Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, September 20, 2024

2,382 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $249.09/cwt +8.26 vs last sale · ≈ $2,187/hd at 878 lb · 390 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $237.50/cwt -1.00 vs last sale · ≈ $2,178/hd at 917 lb · 227 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $227.90/cwt +6.84 vs last sale · ≈ $2,133/hd at 936 lb · 183 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,382 1,487 813
Feeder cattle 2,382 1,487 813

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: consignments were light in the previous sale on Steers, so a market trend can not be made. The best test on Heifers was 850-1000lbs, 4.00-6.00 higher. Most of today's offering was still yearlings, off of grass; however, there were a couple of packages of spring calves, straight off the cows. Several loads from a single consigner sold on an active market, with buyers on the internet and in the stands. Weather remains dry in the area. although temperatures have finally dropped some.

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
300–327 313 19 376.00–390.00 $383.07 $1,199 —
375 375 22 382.50 $382.50 $1,434 —
412–447 438 73 364.00–383.00 $368.40 $1,614 —
512 512 5 269.00 $269.00 $1,377 —
660–666 664 13 268.00–272.00 $270.47 $1,796 +26.47
730–739 737 29 250.00–268.00 $259.39 $1,912 +9.89
751–796 780 102 246.00–255.50 $253.14 $1,974 +7.14
815–824 823 84 250.00–255.00 $254.17 $2,092 +1.40
855–894 878 390 237.50–256.00 $249.09 $2,187 +8.26
917 917 227 237.50 $237.50 $2,178 -1.00
963 963 65 235.00 $235.00 $2,263 +9.35
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 117 232.50 $232.50 $2,348 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
894 894 9 223.50 $223.50 $1,998 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
309–310 310 16 327.50–345.00 $338.45 $1,049 —
385 385 18 325.00 $325.00 $1,251 —
411 411 48 341.00 $341.00 $1,402 +73.00
610 610 11 252.00 $252.00 $1,537 +15.00
656–677 675 62 250.00–254.00 $253.69 $1,712 +0.34
710–747 727 110 235.00–246.25 $243.12 $1,767 -1.88
758–789 768 25 239.00–246.25 $243.87 $1,873 +2.70
833–842 836 46 221.00–229.50 $228.39 $1,909 -2.19
854–867 858 96 228.00–230.50 $229.70 $1,971 +1.42
936–938 936 183 226.00–228.00 $227.90 $2,133 +6.84
955–986 967 137 216.00–224.00 $221.76 $2,144 +3.28
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1001 1001 4 217.50 $217.50 $2,177 —
1102–1109 1105 14 184.00–195.00 $191.06 $2,111 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780 780 6 226.50 $226.50 $1,767 —

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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.