Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

St. Onge, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 11, 2020

1,774 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest St. Onge Livestock Auction report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $178.12/cwt +0.01 vs last sale · ≈ $932/hd at 523 lb · 271 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $192.32/cwt +0.94 vs last sale · ≈ $846/hd at 440 lb · 246 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $163.55/cwt -0.17 vs last sale · ≈ $952/hd at 582 lb · 246 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,774 4,376 2,220
Feeder cattle 1,774 4,376 2,220

Compared to last week: Feeder steers were steady to 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 550 pounds were steady to 2.00 lower while 550 - 650 weights were 9.00 - 12.00 lower. All offerings today were uniform with weaned flesh conditions. Activity was moderate with supplies clearing the market at a reasonable rate. There were smaller strings offered today but the demand remained good. Next sale is Saturday, Dec 19, 2020.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308 308 6 200.00 $200.00 $616 +15.11
352–392 380 42 205.00–211.00 $206.24 $784 +8.06
414–447 440 246 172.00–198.00 $192.32 $846 +0.94
471 471 29 171.00 $171.00 $805 -10.42
453–498 483 71 174.50–191.00 $179.62 $868 -1.80
517–549 523 271 166.00–180.00 $178.12 $932 +0.01
550–591 582 246 161.50–168.00 $163.55 $952 -0.17
602–645 615 58 146.50–158.50 $154.16 $948 -0.89
652–685 666 82 132.50–146.50 $143.94 $959 -14.81
761–783 771 9 131.00–140.50 $136.21 $1,050 -4.29

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
379 379 19 167.00 $167.00 $633 +3.12
403–442 429 132 154.00–165.00 $160.91 $690 +0.83
451–498 476 34 152.00–161.00 $156.21 $744 -3.51
513–547 528 89 143.50–156.00 $151.46 $800 -0.34
553–595 576 108 131.00–151.00 $144.24 $831 -9.02
604–645 633 79 125.00–139.00 $132.83 $841 -12.06
664–666 665 16 120.00–122.50 $120.94 $804 -16.56
717 717 5 133.00 $133.00 $954 -6.00
840–843 842 6 133.50–135.00 $134.25 $1,130
894 894 6 128.00 $128.00 $1,144 -2.95
900–902 902 25 124.00–130.00 $129.28 $1,166 -2.64

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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.