Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, August 24, 2026

11,220 head sold ·Official USDA report

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $312.72/cwt +17.11 vs last sale · ≈ $2,718/hd at 869 lb · 1,183 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $328.24/cwt +3.11 vs last sale · ≈ $3,036/hd at 925 lb · 977 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $303.10/cwt +4.09 vs last sale · ≈ $2,804/hd at 925 lb · 948 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 11,220 6,462 9,146
Feeder cattle 9,900 5,663 7,906
Slaughter cattle 1,320 799 1,240

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers unevenly steady. Moderate to good demand for yearling steers and heifers, demand much better for yearlings straight off grass in that highly desirable light flesh condition. Cattle feeders are very uncertain about the road ahead, as the cash fed cattle market fell below 220.00 by early week and the deferred months of the Live Cattle futures continue to slide lower. The severe drought is pushing yearlings off grass, some having to supplemental feed. Cattle feeders want to buy these yearlings while they can but are struggling to get them bought at prices that breakeven to where the futures contracts are at. Silage harvest underway already as corn is drying quickly as it stays hot and dry.

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
297 297 5 595.00 $595.00 $1,767 —
316–321 318 16 585.00–612.50 $602.09 $1,915 —
365 365 10 550.00 $550.00 $2,008 +35.00
403 403 31 530.00 $530.00 $2,136 —
456–483 465 19 470.00–485.00 $477.04 $2,218 —
534 534 5 425.00 $425.00 $2,270 -32.50
637–646 640 25 365.00–391.00 $378.48 $2,422 -31.52
698 698 8 370.00 $370.00 $2,583 —
706–733 725 34 348.00–383.00 $362.51 $2,628 +4.08
730 730 23 327.00 $327.00 $2,387 -31.43
750–798 758 84 339.00–362.00 $353.33 $2,678 -3.67
800–841 819 191 320.00–354.00 $344.82 $2,824 -2.26
852 852 13 305.00 $305.00 $2,599 -21.20
850–883 864 225 323.00–334.00 $328.36 $2,837 +2.16
900–949 925 977 302.00–335.50 $328.24 $3,036 +2.54
953–998 973 703 301.75–320.75 $309.08 $3,007 -6.36
1070 1070 19 286.50 $286.50 $3,066 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1002–1046 1027 1,103 293.75–317.00 $300.00 $3,081 -2.56
1053–1096 1072 289 284.00–294.75 $291.04 $3,120 -3.81
1115 1115 39 276.00 $276.00 $3,077 -5.44
1174–1177 1176 21 263.25–269.50 $266.53 $3,134 -11.25
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–1378 1357 23 215.00–216.00 $215.47 $2,924 —
1404–1456 1442 29 215.50–217.00 $216.60 $3,123 —
1510–1678 1577 261 214.00–219.00 $216.08 $3,408 —
1601–1660 1631 369 215.00–219.00 $217.22 $3,543 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 8 475.00 $475.00 $1,876 —
447 447 3 460.00 $460.00 $2,056 —
623–634 628 11 345.00–380.00 $361.06 $2,267 -28.94
668 668 5 315.00 $315.00 $2,104 -47.70
794–799 796 17 301.00–309.00 $303.84 $2,419 —
855 855 11 302.00 $302.00 $2,582 -21.00
901–937 919 34 298.00–305.00 $302.46 $2,780 +5.46
989 989 15 290.50 $290.50 $2,873 -3.15
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
704 704 6 315.00 $315.00 $2,218 —
811 811 5 260.00 $260.00 $2,109 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1068 1068 10 275.00 $275.00 $2,937 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
242 242 6 650.00 $650.00 $1,573 —
351 351 8 525.00 $525.00 $1,843 +40.00
458–465 461 11 445.00 $445.00 $2,051 —
505 505 8 410.00 $410.00 $2,070 —
576 576 16 395.00 $395.00 $2,275 -0.95
601–629 613 36 342.00–362.50 $353.82 $2,169 -33.11
662–686 672 19 352.50–367.50 $358.95 $2,412 -10.46
704–749 728 104 317.50–357.00 $349.44 $2,544 +2.44
763–770 764 69 265.00–303.00 $299.11 $2,285 +5.33
776 thin fleshed 776 74 368.00 $368.00 $2,856 —
751–798 777 444 296.00–350.00 $319.75 $2,484 +25.97
811–849 841 325 301.00–314.50 $304.02 $2,557 -1.71
850–899 869 1,178 287.00–329.00 $312.90 $2,719 +17.29
877 877 5 270.00 $270.00 $2,368 -25.61
904–947 925 948 285.00–328.00 $303.10 $2,804 +26.94
961 961 131 273.00 $273.00 $2,624 -4.67
958–993 981 787 274.00–322.00 $294.35 $2,888 -17.65
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1037 1018 256 267.00–312.00 $294.59 $2,999 +0.78
1064–1078 1071 15 278.00–298.00 $291.46 $3,122 -0.54
1112 1112 45 248.00 $248.00 $2,758 —
1108–1147 1131 40 282.00–288.00 $284.98 $3,223 —
1214–1217 1216 22 214.00–269.00 $244.03 $2,967 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1314–1515 1395 203 214.50–219.00 $216.94 $3,026 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 4 495.00 $495.00 $1,698 -40.00
350 350 3 450.00 $450.00 $1,575 —
637 637 11 345.00 $345.00 $2,198 —
698 698 10 327.00 $327.00 $2,282 -11.03
791 791 10 265.00 $265.00 $2,096 —
844 844 16 280.00 $280.00 $2,363 —
865 865 8 283.00 $283.00 $2,448 —
923–937 933 53 277.00–292.00 $287.10 $2,679 +4.10
950 950 18 306.00 $306.00 $2,907 +22.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1023 1023 8 245.00 $245.00 $2,506 -21.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885 885 6 230.00 $230.00 $2,036 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
464 464 6 435.00 $435.00 $2,018 —
584 584 9 350.00 $350.00 $2,044 —
776 776 9 320.00 $320.00 $2,483 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
469 469 5 385.00 $385.00 $1,806 —
538 538 4 402.50 $402.50 $2,165 —
707 707 14 334.00 $334.00 $2,361 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1366–1658 1546 37 215.00–217.50 $216.33 $3,344 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1433 1433 4 217.00 $217.00 $3,110 —
1440–1618 1485 17 203.00–212.00 $208.63 $3,098 —

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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.