Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, March 3, 2023

1,496 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $206.68/cwt +10.96 vs last sale · ≈ $1,201/hd at 581 lb · 260 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $213.37/cwt +19.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,131/hd at 530 lb · 238 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $210.63/cwt +15.97 vs last sale · ≈ $1,013/hd at 481 lb · 108 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,496 2,669 3,043
Feeder cattle 1,496 2,669 3,043

The last Feeder Cattle Sale was three weeks ago, therefore no market trend may be determined; however, the market was trending higher. Demand for this nice offering of calves was very good. Black hided cattle, weaned, with shots continue to bring a premium. Several large lots of replacement quality, bangs vaccinated heifers sold for premium pricing. Buyers in the seats and on the internet seemed eager to make purchases following last week's blizzard and freezing temperatures, reflecting the optimism that continues to grow in both the feeder markets and replacement heifer arena. The next sale, March 10th, is a Feeder Cattle and Replacement Heifer Special.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429 429 15 230.00 $230.00 $987 -10.70
462–489 473 42 241.00–251.00 $245.48 $1,161 +11.78
538 538 13 235.00 $235.00 $1,264 +20.00
544 544 10 211.00 $211.00 $1,148 -4.00
584 584 35 240.50 $240.50 $1,405 +14.72
647 647 17 221.00 $221.00 $1,430 +12.17
706–728 723 60 200.00–205.00 $201.14 $1,454 +18.61
855 855 9 180.00 $180.00 $1,539
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
463 463 5 214.50 $214.50 $993
518 518 7 200.00 $200.00 $1,036
728 728 15 179.00 $179.00 $1,303
758 758 8 187.00 $187.00 $1,417
811 811 79 189.25 $189.25 $1,535

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
364 364 6 227.00 $227.00 $826 +20.00
414–448 439 50 209.00–220.50 $212.71 $934 +14.57
454–490 481 108 205.50–213.00 $210.63 $1,013 +15.97
503–543 530 238 204.50–216.50 $213.37 $1,131 +19.53
565–599 581 260 202.00–208.50 $206.68 $1,201 +10.96
625–632 627 32 202.00–209.00 $207.46 $1,301 +17.56
669–685 683 66 190.00–191.00 $190.13 $1,299 +4.37
730 730 9 171.00 $171.00 $1,248 +11.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458–469 465 26 191.00–193.00 $192.32 $894
541 541 8 176.00 $176.00 $952 +8.50
563 563 15 181.50 $181.50 $1,022 +14.00
645 645 7 181.50 $181.50 $1,171 +4.00
706 706 5 122.00 $122.00 $861

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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.