Name: Mitchell Livestock Auction livestock auction prices — 2026-08-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-08-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to two weeks ago: Very few light steers, trend not applicable. 900-949 lb. steers were 1.00 higher. Steers over 1000 lbs. were dollars lower. Not enough heifers for a good trend. Demand was good. Many large load lots in todays offering. Starting next week, MLM plans on having a feeder cattle auction every Thur. here on out. The next feeder cattle auction will be Aug. 27th, expecting 1500 head of feeder, starting at 10:00 am.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $448.50/cwt on 19 head, down $90.35 from the prior sale. That ranks 2 of 17 comparable sales and sits −34.26 against this barn's trailing median of $482.76.

Average price

$448.50

▼ 90.35 vs prior sale

19 head · 513 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,302

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$225

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

$28.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.93

vs SD average

+51.72 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	519	457.50	2,374	13thin
Medium and Large 1-2	501	429.00	2,149	6thin

One grade step is worth $28.50/cwt here — about $225 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 700–800 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 $435.10, 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 sale19 hd

448.50

—

SD average2 barns · 27 hd

450.43

−1.93

National average147 barns · 5,729 hd

396.78

+51.72

This barn, trailing median17 sales

482.76

−34.26

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

32 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	966	292.00/cwt	292.00–292.00	2,821	27
Heifers	Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,029	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	2,737	8
Dairy Heifers	Large 2	1050–1100	1,097	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	2,183	9
Steers	Large 1	1000–1050	1,031	297.32/cwt	296.50–297.85	3,065	93
Heifers	Large 1	1150–1200	1,150	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	3,025	17
Heifers	Large 1	1000–1050	1,007	296.39/cwt	295.00–298.00	2,985	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	680	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,312	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	576	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	2,290	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	840	302.67/cwt	294.00–306.75	2,542	185
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	856	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,739	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	782	321.66/cwt	321.00–323.00	2,515	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	658	342.00/cwt	342.00–342.00	2,250	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	833	349.00/cwt	349.00–349.00	2,907	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	703	369.00/cwt	369.00–369.00	2,594	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	975	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,876	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	737	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,285	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	838	328.00/cwt	328.00–328.00	2,749	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	982	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	2,789	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	928	298.72/cwt	287.25–302.00	2,772	224
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	930	328.85/cwt	315.00–336.75	3,058	190
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	501	429.00/cwt	429.00–429.00	2,149	6
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	952	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	2,561	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	950–1000	992	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	2,599	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	519	457.50/cwt	457.50–457.50	2,374	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	879	305.40/cwt	299.00–310.50	2,684	52
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	974	303.28/cwt	296.00–308.00	2,954	13
Steers	Large 1	1200–1250	1,235	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	3,063	29
Steers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,115	282.75/cwt	282.75–282.75	3,153	21
Steers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,090	291.47/cwt	289.00–293.75	3,177	449
Steers	Large 1	1150–1200	1,166	281.50/cwt	281.50–281.50	3,282	48
Steers	Large 1Fleshy	1050–1100	1,064	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	2,745	9
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1150–1200	1,167	238.50/cwt	238.50–238.50	2,783	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 →