Name: Mitchell Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-05-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to two weeks ago: Not enough steers or heifer to give true a comparison today in all class's. A lower undertone was noted on both steers and heifers. Demand was good. Quality was fair compared to two weeks ago. The next feeder cattle auction will be June 4th, expecting 1000 plus feeders, starting at 9:30 am. Then on June 11th MLM will have their BBQ special.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $472.92/cwt on 12 head, down $31.95 from the prior sale. That ranks 5 of 17 comparable sales and sits −9.84 against this barn's trailing median of $482.76.

Average price

$472.92

▼ 31.95 vs prior sale

12 head · 520 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,457

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$421

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2

$65.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−34.36

vs SD average

−1.56 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	527	500.00	2,635	7thin
Medium and Large 2	509	435.00	2,214	5thin

One grade step is worth $65.00/cwt here — about $421 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

17 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $538.85, low $442.27, median $482.76 across 17 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 sale12 hd

472.92

—

SD average3 barns · 262 hd

507.28

−34.36

National average171 barns · 13,387 hd

474.48

−1.56

This barn, trailing median17 sales

482.76

−9.84

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

43 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	628	393.00/cwt	393.00–393.00	2,468	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	808	339.00/cwt	339.00–339.00	2,739	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	763	342.22/cwt	335.00–346.00	2,611	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	950–1000	970	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	3,007	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	981	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,845	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	904	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	2,947	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	527	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,635	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	502	408.17/cwt	395.00–430.00	2,049	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	679	417.50/cwt	417.50–417.50	2,835	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	509	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,214	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	492	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,411	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	735	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,352	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	826	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,664	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	720	391.00/cwt	391.00–391.00	2,815	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	779	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	2,540	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	348	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,914	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	707	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,510	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	675	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	2,346	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	914	280.26/cwt	250.00–296.00	2,562	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	317	555.00/cwt	555.00–555.00	1,759	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	816	353.11/cwt	348.00–358.00	2,881	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	652	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,315	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	407	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,177	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	499	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,196	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	755	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,492	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	868	352.92/cwt	351.00–361.00	3,063	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	898	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	2,730	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	793	366.66/cwt	364.00–370.00	2,908	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	952	324.75/cwt	320.00–326.50	3,092	41
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	907	301.00/cwt	301.00–301.00	2,730	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	736	358.50/cwt	358.50–358.50	2,639	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	940	324.00/cwt	324.00–324.00	3,046	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	925	309.80/cwt	302.25–314.00	2,866	89
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	922	338.65/cwt	338.00–341.00	3,122	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	863	320.54/cwt	317.00–321.50	2,766	28
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,074	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,470	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	724	405.47/cwt	399.00–408.00	2,936	28
Steers	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,071	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,999	7
Steers	Large 1	1000–1050	1,039	317.18/cwt	311.00–320.75	3,296	195
Heifers	Large 1	1000–1050	1,000	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	2,990	35
Steers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,134	292.25/cwt	292.25–292.25	3,314	31
Steers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,079	304.35/cwt	294.50–314.25	3,284	111
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1000–1050	1,046	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	2,887	14

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.

South Dakota feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →