Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, October 11, 2024

5,169 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 $317.04/cwt -2.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,653/hd at 521 lb · 784 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $290.81/cwt +7.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,788/hd at 615 lb · 647 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $299.80/cwt -20.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,421/hd at 474 lb · 418 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 5,169 3,468 4,960
Feeder cattle 5,169 3,468 4,960

Compared to last week: Steer Calves 400-450lbs, 12.00 higher; 450-500lbs, 10.00 lower; 500-550lbs mostly steady; 550-650lbs, 16.00 higher. Heifer Calves 350-400lbs, 10.00 higher; 400-450lbs, 17.00 higher; 450-500lbs 15.00 lower; 500-550lbs, steady to 2.00 higher; 550-600lbs, steady to 2.00 lower. Very good demand for load lots and packages of spring calves. Demand was moderate for the smaller offering of yearlings, and there were not enough to make a market comparison. Black hided cattle, with spring and fall vaccinations were bringing premium prices. Spring calves were mostly fresh off the cow, with some showing signs of a hot, dry fall. Buyers and producers packed the stands for today's first full day of only Yearlings and Spring Calves.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
349 349 12 380.00 $380.00 $1,326
363–389 378 29 371.00–410.00 $397.43 $1,502 -1.05
401–448 426 162 353.00–392.50 $370.11 $1,577 +7.03
450–498 472 343 327.00–355.00 $337.68 $1,594 -6.59
500–548 520 728 297.00–336.00 $319.21 $1,660 +0.07
532 532 22 287.00 $287.00 $1,527 -32.14
546 546 34 290.00 $290.00 $1,583 -29.14
551–585 565 366 284.00–320.00 $301.68 $1,704 +9.32
600–646 615 647 283.00–305.50 $290.81 $1,788 +7.07
652–677 661 337 271.00–297.50 $290.80 $1,922
707–739 718 258 284.75–307.50 $299.33 $2,149 +41.83
787 787 32 263.00 $263.00 $2,070 +23.46
840 840 26 253.50 $253.50 $2,129 -1.90
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406–442 430 34 327.50–354.00 $346.04 $1,488
467–497 490 96 308.00–322.00 $316.67 $1,552 -7.42
526–541 531 43 294.00–306.00 $297.98 $1,582

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 328 5 355.00 $355.00 $1,164
363–394 377 74 340.00–365.00 $354.36 $1,336 +3.16
402–434 420 58 315.00–334.00 $321.16 $1,349 +16.12
445 445 22 279.00 $279.00 $1,242 -26.04
450–499 474 418 275.00–314.00 $299.80 $1,421 +15.80
502–547 527 179 269.00–295.50 $281.14 $1,482 +2.31
550–593 565 233 253.00–289.50 $275.99 $1,559 -2.16
611–634 618 96 254.50–266.00 $258.11 $1,595
715–718 716 24 241.00–254.00 $251.28 $1,799 +2.53
750–787 778 90 240.50–250.25 $247.03 $1,922 +1.96
814–848 835 31 239.00–244.00 $240.89 $2,011 +1.89
876–899 896 34 234.00–240.50 $234.93 $2,105 -0.37
929–943 939 29 225.00–233.00 $229.23 $2,152
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
449 449 5 283.00 $283.00 $1,271 +0.50
457–480 470 43 245.00–280.00 $266.36 $1,252 -21.07
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1027 1027 7 222.00 $222.00 $2,280
1152 1152 6 191.50 $191.50 $2,206

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
354 354 38 370.00 $370.00 $1,310
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 10 382.50 $382.50 $1,465

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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.