St. Onge Livestock Auction market report — October 23, 2026

Saint Onge, SD · Friday sale · USDA report published 10/24/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

7,030

Last week 5,323 (+1707)
Last year 6,320

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$458.22 /cwt

$2,507 per head · 1,418 hd
vs last week +7.82

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$361.27 /cwt

$2,584 per head · 27 hd
vs last week +21.27

Compared to last week: Steers 350-400, sharply higher on a light test; 350-400, 10.00 lower on a light test from last week's numbers; 400-550, 15.00-20.00 higher; 550-600, steady to 2.00 higher; 600-650, 20.00 higher. Heifers 350-600, sharply higher; 400-450, 7.00 higher; 450-550, unevenly steady; 550-600, 11.00 lower; 600-650, 20.00 lower. Good demand for lots of nice, open haired, fully vaccinated calves. Load lots and larger packages of black hided, fully vaccinated topped most weights. Most of the offering was home raised and right off the cow, however, there were a few fully weaned lots and packages showing a little tagg from the feed lots. The market was active for most of the day, but turned more moderate towards the end of the sale, creating some larger spreads. The next sale is the last Wednesday special, October 28, starting at noon, with the regular Friday sale, October 30, starting at 8.
USDA Market News reporter, October 23, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 23

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 16. Last year = sale of Oct 24. No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	207	364 lb	$640.41	$2,332	−1.62	+84.96	$400.00 (5 hd)
400–499 lb	667	451 lb	$541.14	$2,438	+10.22	+24.61	$370.00 (39 hd)
500–599 lb	1,418	547 lb	$458.22	$2,507	+7.82	−5.22	—
600–699 lb	448	628 lb	$423.38	$2,660	+12.90	+14.22	—
700–799 lb	27	715 lb	$361.27	$2,584	+21.27	−14.45	—
800–899 lb	70	860 lb	$342.93	$2,949	+28.93	−2.72	—
900–999 lb	20	972 lb	$318.52	$3,096	−22.48	—	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 23

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 16. Last year = sale of Oct 24. No. 2 = lighter-muscled cattle, a separate grade line in the USDA report. These are kept out of the main price.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year	No. 2 $/cwt
300–399 lb	304	373 lb	$530.20	$1,976	+21.23	+32.39	—
400–499 lb	967	445 lb	$468.22	$2,084	+19.19	−6.56	$475.00 (12 hd)
500–599 lb	1,102	539 lb	$420.86	$2,270	+4.27	+7.13	—
600–699 lb	152	608 lb	$405.09	$2,463	+29.58	+18.90	—
700–799 lb	36	786 lb	$338.42	$2,658	−1.58	−20.90	—
800–899 lb	75	876 lb	$341.64	$2,993	+13.54	+1.75	—
900–999 lb	44	946 lb	$307.55	$2,909	−6.95	—	—

Slaughter cows — Oct 23

No slaughter cows reported at the latest sale.

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $454.83/cwt
4-week average: $456.11
13-week average: $455.75
4-week vs 13-week: +0.1%

52-wk low $411.56high $532.88

Sales in 7 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $353.67/cwt
4-week average: $364.76
13-week average: $364.39
4-week vs 13-week: +0.1%

52-wk low $324.40high $412.26

Sales in 8 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $421.95/cwt
4-week average: $414.95
13-week average: $406.59
4-week vs 13-week: +2.1%

52-wk low $375.50high $478.77

Sales in 8 of the last 13 weeks.

Direction compares the 4-week average with the 13-week average: Rising +1% or more, Steady within ±1%, Easing −1% to −3%, Falling −3% or more. Weekly prices are head-weighted averages of Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 feeder cattle, regular lots.

The label describes recent prices; it is not a forecast. In our backtest of every barn since 2019 (about 35,000 barn-weeks), barns labeled Falling went on to beat other barns' average move over the next 13 weeks 61% of the time, and barns labeled Rising trailed it 56% of the time.

Last 52 weeks

Weekly average $/cwt4-week average

Price history since 2019

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Feb and Jan and lowest in Mar and Dec.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	+3.5%	100%	4
Feb	+6.0%	100%	4
Mar	0.0%	67%	3
Apr	+3.4%	67%	3
May	—	—	2
Jun	—	—	1
Jul	—	—	1
Aug	—	—	2
Sep	—	—	2
Oct	—	—	2
Nov	—	—	2
Dec	+1.3%	67%	3

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Apr and Feb and lowest in Dec and Nov.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	+1.0%	67%	6
Feb	+3.2%	100%	6
Mar	−0.5%	50%	4
Apr	+3.5%	75%	4
May	—	—	2
Jun	—	—	1
Jul	—	—	1
Aug	+1.1%	67%	3
Sep	−1.0%	67%	3
Oct	+2.4%	100%	3
Nov	−1.9%	40%	5
Dec	−3.7%	40%	5

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Fri Oct 23	7,030	$458.22	$361.27	$420.86
Wed Oct 21	1,957	$446.46	$339.00	$425.77
Fri Oct 16	5,323	$450.40	$340.00	$416.59
Fri Oct 9	5,326	$470.18	$400.39	$417.47
Wed Oct 7	1,301	$457.16	—	$415.97
Fri Oct 2	3,765	$452.11	$365.00	$404.15
Fri Sep 25	2,705	$465.09	$390.00	$412.21
Fri Sep 18	2,400	$448.26	$358.00	$410.22
Fri Sep 11	986	—	—	—
Fri Sep 4	1,709	—	$343.00	$375.50
Fri Aug 28	830	—	—	—
Fri Aug 7	1,342	$452.50	$365.10	$395.00

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every South Dakota sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Philip Livestock Auction, Philip	107 mi	Oct 20	$465.30	$402.00
Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction, Fort Pierre	165 mi	Oct 23	$467.96	$348.87
Mobridge Livestock Exchange, Mobridge	174 mi	Oct 22	$470.74	—
Herreid Livestock Market, Herreid	199 mi	Oct 23	$466.00	$365.50
Hub City Livestock Auction, Aberdeen	264 mi	Oct 21	$469.67	$380.26
Mitchell Livestock Auction, Mitchell	287 mi	Oct 22	$442.56	$358.82

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Friday	October 23, 2026	7,030	22	AMS_2019
Wed-Seasonal	October 21, 2026	1,957	4	AMS_2012

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “St. Onge Livestock Auction - St. Onge, SD” (AMS_2019); “St. Onge Calf Auction (Wed-Seasonal) - St. Onge, SD” (AMS_2012). See something wrong? Report a correction. Feeder prices are Medium and Large frame No. 1 and 1–2 cattle, $/cwt, grouped into 100-lb bands by average weight and weighted by head count. Value-added, unweaned and No. 2 lots are shown in their own columns; other lot types (fancy, fleshy, thin-fleshed, spayed, replacement) are left out. $/head = $/cwt × average weight ÷ 100.