Cattle Market Pulse

St. Onge Livestock Auction Market Report

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

Sale of Friday, December 13, 2024

2,746 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $336.88/cwt +10.60 vs last sale · ≈ $1,614/hd at 479 lb · 335 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $360.62/cwt +8.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,890/hd at 524 lb · 250 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $332.17/cwt +3.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,907/hd at 574 lb · 221 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,746 3,200 2,598
Feeder cattle 2,746 3,200 2,598

Compared to last week: Steers 400-450, 9.00 higher on a light test; 450-500lbs, 5.00 higher; 500-600lbs, 14.00-16.00 higher. Heifers 350-450lbs, sharply higher; 450-500lbs, 16.00 higher; 500-550lbs, 8.00 higher. Good demand for today's smaller offering. Quality was mixed, with most of the offering weaned up and vaccinated. Some calves were showing some tag from feedlots and the recent snow. Market was moderate, with fewer buyers in the stands. Next Feeder Calf sale will be January 3, 2025.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
346 346 16 445.00 $445.00 $1,540
374 374 10 407.50 $407.50 $1,524 -5.43
378 378 7 444.00 $444.00 $1,678 +31.07
411–447 426 103 407.50–435.00 $424.75 $1,809 +57.68
455–493 480 122 364.00–400.00 $382.87 $1,838 +9.10
505–536 524 250 345.00–377.00 $360.62 $1,890 +8.70
550–596 574 221 323.50–351.00 $332.17 $1,907 +3.95
600–623 615 187 305.00–332.75 $327.52 $2,014 +22.55
683 683 13 279.00 $279.00 $1,906 ±0.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
447 447 13 376.00 $376.00 $1,681 +76.00
467 467 5 325.00 $325.00 $1,518 -7.40
511–535 519 35 319.00–336.00 $324.51 $1,684

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–388 374 72 385.00–404.00 $392.55 $1,468 +40.22
402–443 426 191 355.00–370.00 $365.31 $1,556 +29.77
452–498 479 335 322.00–353.00 $336.88 $1,614 +10.60
502–546 524 152 315.50–333.00 $327.35 $1,715 +8.86
531 531 8 302.00 $302.00 $1,604 -16.49
562–596 587 57 284.00–304.00 $292.33 $1,716 -15.32
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
617 617 7 279.50 $279.50 $1,725

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
599 599 8 292.50 $292.50 $1,752

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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.