Cattle Market Pulse

South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 5, 2026

27,681 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest South Dakota Weekly Cattle Auction Summary report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $480.42/cwt +15.58 vs last sale · ≈ $2,527/hd at 526 lb · 3,217 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $513.10/cwt +7.98 vs last sale · ≈ $2,447/hd at 477 lb · 2,291 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $447.40/cwt +1.35 vs last sale · ≈ $2,564/hd at 573 lb · 2,162 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 27,681 20,558 21,582
Feeder cattle 26,787 19,239 20,616
Slaughter cattle 894 1,319 966

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling feeder steers 2.00 to 7.00 higher, instances of 10.00 higher, except over 1000 lbs 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Yearling feeder heifers steady to 5.00 higher. Spring born steer calves 10.00 to 20.00 higher, except 550-600 lbs steady to 2.00 higher. Heifer calves 10.00 to 20.00 higher, except 400-500 lbs mostly steady. Good to very good demand for yearling steers and heifers, especially by late week when the cattle futures complex rallied and corn futures fell sharply. Cash fed cattle were sluggish in the north all week, with early sales below 220.00 but late week some cattle traded 221.00-222.00. The calf market was substantially more active this week as more buyers were ready to enter the market and take on this good ranch-raised calves. With the Feeder Cattle futures gaining 8.00 and corn losing 20.00, cattle producers got the glimmer of hope they have been waiting for that this recent downturn will turn friendly again. Farmer feeders made great progress with soybean harvest, and starting to combine corn now, giving them a little time to devote to starting newly arrived bawling calves on feed. Larger auction receipts expected in central and western South Dakota next week as the calf marketing season kicks into high gear. Strings of yearlings remain hard to find, which is keeping competition for buying yearlings very high.

