744 68 349.00 $349.00 $2,597
980 980 105 293.00 $293.00 $2,871
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
512 512 6 397.50 $397.50 $2,035
578 578 10 380.00 $380.00 $2,196
681 681 5 352.50 $352.50 $2,401
906–922 913 28 321.00–322.00 $321.53 $2,936
Medium 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 10 235.00 $235.00 $1,093

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
511–526 521 14 420.00–445.00 $428.76 $2,234
602 602 67 427.00 $427.00 $2,571
624–646 634 43 392.50–398.00 $395.52 $2,508
678–687 681 124 366.00–372.00 $370.14 $2,521
696 696 72 414.00 $414.00 $2,881
702 702 86 369.00 $369.00 $2,590 +19.26
707 707 29 357.50 $357.50 $2,528 +7.76
754–787 763 183 335.00–345.00 $342.32 $2,612
801–848 831 644 314.00–330.00 $324.06 $2,693 +7.20
877–890 879 81 309.50–312.50 $309.99 $2,725
927 927 6 289.00 $289.00 $2,679 +7.09
901–946 935 553 294.00–320.00 $305.77 $2,859 +23.86
953–971 956 485 289.00–316.00 $306.05 $2,926 +41.75
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
582 582 45 407.50 $407.50 $2,372
637 637 10 355.00 $355.00 $2,261
862–896 879 118 294.00–299.00 $296.45 $2,606
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1089 1089 9 226.00 $226.00 $2,461
1438 1438 13 243.00 $243.00 $3,494 -6.00
1482 1482 5 225.00 $225.00 $3,334
1348–1590 1485 142 231.00–235.50 $233.56 $3,468
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
714 714 138 347.00 $347.00 $2,478
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 31 393.00 $393.00 $2,162
622 622 11 330.00 $330.00 $2,053
671 671 50 368.00 $368.00 $2,469
717 717 18 331.00 $331.00 $2,373
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1028 1018 30 282.50–311.00 $299.17 $3,046 +27.58
1053–1058 1053 33 279.00–280.00 $279.09 $2,939
1205 1205 7 245.00 $245.00 $2,952

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
735 735 41 380.00 $380.00 $2,793

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1318 1318 14 228.00 $228.00 $3,005 -9.50

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1343–1600 1422 54 227.00–232.00 $228.81 $3,254

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1323–1613 1428 11 216.00–226.00 $221.89 $3,169 -7.11

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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.