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Custer County, SD

Cattle prices near Custer County, South Dakota. The closest sale barn with a recent report is St. Onge SD in St. Onge, SD, about 61 miles away. On Nov 13, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $454.80 per hundredweight on 608 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Custer County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Nov 5, 2026.
Drought ModerateD1 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county St. Onge SD 5-wt steers $455▲ $18 since last sale

Custer County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Custer County, SD in moderate drought (D1); 100% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, the same as four weeks earlier. Rain has run 45% of normal over the last 30 days (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain) and the best rain chance this week is 49% on Friday (high 47°). Custer County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 4 monthly payments, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is St. Onge SD, 61 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 45% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days not read yet

NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 15, 2026. Source.

Rain outlook

  • 6-10 day outlook (Nov 20–24) Leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain)
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (33% chance of above-normal rain)

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Sunny, high 56°, low 41°, 0% rain, wind 7–12 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Sunny, high 61°, low 46°, 0% rain, wind 5–10 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 60°, low 44°, 1% rain, wind 5–23 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 49°, low 31°, 5% rain, wind 3–24 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 46°, low 34°, 19% rain, wind 3–8 mph
  6. Friday Chance Rain And Snow, high 47°, low 32°, 49% rain, wind 7–8 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Light Snow then Mostly Sunny, high 41°, low 28°, 28% rain, wind 5–9 mph

National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.

PRF pasture insurance: sign up by Dec 1, 2026

The 2027 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance sales closing date for Custer County is Dec 1, 2026, 16 days from today. PRF (Rainfall Index) pays on a rainfall index for your grid, not on your own rain gauge. You buy it through a crop insurance agent.

How PRF works · PRF 2027 sign-up · Find your grid on RMA's PRF tool

Date from USDA RMA's actuarial data, read Aug 28, 2026 · RMA dates map. Your agent confirms the date for your policy.

Custer County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Custer County grew about 1,561 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 121% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,294 pounds per acre. That was the 8th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 1,808 pounds per acre; worst: 2002 at 845.

Pounds per acre of new grass and forbs each year on rangeland and pasture, from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (satellite-based estimates). See every year on the Land tab.

Open loss windows

No open loss windows in Custer County right now. A 30-day window opens when the county first hits severe drought (D2), jumps to D3 or D4, or after a blizzard, extreme heat or cold, flood or ice warning, a wildfire, or a USDA disaster designation. Keep a Drought Ledger.

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Cownty sends nothing to FSA.

Drought-sale tax flag IRS list

Custer County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (severe or worse drought, Sep 1, 2025 to Aug 31, 2026).

Why it matters: if you sold breeding, dairy or draft livestock because of drought, the tax code may let you put off the gain (more time to buy replacement animals, or report the extra-sale income a year later). Your tax preparer decides whether either applies.

Work out your numbers and print a page for your preparer

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. Ask your tax preparer. FSA decides program eligibility. IRS Notice 2026-54 (PDF)

5-wt steers, nearest barns

Steers 500–599 lb, $/cwt, weekly average.

BarnLast sale5-wt steers
St. Onge SD 61 miNov 13$455
Crawford 69 miNov 13–
Gordon 88 miNov 10$464
How to read this

Each line is one barn's head-weighted average for 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) in that week; gaps are weeks with no sale or no lots that size. Past sales, not a bid.

Dollars per hundredweight ($/cwt, per 100 lb), calculated from USDA AMS Market News sale reports (Medium & Large 1 and 1-2). Not a USDA-published average. ≈ $/head = $/cwt × the middle of the weight class ÷ 100.

Guide: How to read a USDA sale barn report

Price history · Barn map · Fed vs feeder cattle

All weights at the 3 nearest barns

St. Onge SD 61 mi

St. Onge, SD
Sale of Nov 13, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb214444.02$2,000
Heifers 500-599 lb688399.15$2,200
Heifers 600-699 lb225379.65$2,470
Heifers 700-799 lb16328.44$2,460
Steers 400-499 lb163511.34$2,300
Steers 500-599 lb608454.80$2,500
Steers 600-699 lb643398.83$2,590
Steers 700-799 lb59354.26$2,660

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Crawford 69 mi

Crawford, NE
Sale of Nov 13, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Gordon 88 mi

Gordon, NE
Sale of Nov 10, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb87413.45$1,860
Heifers 500-599 lb156398.11$2,190
Heifers 600-699 lb33335.00$2,180
Steers 400-499 lb56499.69$2,250
Steers 500-599 lb112463.62$2,550
Steers 600-699 lb155393.53$2,560
Steers 700-799 lb38314.69$2,360

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

6 more within 200 mi: Philip SD (93 mi), Torrington WY (118 mi), Valentine (157 mi), Fort Pierre SD (160 mi), Mobridge SD (196 mi), Ogallala (198 mi).

Text me Custer County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. St. Onge Livestock Ltd St. Onge, SD 61 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  2. Crawford Livestock Market Crawford, NE 69 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  3. Gordon Livestock Market Gordon, NE 88 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Philip Livestock Auction Philip, SD 93 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  5. Torrington Livestock Commission Co. (feeder cattle) Torrington, WY 118 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026

Miles are straight-line from the county center. Sale days come from the barns' recent USDA AMS reports; call the barn to confirm. All barns

Other barns nearby (not USDA-reported)

These barns are not in a USDA AMS report, so Cownty shows no prices for them. Sale days and phones come from the barns' own sites or public listings; call the barn to confirm. More barns

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Hay prices in South Dakota

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Custer County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Custer County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 4 monthly payments for some pasture types. FSA decides each operation's eligibility; apply at your county FSA office by March 1 after the loss year.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in Custer County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Custer County was in moderate drought (D1), and the worst part was moderate drought (D1) on 100% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Nov 10, 2026

Is there a burn ban in Custer County?

No official statewide list to check: Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for South Dakota; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices.

What sale barns are near Custer County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: St. Onge SD (61 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; Crawford (69 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; Gordon (88 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; Nov 20, 2026: Whole Farm Revenue Protection 2027: last day to buy crop insurance. FSA program dates not posted officially are marked "confirm at source" on the calendar.

Source: official agency pages (see Calendar)

Information only; not financial or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Always check the linked official source.