Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, March 8, 2024

955 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $267.18/cwt +18.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,801/hd at 674 lb · 184 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $244.30/cwt -9.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,803/hd at 738 lb · 114 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $302.04/cwt +20.24 vs last sale · ≈ $1,616/hd at 535 lb · 87 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 955 2,845 1,496
Feeder cattle 955 2,845 1,496

Compared to two weeks ago: Not enough steers in any weight range to compare. Heifers 500 - 600lbs, 8.00 higher; 600-700lbs 3.00 to 5.00 lower. Good demand for this smaller offering of mostly home raised, vaccinated, weaned calves. Most of the heifers came in with Bangs tags and likely went back to a breeding program. The sale started with a rollover auction to raise money for ranchers in Texas, affected by the devastating fires. The next Feeder Cattle and Replacement Heifer sale will be March 22.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
484–490 487 11 325.00–337.50 $330.72 $1,611 +10.72
504–526 509 32 332.50–341.00 $339.08 $1,726 +12.11
567 567 6 338.00 $338.00 $1,916 +17.89
735 735 10 261.00 $261.00 $1,918 -17.55
929 929 8 220.00 $220.00 $2,044
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 6 340.00 $340.00 $1,411

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
286 286 13 375.00 $375.00 $1,072
361 361 6 330.00 $330.00 $1,191
442 442 11 317.00 $317.00 $1,401 +2.00
515–544 535 87 290.00–304.50 $302.04 $1,616 +20.24
556 556 24 288.00 $288.00 $1,601 +7.93
601–645 619 56 263.00–284.00 $278.12 $1,722 -3.78
664–678 674 184 265.00–270.50 $267.18 $1,801 +18.01
717–747 738 114 243.00–247.50 $244.30 $1,803 -9.70
835 835 70 233.50 $233.50 $1,950

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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.