Early access, free.
Cownty

Home › North Dakota › Hettinger County

Hettinger County, ND

Cattle prices near Hettinger County, North Dakota. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Dickinson ND in Dickinson, ND, about 35 miles away. On Nov 12, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $447.56 per hundredweight on 935 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
Drought Abnormally dryD0 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 1 payment Burn ban Checkcall the county Dickinson ND 5-wt steers $448▲ $19 since last sale

Hettinger County rain, outlook and forecast

As of the Nov 10 Drought Monitor, most of Hettinger County, ND was abnormally dry (D0), with 31% at moderate drought (D1); 31% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, the same as four weeks earlier. Rain has run 80% of normal over the last 30 days (below normal); the NWS forecast peaks at a 48% rain chance on Friday (high 38°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Hettinger County with up to 1 monthly payment, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Dickinson ND, 35 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 80% 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 (40% chance of above-normal rain)
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans toward near-normal rain

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

Next 7 days

  1. Today Sunny, high 57°, low 29°, 0% rain, wind 3–13 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Sunny, high 60°, low 32°, 0% rain, wind 3–7 mph
  3. Tuesday Partly Sunny, high 52°, low 29°, 7% rain, wind 1–8 mph
  4. Wednesday Chance Light Rain, high 41°, low 24°, 29% rain, wind 3–25 mph
  5. Thursday Partly Sunny, high 37°, low 23°, 19% rain, wind 6–9 mph
  6. Friday Chance Rain And Snow, high 38°, low 20°, 48% rain, wind 6–17 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Light Snow, high 34°, low 15°, 27% rain, wind 3–17 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 Hettinger 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.

Hettinger County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Hettinger County grew about 1,821 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 140% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,304 pounds per acre. That was the 1st best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2025 at 1,821 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 632.

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 Hettinger 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

Hettinger 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
Dickinson ND 35 miNov 12$448
Mandan ND 79 miNov 11$430
Mobridge SD 115 miNov 12$458
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

Dickinson ND 35 mi

Dickinson, ND
Sale of Nov 12, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb357423.23$1,900
Heifers 500-599 lb497387.55$2,130
Heifers 600-699 lb122359.10$2,330
Steers 400-499 lb517505.87$2,280
Steers 500-599 lb935447.56$2,460
Steers 600-699 lb817398.09$2,590
Steers 700-799 lb134360.58$2,700

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Mandan ND 79 mi

Mandan, ND
Sale of Nov 11, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb130426.82$1,920
Heifers 500-599 lb560377.72$2,080
Heifers 600-699 lb154355.65$2,310
Heifers 700-799 lb51323.38$2,430
Steers 400-499 lb201505.96$2,280
Steers 500-599 lb771429.81$2,360
Steers 600-699 lb652385.33$2,500

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Mobridge SD 115 mi

Mobridge, SD
Sale of Nov 12, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb614441.78$1,990
Heifers 500-599 lb764438.44$2,410
Heifers 600-699 lb230488.02$3,170
Steers 400-499 lb614519.08$2,340
Steers 500-599 lb2,160457.50$2,520
Steers 600-699 lb1,217428.35$2,780
Steers 700-799 lb226396.99$2,980

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

6 more within 200 mi: Herreid SD (121 mi), Napoleon ND (128 mi), St. Onge SD (144 mi), Miles City MT (161 mi), Philip SD (170 mi), Fort Pierre SD (175 mi).

Text me Hettinger County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Stockmen's Livestock Exchange (feeder cattle) Dickinson, ND 35 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  2. Kist Livestock (feeder cattle) Mandan, ND 79 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Mobridge Livestock Exchange Mobridge, SD 115 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  4. Herried Livestock Market Herreid, SD 121 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  5. Napoleon Livestock (feeder cattle) Napoleon, ND 128 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 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

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Nearest USDA hay reports (none for North Dakota): South Dakota, Montana

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Hettinger County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Hettinger County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 1 monthly payment 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 Hettinger County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Hettinger County was in abnormally dry (D0), and the worst part was moderate drought (D1) on 31% 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 Hettinger County?

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

What sale barns are near Hettinger County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Dickinson ND (35 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Mandan ND (79 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Mobridge SD (115 mi), last report Nov 12, 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.