Cattle Market St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report
St. Onge, South Dakota · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Friday, December 17, 20212,203 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest St. Onge Livestock Auction report →
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 2,203 | 2,071 | 0 |
| Feeder cattle | 2,203 | 2,071 | 0 |
Market comments — USDA reporter
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Feeder Steers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 350–395 | 385 | 41 | 200.00–205.00 | $203.12 | $782 | +5.12 |
| 406 | 406 | 24 | 202.00–208.00 | $204.25 | $829 | -7.40 |
| 490–491 | 490 | 94 | 199.00–200.50 | $200.05 | $980 | -2.75 |
| 762 | 762 | 9 | 158.00 | $158.00 | $1,204 | — |
| 862 | 862 | 18 | 154.00 | $154.00 | $1,327 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 659 | 659 | 5 | 159.50 | $159.50 | $1,051 | — |
| 712 | 712 | 53 | 154.50 | $154.50 | $1,100 | — |
Feeder Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 348 | 348 | 5 | 174.00 | $174.00 | $606 | -16.00 |
| 383 | 383 | 15 | 175.00 | $175.00 | $670 | -9.00 |
| 428–446 | 437 | 35 | 176.00–181.00 | $179.83 | $786 | -3.57 |
| 473–495 | 482 | 68 | 176.00–181.00 | $178.04 | $858 | -5.00 |
| 582 | 582 | 11 | 150.00 | $150.00 | $873 | -11.78 |
| 622 | 622 | 10 | 143.00 | $143.00 | $889 | -16.07 |
| 726–740 | 728 | 23 | 140.00–141.75 | $140.31 | $1,021 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 286 | 286 | 5 | 152.00 | $152.00 | $435 | — |
| 600 | 600 | 6 | 139.00 | $139.00 | $834 | — |
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.
Compared to last week: Heifer and steer calves were lightly tested, with most weights too lightly tested to develop a market trend. Steer calves 400 - 500 lbs sold steady on a light test. Feeder heifers 400 - 500 lbs sold 3.00 lower. Demand was mostly good for this week's offerings, with mostly small and medium packages of calves. Most offerings were weaned and bunk broke. Buyers were active, for this last sale of 2021, despite snow and high winds in the area. The next sale, a feeder calf special, will be January 7, 2022.