Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, December 9, 2022

1,737 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 $214.66/cwt -2.83 vs last sale · ≈ $1,127/hd at 525 lb · 256 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $210.77/cwt +3.42 vs last sale · ≈ $1,208/hd at 573 lb · 204 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $191.65/cwt -5.10 vs last sale · ≈ $912/hd at 476 lb · 176 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,737 5,920 2,071
Feeder cattle 1,737 5,920 2,071

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder Steers under 450 lbs were steady on a light test; 450 - 500 lbs, 5.00 to 8.00 lower; 500 - 550 lbs, steady; 550 - 600 lbs, 4.00 higher; 600 - 650 lbs, steady; over 650, trending lower on a light test. Heifer Calves under 450 lbs were trending lower, on a light test; 450 - 500 lbs, 4.00 lower; 500 and up, steady to 2.00 higher. There was good demand for this nice offering of calves, selling on an active market. Supply was mixed, with both weaned and calves right off the cow, with most carrying at least spring shots.

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
368 368 5 261.00 $261.00 $960 -0.52
413–428 424 36 241.00–243.00 $242.21 $1,027 -1.58
469–485 476 72 211.00–235.25 $228.89 $1,090 -4.93
500–545 525 256 209.00–218.50 $214.66 $1,127 -2.83
550–580 573 204 200.00–213.00 $210.77 $1,208 +3.42
603–620 607 122 191.00–205.00 $201.38 $1,222 +0.79
655–694 686 31 179.50–180.50 $180.32 $1,237 -7.90
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 6 239.00 $239.00 $908 —
445 445 6 200.00 $200.00 $890 -17.50
456 456 5 202.00 $202.00 $921 +4.29
533 533 8 187.00 $187.00 $997 +9.16
567–578 573 10 181.00–191.00 $185.95 $1,065 -3.87
689 689 6 120.00 $120.00 $827 -65.31
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
433 433 5 191.00 $191.00 $827 —
509 509 6 190.00 $190.00 $967 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 22 212.00 $212.00 $738 -10.94
371–380 377 13 207.00–209.00 $208.24 $785 +0.43
412–449 433 37 174.00–191.00 $186.53 $808 -22.24
456–492 476 176 181.50–197.25 $191.65 $912 -5.10
502–549 523 157 182.00–194.50 $188.76 $987 -3.51
553–587 564 153 180.50–195.00 $191.44 $1,080 +3.71
600–618 607 38 177.00–187.00 $182.74 $1,109 +3.36
659–665 663 60 168.00–182.50 $176.97 $1,173 -7.08
768 768 5 179.00 $179.00 $1,375 -0.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 7 166.00 $166.00 $722 +10.11
466–492 475 17 151.00–171.00 $161.99 $769 —
500–516 508 30 160.00–165.00 $163.52 $831 +23.52
565–566 566 14 140.00–172.00 $160.58 $909 -0.42
628 628 6 152.50 $152.50 $958 +3.31

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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.