Fort Pierre feeder cattle results

Fort Pierre Livestock Auction, Fort Pierre, South Dakota, reported receipts of 5,100 head of feeder cattle selling on Dec. 4, compared to 8,277 head two weeks ago and 8,089 head a year ago, according to the USDA-South Dakota Department of Agriculture Market News, Worthing, South Dakota.

Compared to two weeks ago, the steer calves weighing under 500 pounds were steady and those over 500 pounds were selling $2 to $5 higher. The heifer calves were steady to $5 higher. The yearling feeder steers were not of similar weights to the last sale and no comparisons can be made. The yearling heifers were not well compared as the only comparable weights, 900 to 1000 pounds were much heavier fleshed than the cattle offered two weeks ago. The calf market was active and the demand was good. The flesh condition was very attractive as the calves are coming right off the cows and are in a green condition. There were not as many long strings as the last sale and still a lot of full loads were offered along with many part loads. The quality was very attractive and there were many buyers competing heavily for these calves, either to run on grass, or to go straight to the feedyard, as well as for heifers to go back out to breed. A large offering of yearlings with the flesh condition varied greatly as there were a good number of cattle that came right off grass in a very light flesh condition while there were also yearlings carrying a much heavier amount of flesh. The market was very active for these cattle as there were long strings offered in multiple load lots, allowing buyers to make full feedyard pens of uniform cattle from one outfit. The supply included 100% feeder cattle with 50% steers, 48% was heifers and 2% was bulls. The feeder cattle supply weighing over 600 pounds was 38%.

Feeder steers: Medium and large frame 1, per hundredweight/actual weight, 15 head, 319 lbs., 191.00; 45 head, 351 to 398 lbs., 178.50 to 192.50 (186.75); 234 head, 404 to 449 lbs., 180.00 to 193.50 (186.96); 201 head, 460 to 495 lbs., 174.00 to 189.00 (183.25); 390 head, 518 to 546 lbs., 168.00 to 184.50 (176.62); 46 head, 515 lbs., 191.50 fancy; 486 head, 551 to 587 lbs., 160.50 to 172.00 (167.43); 432 head, 602 to 642 lbs., 155.50 to 163.00 (160.37); 149 head, 651 to 652 lbs., 155.00 to 157.50 (156.39); 140 head, 719 to 737 lbs., 159.00 thin fleshed; 15 head, 859 lbs., 135.50 full. Medium and large frame 1 to 2, 30 head, 401 to 425 lbs., 162.00 to 178.00 (169.77); 118 bead, 545 to 546 lbs., 158.00 to 160.50 (160.08); 71 head, 647 lbs., 151.50 thin fleshed; 6 head, 758 lbs., 141.00; 14 head, 888 lbs., 131.50.

Feeder heifers: Medium and large frame 1, 31 head, 313 to 339 lbs., 163.00 to 167.00 (165.03); 91 head, 355 to 390 lbs., 161.00 to 166.50 (163.89); 159 head, 406 to 434 lbs., 151.00 to 165.00 (160.69); 192 head, 451 to 496 lbs., 145.00 to 165.50 (158.53); 61 head, 495 lbs., 168.00 replacement; 344 head, 508 to 540 lbs., 147.00 to 162.50 (156.20); 143 head, 501 to 547 lbs., 166.00 to 169.00 (157.19) replacement; 69 head, 571 to 592 lbs., 147.00 to 149.00 (147.85); 58 head, 599 lbs., 141.50 full; 103 head, 556 to 591 lbs., 170.50 to 172.00 (171.16) replacement; 45 head, 697 lbs., 139.50; 214 head, 788 lbs., 139.25 thin fleshed; 51 head, 836 to 849 lbs., 131.50 to 137.25 (135.54); 27 head, 859 lbs., 133.50; 61 head, 903 to 938 lbs., 129.25 to 129.50 (129.27); 408 head, 939 to 991 lbs., 127.50 to 133.00 (129.56). Medium and large frame 1 to 2, 10 head, 299 lbs., 169.00; 6 head, 368 lbs., 151.00; 19 head, 483 lbs., 148.00; 51 head, 530 lbs., 144.50; 17 head, 579 lbs., 137.50 thin fleshed; 82 head, 718 lbs., 138.00 thin fleshed. Large frame 1, 40 head, 1031 lbs., 128.50; 6 head, 1057 lbs., 119.25; 11 head, 1141 lbs., 104.00 fleshy.