Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, September 28, 2026

20,558 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 $328.55/cwt -5.24 vs last sale · ≈ $3,203/hd at 975 lb · 1,460 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $305.10/cwt +8.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,950/hd at 967 lb · 1,375 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $308.97/cwt +1.25 vs last sale · ≈ $2,852/hd at 923 lb · 1,344 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 20,558 22,632 17,706
Feeder cattle 19,239 20,898 16,772
Slaughter cattle 1,319 1,734 934

Compared to last week: Yearling feeder steers and heifers unevenly steady. Steer calves mostly 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Heifer calves mostly 13.00 to 16.00 lower. Good to very good demand for yearling steers and heifers as cattle feeders want to refill their empty pens with yearlings straight off grass while they are available. Calf demand more moderate as farmer feeders have turned their full attention to fall harvest after being rain delayed for 3 weeks. There continues to be pressure on the feeder market as the cattle feeders are still struggling to get their cattle sold above 220.00, reports of 217.00 and 218.00 throughout the week in Iowa. Feed yard pen conditions have been a problem after the rainy month of September, making cattle yield poorer and cattle feeders now needing to get pens in better shape before they bring calves in. Large calf runs in the western and central auctions as the fall calf run is in full swing.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
307–319 310 101 575.00–640.00 $634.46 $1,967 -10.52
352–398 380 299 525.00–615.00 $567.15 $2,155 -52.51
412–446 433 306 489.00–572.50 $534.90 $2,316 -7.02
440 440 14 512.50 $512.50 $2,255 -29.42
452–494 476 878 455.00–537.50 $505.84 $2,408 +3.24
495 495 11 447.50 $447.50 $2,215 -55.10
502–549 522 650 392.50–484.00 $464.84 $2,426 -8.33
550–593 570 1,300 415.00–462.50 $446.05 $2,542 +9.52
604–644 618 203 352.50–425.00 $407.78 $2,520 -9.89
669–695 675 50 376.00–387.50 $384.40 $2,595 -12.97
699 699 11 338.00 $338.00 $2,363 -59.37
700–737 723 85 339.75–365.00 $355.97 $2,574 -17.07
756–772 763 26 363.00–367.00 $365.29 $2,787 -3.92
802–847 825 703 345.00–364.50 $354.27 $2,923 +4.51
854–898 887 565 333.50–359.00 $344.80 $3,058 -7.71
901–945 913 657 308.00–348.00 $340.17 $3,106 +29.17
922–944 929 195 309.00–316.00 $313.69 $2,914 -26.59
951–999 975 1,460 295.50–345.25 $328.55 $3,203 -6.31
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1002–1033 1016 28 281.00–297.00 $289.45 $2,941 -22.21
1002–1048 1022 831 299.00–330.00 $317.84 $3,248 +6.18
1053–1080 1068 351 281.00–287.00 $284.14 $3,035 -17.64
1054–1097 1075 560 288.50–318.00 $305.24 $3,281 +3.46
1103–1119 1114 272 281.50–302.25 $297.17 $3,310 +5.39
1122 1122 98 276.50 $276.50 $3,102 -15.28
1160–1179 1167 96 238.00–296.00 $291.04 $3,396 +2.21
1184 1184 17 253.00 $253.00 $2,996 -35.83
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305 1305 5 226.00 $226.00 $2,949 —
1383–1490 1448 53 222.50–224.50 $223.73 $3,240 -4.41
1473 1473 3 220.00 $220.00 $3,241 —
1493 1493 6 221.00 $221.00 $3,300 —
1518–1564 1543 13 219.50–220.00 $219.77 $3,391 —
1540–1592 1558 80 218.00–221.25 $219.39 $3,418 -1.46
1586 1586 18 226.50 $226.50 $3,592 +3.50
1605–1722 1659 434 216.25–221.75 $218.31 $3,622 +1.20
1725 1725 72 213.00 $213.00 $3,674 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
284 284 4 520.00 $520.00 $1,477 -122.50
418–436 426 35 483.00–525.00 $503.36 $2,144 —
480–492 484 27 410.00–478.00 $456.89 $2,211 +25.37
513–543 528 30 412.50–438.00 $428.90 $2,265 -0.98
585 585 5 350.00 $350.00 $2,048 —
651 thin fleshed 651 7 382.00 $382.00 $2,487 —
734 734 9 364.00 $364.00 $2,672 +9.48
798 798 8 345.00 $345.00 $2,753 +4.44
803–815 808 13 345.00–355.00 $348.88 $2,819 —
892–893 893 26 290.00–326.00 $306.61 $2,738 -18.39
910 910 11 300.00 $300.00 $2,730 -21.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
548 548 5 367.50 $367.50 $2,014 —
579 579 7 345.00 $345.00 $1,998 —
617 617 11 340.00 $340.00 $2,098 —
803 803 23 290.00 $290.00 $2,329 —