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
267 267 5 530.00 $530.00 $1,415 —
306–348 340 133 525.00–670.00 $623.66 $2,120 -10.80
351–397 381 326 495.00–642.50 $602.87 $2,297 +35.72
400–448 423 823 525.00–601.00 $566.26 $2,395 +31.36
451–498 477 2,291 477.00–550.00 $513.10 $2,447 +7.26
500–548 526 3,206 440.00–510.00 $480.52 $2,528 +15.68
543 543 11 450.00 $450.00 $2,444 -14.84
550–598 573 2,156 410.00–465.00 $447.59 $2,565 +1.54
598 598 6 380.00 $380.00 $2,272 -66.05
601–645 619 1,151 391.00–445.00 $430.18 $2,663 +22.40
659–693 682 217 372.00–414.00 $402.91 $2,748 +18.51
701–740 714 347 378.00–405.00 $402.39 $2,873 +46.42
759–773 766 25 348.00–350.00 $348.95 $2,673 -16.34
805–846 811 474 362.00–364.00 $363.17 $2,945 +8.90
868–896 thin fleshed 878 136 354.00–363.00 $359.82 $3,159 —
853–899 881 396 320.00–359.00 $347.73 $3,064 +2.93
900–933 910 292 325.00–350.00 $342.69 $3,118 +2.52
910 910 39 320.50 $320.50 $2,917 -19.67
951–994 975 707 301.00–339.50 $334.94 $3,266 +6.39
990 thin fleshed 990 48 325.00 $325.00 $3,218 —
997 997 58 316.00 $316.00 $3,151 -12.55
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
486 486 13 480.00 $480.00 $2,333 —
534 534 53 454.00 $454.00 $2,424 —
594 594 94 411.00 $411.00 $2,441 —
627 627 16 401.00 $401.00 $2,514 —
1004–1047 1029 613 284.50–322.50 $314.27 $3,234 -3.57
1054–1085 1067 602 274.50–320.00 $303.66 $3,240 +19.52
1101–1143 1130 395 261.00–297.50 $278.58 $3,148 +2.08
1150–1172 1161 369 268.50–292.00 $278.43 $3,233 -12.61
1222–1246 1238 265 268.50–270.25 $269.15 $3,332 —
1266 1266 52 264.00 $264.00 $3,342 —
1329 1329 7 222.50 $222.50 $2,957 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
334 334 7 540.00 $540.00 $1,804 —
385 385 10 565.00 $565.00 $2,175 —
412–441 423 65 475.00–535.00 $520.58 $2,202 +17.22
468–484 475 41 455.00–475.00 $463.06 $2,200 +6.17
500–546 518 139 415.00–483.00 $462.42 $2,395 +33.52
560 560 32 327.00 $327.00 $1,831 -23.00
558–578 572 74 370.00–440.00 $398.82 $2,281 +48.82
676 676 10 357.50 $357.50 $2,417 —
745 745 11 347.00 $347.00 $2,585 -17.00
752–770 767 28 343.00–355.00 $345.10 $2,647 +0.10
809 thin fleshed 809 45 353.00 $353.00 $2,856 —
840–842 840 39 301.00–355.50 $344.74 $2,896 -4.14
885–888 886 61 315.00–319.00 $316.31 $2,803 +9.70
902–908 thin fleshed 904 45 331.00–336.00 $334.66 $3,025 —
901–944 938 38 240.00–255.00 $241.90 $2,269 -58.10
957 957 20 288.00 $288.00 $2,756 —
999 999 12 303.00 $303.00 $3,027 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1371–1386 1379 14 223.00–226.00 $224.51 $3,096 —
1336–1471 1427 51 217.25–226.00 $221.32 $3,158 -2.41
1538 1538 22 224.00 $224.00 $3,445 +4.23
1552–1565 1556 10 220.00–224.00 $222.79 $3,467 +3.40
1532–1597 1570 78 218.75–222.50 $220.15 $3,456 +0.76
1618–1726 1651 299 216.00–221.00 $217.82 $3,596 -0.49
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1022 1022 13 235.00 $235.00 $2,402 —
1097 1097 10 235.00 $235.00 $2,578 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
269 269 5 420.00 $420.00 $1,130 —
308–349 336 141 515.00–620.00 $561.93 $1,888 +58.66
354–399 378 248 410.00–562.50 $514.74 $1,946 +16.13
400–449 432 720 450.00–527.50 $481.80 $2,081 -4.80
432–433 433 167 505.00–512.00 $509.87 $2,208 +23.27
465 fancy 465 21 490.00 $490.00 $2,278 —
450–496 477 1,428 423.00–475.00 $444.42 $2,120 -9.98
478 478 58 500.00 $500.00 $2,390 +45.60
500–547 522 1,569 344.00–442.00 $421.93 $2,202 +9.27
544 544 83 545.00 $545.00 $2,965 +132.34
552–596 573 360 370.00–424.00 $396.96 $2,275 -5.01
561–598 577 186 440.00–447.00 $443.80 $2,561 +41.83
555–592 fancy 580 213 452.50–454.00 $452.88 $2,627 —
601 601 86 471.00 $471.00 $2,831 —
601–636 612 181 348.00–390.00 $366.71 $2,244 +8.55
661–682 670 27 331.00–357.50 $340.49 $2,281 -30.51
674 fancy 674 60 435.00 $435.00 $2,932 —
711 711 83 373.00 $373.00 $2,652 +11.50
735–749 747 88 350.75–369.00 $353.81 $2,643 +2.12
764–789 780 208 321.00–363.00 $344.79 $2,689 -0.17
791 791 77 355.50 $355.50 $2,812 +10.54
802–846 824 100 310.00–344.00 $324.95 $2,678 +18.01
866 866 71 301.00 $301.00 $2,607 -13.67
855–896 881 597 296.00–330.00 $314.00 $2,766 -0.67
901–941 930 90 290.00–316.00 $306.57 $2,851 -0.77
954 954 66 286.00 $286.00 $2,728 +7.00
957–987 978 569 294.50–316.00 $310.00 $3,032 +4.44
1017 1017 8 285.00 $285.00 $2,898 ±0.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
489 489 20 437.00 $437.00 $2,137 —
610 610 12 367.50 $367.50 $2,242 —
1004–1049 1018 424 273.00–302.50 $284.34 $2,895 -12.26
1053–1097 1071 39 279.00–290.00 $282.88 $3,030 -2.98
1110–1145 1116 66 275.00–281.00 $276.03 $3,080 +37.03
1244 1244 6 230.50 $230.50 $2,867 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
283 283 6 590.00 $590.00 $1,670 +17.54
337–346 342 21 555.00–556.00 $555.58 $1,900 —
384–397 389 55 472.50–482.50 $478.44 $1,861 -11.78
418–449 438 76 407.50–487.50 $444.49 $1,947 +5.84
466–493 483 117 352.50–440.00 $413.90 $1,999 -16.10
531–546 539 37 370.00–397.50 $384.53 $2,073 +3.15
551–591 563 26 329.00–372.00 $358.12 $2,016 —
658–687 674 21 330.00–340.00 $335.21 $2,259 +6.21
720–738 731 37 315.00–324.00 $321.70 $2,352 -15.80
755 755 7 324.00 $324.00 $2,446 +5.26
815 815 20 297.50 $297.50 $2,425 —
941 941 10 289.00 $289.00 $2,719 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1269–1499 1406 172 215.50–218.50 $216.98 $3,051 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
489 489 39 430.00 $430.00 $2,103 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
361 361 6 600.00 $600.00 $2,166 —
433 433 6 539.00 $539.00 $2,334 —
450 450 9 480.00 $480.00 $2,160 +27.50
502–522 515 23 380.00–441.00 $420.90 $2,168 —
593 593 18 385.00 $385.00 $2,283 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 7 250.00 $250.00 $1,575 —
884 884 12 302.50 $302.50 $2,674 —

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Beef Dairy Heifers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1496–1555 1513 32 213.00–214.50 $214.16 $3,240 —

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Beef Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1299–1731 1557 35 212.50–215.00 $213.78 $3,329 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
708 708 13 330.00 $330.00 $2,336 —

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Dairy Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1607–1710 1655 17 203.50–208.00 $205.81 $3,406 —

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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.