Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, April 5, 2024

838 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 $279.99/cwt +0.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,859/hd at 664 lb · 138 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $287.87/cwt -8.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,053/hd at 713 lb · 107 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $256.10/cwt ≈ $2,080/hd at 812 lb · 77 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 838 1,943 1,480
Feeder cattle 838 1,943 1,480

Compared to two weeks ago: Most weight ranges were not well tested because of smaller receipts. Steers, 700 - 750 lbs, 7.00 lower. Heifers 650 - 750 lbs, 2.00 - 4.00 higher. Demand was fair for this smaller offering of home raised calves. Some calves were carrying some tag from a much needed spring snow storm, but most were fully vaccinated and weaned.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 7 341.00 $341.00 $1,517 -30.76
488 488 9 323.00 $323.00 $1,576
531–545 539 13 305.00–310.00 $307.72 $1,659 -55.22
570–593 578 17 285.00–288.00 $286.09 $1,654 -63.91
603–637 624 45 293.00–310.50 $301.91 $1,884 -23.86
658–690 667 26 261.00–293.00 $284.08 $1,895 -16.41
706–725 713 107 274.50–293.50 $287.87 $2,053 -8.50
809–830 812 77 241.00–260.25 $256.10 $2,080

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
472–481 474 39 303.00–315.00 $311.88 $1,478 -6.54
525–538 533 14 287.00–290.00 $288.05 $1,535 -25.47
583 583 13 293.00 $293.00 $1,708 -15.00
602–626 618 32 279.00–295.00 $288.37 $1,782 -0.51
655–698 664 138 262.50–283.50 $279.99 $1,859 +0.05
720–723 722 44 256.50–264.00 $258.64 $1,867 +3.33
873 873 15 230.00 $230.00 $2,008
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
453 453 7 279.00 $279.00 $1,264

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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.