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 3 495.00 $495.00 $1,138 —
305–323 307 80 460.00–557.50 $503.27 $1,545 -116.73
360–399 385 267 470.00–559.00 $498.61 $1,920 -45.78
400–436 421 364 450.00–525.00 $486.60 $2,049 +19.06
450–488 463 466 431.00–475.00 $454.40 $2,104 -16.88
496 496 5 400.00 $400.00 $1,984 -71.28
506–546 530 445 372.00–440.00 $412.66 $2,187 -12.85
563–585 566 130 330.00–424.00 $401.97 $2,275 +12.29
609–649 644 60 357.00–367.50 $358.16 $2,307 -7.06
662 662 68 371.00 $371.00 $2,456 +36.32
685 685 8 340.00 $340.00 $2,329 -42.53
714 714 65 361.50 $361.50 $2,581 +3.56
738 738 8 328.00 $328.00 $2,421 -34.55
718–744 740 140 341.00–360.00 $351.69 $2,603 -10.86
761–795 776 81 324.00–358.00 $344.96 $2,677 -4.10
800–834 820 375 314.00–340.50 $333.89 $2,738 +3.65
808–846 821 27 303.00–309.00 $306.94 $2,520 -23.30
847 847 7 305.00 $305.00 $2,583 -31.50
857–899 878 469 293.00–333.00 $314.67 $2,763 -8.86
893 893 57 325.50 $325.50 $2,907 +1.97
900–907 903 140 325.50 $325.50 $2,939 +17.07
907 907 47 300.00 $300.00 $2,721 -8.43
900–949 926 1,157 285.00–317.50 $307.34 $2,846 -5.63
958 958 24 279.00 $279.00 $2,673 -0.02
951–999 967 1,351 290.00–311.00 $305.56 $2,955 +26.54
1001 1001 9 298.00 $298.00 $2,983 —
1003 1003 8 285.00 $285.00 $2,859 —
1084–1091 1087 15 281.00–284.00 $282.20 $3,068 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1041 1010 126 287.00–301.00 $296.60 $2,996 +20.85
1001–1025 1010 110 254.00–269.50 $262.77 $2,654 -12.98
1005–1014 1010 183 310.00 $310.00 $3,131 +34.25
1060 1060 20 257.00 $257.00 $2,724 -20.84
1051–1084 1071 66 275.00–296.50 $285.86 $3,062 +8.02
1123 1123 8 239.00 $239.00 $2,684 -33.79
1136 1136 21 260.00–274.00 $270.67 $3,075 -2.12
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
283–296 290 14 548.00–590.00 $572.46 $1,660 -37.54
300 300 3 430.00 $430.00 $1,290 —
358–399 387 86 380.00–505.00 $490.22 $1,897 +10.99
425–442 440 59 433.00–457.50 $438.65 $1,930 -6.35
464–487 471 17 430.00 $430.00 $2,025 +6.62
507–549 532 115 355.00–399.00 $381.38 $2,029 +3.88
699 699 7 329.00 $329.00 $2,300 —
708 708 9 313.00 $313.00 $2,216 -9.00
709 709 7 337.50 $337.50 $2,393 +15.50
757–767 762 12 317.50–320.00 $318.74 $2,429 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1223–1373 1307 24 218.75–219.00 $218.85 $2,860 +2.85
1315–1321 1319 27 214.50–215.00 $214.83 $2,834 -1.17
1223–1484 1345 55 216.00–220.50 $218.36 $2,937 +2.36
1467 1467 12 224.50 $224.50 $3,293 —

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
266 266 20 675.00 $675.00 $1,796 —
331–346 343 54 445.00–595.00 $562.80 $1,930 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485 485 25 452.50 $452.50 $2,195 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
234 234 16 625.00 $625.00 $1,462 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 5 330.00 $330.00 $1,462 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1405–1583 1484 43 213.50–217.00 $215.15 $3,193 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1707 1634 38 210.00–217.00 $214.66 $3,508 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
777 777 5 325.00 $325.00 $2,525 —
865 865 5 305.00 $305.00 $2,638 —

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1478 1478 6 210.00 $210.00 $3,104 —

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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.