Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, November 8, 2024

3,000 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 $321.07/cwt +3.26 vs last sale · ≈ $1,695/hd at 528 lb · 368 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $309.71/cwt +4.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,778/hd at 574 lb · 336 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $320.81/cwt -10.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,354/hd at 422 lb · 273 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,000 5,649 7,148
Feeder cattle 3,000 5,649 7,148

Compared to last week: Steer calves 400-500lbs, 8.00-9.00 lower; 500-600lbs, 5.00-6.00 lower. Heifer calves 350-450lbs, 5.00-6.00 lower; 450-500lbs, 10.00 lower; 500-550lbs, 4.00 lower; 550-600lbs, mostly steady. While demand was good for this offering, todays steer calf quality was mixed. Larger lots were in high demand, along with some of the more attractive calves that came through. Good replacement type heifers sold on an active market, with many likely headed back to producers. Fully vaccinated calves continue to also bring premium prices.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 317 14 400.00 $400.00 $1,268 -18.98
389–397 392 55 357.50–395.00 $375.32 $1,471 -29.26
403–444 432 124 357.00–387.50 $363.14 $1,569 -13.55
450–495 476 252 327.00–352.50 $333.48 $1,587 -11.36
501–548 528 368 307.00–333.00 $321.07 $1,695 +3.26
550–599 574 336 292.00–322.00 $309.71 $1,778 +4.21
600–644 617 90 286.00–291.00 $288.79 $1,782 -0.08
655–695 669 100 269.00–285.00 $276.04 $1,847 -2.35
712 712 20 275.50 $275.50 $1,962 +5.50
782 782 70 270.25 $270.25 $2,113
862 862 8 246.00 $246.00 $2,121
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
444 444 21 340.00 $340.00 $1,510 -13.00
491 491 7 295.00 $295.00 $1,448 -18.53
525 525 16 293.00 $293.00 $1,538 +9.00
589 589 11 279.00 $279.00 $1,643 -15.27

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 6 345.00 $345.00 $1,018
316–338 323 15 337.50–345.00 $342.39 $1,106 -34.68
354–394 377 97 318.00–347.50 $331.72 $1,251 -7.91
401–441 422 273 307.00–337.00 $320.81 $1,354 -10.25
452–496 484 158 294.00–310.00 $305.01 $1,476 +5.21
500–546 528 218 277.00–315.00 $290.27 $1,533 -0.55
557–582 567 122 281.00–292.50 $288.56 $1,636 +13.85
602–611 606 27 257.50–281.00 $273.98 $1,660 +3.70
653 653 8 252.00 $252.00 $1,646
743 743 5 245.50 $245.50 $1,824
746 746 44 253.00 $253.00 $1,887
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475–492 482 20 282.50–283.00 $282.80 $1,363 +13.51
511–542 533 56 261.00–274.00 $271.28 $1,446 +1.17
642 642 7 241.00 $241.00 $1,547

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 555 7 276.00 $276.00 $1,532
625–642 633 15 255.00–259.00 $257.11 $1,628 +7.11

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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.