Sale reports / South Dakota / Mitchell Livestock Auction / 2025-12-18

Mitchell Livestock Auction

Feeder Cattle · Mitchell, South Dakota · Thu, Dec 18
● Final49 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2022
Receipts
2,930 head
345 vs last sale 2,585 1,320 vs year ago 4,250 · 31.1%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: There was a higher undertone on light steers, steers 650-700 lbs. were 9.00 lower, steers 700 lbs. and up had a steady to higher undertone. Heifers 550-650 lbs. were steady to 9.00 higher, heifers over 650 lbs. sold on a higher undertone. Demand was good. Some feeders were carrying a little mud due to snow melt. The next feeder cattle auction will be Jan. 8th 2026, expecting 6000 head of all classes of feeders. starting at 9:00 am. " Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year " from MLM

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $478.75/cwt on 208 head. That ranks 9 of 18 comparable sales and sits 2.01 against this barn's trailing median of $480.75.
Average price
$478.75
208 head · 541 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,592
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$346
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$70.03/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+8.31
vs SD average
+34.65 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1541484.142,618192
Medium and Large 1-2549414.112,27316thin
One grade step is worth $70.03/cwt here — about $346 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

18 sales
553511470428median 480.7512/1801/2903/0504/0908/20
Steers 500–600 lb: high $538.85, low $442.27, median $480.75 across 18 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale208 hd
478.75
SD average5 barns · 2,558 hd
470.44
+8.31
National average163 barns · 16,063 hd
444.10
+34.65
This barn, trailing median18 sales
480.75
−2.01
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

49 lots · USDA AMS · Mitchell Livestock Auction - Mitchell, SD
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
BullsMedium and Large 1550–600596380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,2656
BullsMedium and Large 1600–650638342.50/cwt342.50–342.502,1853
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy700–750716332.00/cwt332.00–332.002,3774
HeifersLarge 11000–10501,001278.50/cwt278.50–278.502,78866
HeifersMedium and Large 1650–700669385.66/cwt362.00–397.502,580103
HeifersMedium and Large 1450–500497442.54/cwt435.00–450.002,19928
SteersMedium and Large 1600–650621428.66/cwt411.00–442.002,662380
SteersMedium and Large 1700–750723375.20/cwt368.00–382.002,713192
SteersMedium and Large 1900–950933332.82/cwt307.00–338.003,10561
SteersMedium and Large 1550–600571447.39/cwt440.00–474.002,55576
SteersMedium and Large 1400–450433561.82/cwt560.00–570.002,43337
SteersMedium and Large 1650–700660404.64/cwt396.00–415.002,671113
SteersMedium and Large 1450–500475512.19/cwt502.50–515.002,43319
SteersMedium and Large 1750–800764363.09/cwt358.00–365.002,774118
SteersMedium and Large 1800–850831361.80/cwt350.00–364.253,00790
SteersMedium and Large 1500–550521508.21/cwt457.00–532.502,648116
SteersMedium and Large 1850–900865346.16/cwt345.00–347.002,99453
SteersMedium and Large 1950–1000959335.59/cwt316.00–339.003,218344
SteersMedium and Large 1-2800–850810317.00/cwt317.00–317.002,5683
SteersLarge 11250–13001,258241.00/cwt241.00–241.003,0323
SteersMedium and Large 1350–400356620.00/cwt620.00–620.002,20710
SteersMedium and Large 1-2650–700674361.00/cwt361.00–361.002,4335
SteersMedium and Large 1-2400–450415425.00/cwt425.00–425.001,7645
SteersLarge 11050–11001,062308.00/cwt308.00–308.003,27112
SteersMedium and Large 1-2550–600564396.46/cwt370.00–417.502,2367
HeifersMedium and Large 1700–750721346.30/cwt339.50–356.002,49738
SteersMedium and Large 1-2600–650637380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,4213
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy750–800796344.00/cwt344.00–344.002,7387
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy700–750736354.00/cwt354.00–354.002,6058
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy800–850843346.00/cwt346.00–346.002,91712
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy900–950923321.00/cwt321.00–321.002,9633
HeifersMedium and Large 1800–850835322.00/cwt316.00–330.002,689138
SteersMedium and Large 1-2500–550537427.83/cwt410.00–437.002,2979
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2600–650617321.79/cwt307.50–344.001,98526
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2650–700679332.33/cwt315.00–336.002,25717
HeifersMedium and Large 1950–1000980286.12/cwt285.00–291.002,80472
HeifersMedium and Large 1900–950923303.00/cwt303.00–303.002,79732
HeifersMedium and Large 1600–650611389.01/cwt362.00–407.002,37794
HeifersLarge 1-21150–12001,188236.00/cwt236.00–236.002,8044
HeifersMedium and Large 1350–400386520.00/cwt520.00–520.002,0078
HeifersMedium and Large 2400–450437350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,5303
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2550–600582355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,0668
HeifersMedium and Large 1550–600576405.00/cwt380.00–415.002,333137
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2500–550548385.00/cwt385.00–385.002,1108
HeifersMedium and Large 1750–800765349.31/cwt337.00–356.002,67268
HeifersMedium and Large 1400–450437459.14/cwt450.00–500.002,00665
HeifersMedium and Large 1500–550528424.13/cwt402.50–437.502,23942
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2350–400359433.53/cwt425.00–450.001,5569
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2400–450434425.77/cwt422.50–430.001,8489

How this sale compares

South Dakota weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every South Dakota auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.