Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 8, 2020

2,358 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction report →

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $134.81/cwt ≈ $1,165/hd at 864 lb · 165 head

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $139.58/cwt ≈ $1,100/hd at 788 lb · 152 head

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $136.50/cwt ≈ $650/hd at 476 lb · 99 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	2,358	4,120	1,715
Feeder cattle	1,990	—	1,580
Slaughter cattle	240	—	70
Replacement cattle	128	—	65

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling feeder steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Unweaned steer calves 400-549 lbs sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower. 550-649 lbs steers sold 5.00-10.00 lower, all other weights not well compared. Yearling heifers weighing less than 750 lbs sold mostly steady to 4.00 higher, heifers over 750 lbs sold steady to 2.00 higher. Unweaned heifer calves 450-500 lbs sold 6.00-12.00 lower. All other weights were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed with the exception of calves under 350 lbs which sold with higher undertones. Quality this week was plain to average on calves and average to attractive on yearlings. Demand for yearlings was mostly good, while demand for calves was mostly light. Warm, dry and dusty conditions weighed on the market this week as buyers showed reluctance to bid on offerings due to concern over calves health. Additionally many sets of calves had no preconditioning shots which further impaired demand. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand for light offerings. A two tier market has developed as packers and feeding buyers both showed good to very good demand for boning and breaking flesh cows and light demand for lean, thin fleshed cows. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher on boning and breaking cows, while lean cows sold 1.00-2.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower. Many cows were coming out of dry country and were very thin. Most cows had freshly weaned calves pulled off them and had heavy bags as a result. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week as many cows were very full. Young age re-breed type cows sold steady in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly plain to average this week.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
310 unweaned	310	1	200.00	$200.00	$620
356–365 unweaned	359	9	197.50–202.50	$200.81	$721
415–441 unweaned	431	22	167.00–182.00	$169.33	$730
455–490 unweaned	481	83	152.00–169.00	$157.16	$756
501–524 unweaned	508	69	150.00–155.00	$152.79	$776
550–597 unweaned	574	75	144.00–149.00	$146.81	$843
603–636 unweaned	619	61	144.00–151.00	$149.39	$925
657–693 unweaned	660	77	142.00–149.75	$147.74	$975
787	787	10	146.25	$146.25	$1,151
823	823	2	138.00	$138.00	$1,136
925	925	2	131.00	$131.00	$1,212

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
333 unweaned	333	4	174.00	$174.00	$579
370 unweaned	370	3	160.00	$160.00	$592
403–443 unweaned	416	9	155.00–162.00	$157.48	$655
514	514	10	145.00	$145.00	$745
582 unweaned	582	3	140.00	$140.00	$815
739	739	7	147.00	$147.00	$1,086
795	795	2	143.00	$143.00	$1,137
902–945	909	13	128.00–129.00	$128.16	$1,165

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
486 unweaned	486	13	132.00	$132.00	$642
500 unweaned	500	8	132.00	$132.00	$660

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
374	374	5	154.00	$154.00	$576
443–448 unweaned	446	6	140.00–145.00	$142.49	$636
528 unweaned	528	9	124.00	$124.00	$655

Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
329 unweaned	329	7	75.00	$75.00	$247
380 unweaned	380	10	72.50	$72.50	$276

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
433 unweaned	433	12	173.00	$173.00	$749
660	660	3	149.00	$149.00	$983

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
308–327 unweaned	320	9	172.00–178.00	$174.26	$558
361–392 unweaned	377	12	150.00–155.00	$152.40	$575
418–421 unweaned	420	17	148.00–150.00	$149.44	$628
465–498 unweaned	476	99	134.00–138.00	$136.50	$650
501–548 unweaned	521	71	132.00–135.25	$133.70	$697
570–591 unweaned	578	53	127.50–135.50	$131.01	$757
608 unweaned	608	13	133.75	$133.75	$813
676 fancy	676	8	137.00	$137.00	$926
654–687	679	49	140.00–144.50	$143.09	$972
720–745	742	49	140.00–146.75	$143.30	$1,063
766–796	788	138	137.00–144.00	$139.91	$1,102
783–795	792	14	136.25–136.50	$136.30	$1,079
802–847	832	53	135.00–137.00	$135.53	$1,128
850–896	864	165	130.50–135.75	$134.81	$1,165
905–946	921	47	129.00–131.25	$130.36	$1,201
961–991	972	43	127.00–131.00	$128.03	$1,244

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
325	325	4	142.50	$142.50	$463
397 unweaned	397	9	147.00	$147.00	$584
426–449 unweaned	438	16	131.00–138.00	$136.20	$597
475–494 unweaned	486	7	131.50–136.00	$133.39	$648
526 unweaned	526	5	132.00	$132.00	$694

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
404–427 unweaned	410	12	132.00–139.00	$137.18	$562
620–638	632	12	136.00	$136.00	$860
688	688	3	138.00	$138.00	$949

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
309 unweaned	309	13	125.00	$125.00	$386
334	334	14	134.00	$134.00	$448

Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
344 unweaned	344	8	77.50	$77.50	$267
371–380 unweaned	376	14	80.00–92.50	$86.18	$324

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
395 unweaned	395	14	136.00	$136.00	$537
418 unweaned	418	4	127.50	$127.50	$533

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
804	804	7	131.50	$131.50	$1,057

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
473 unweaned	473	6	118.00	$118.00	$558

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1105	1105	4	104.00	$104.00	$1,149

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
332 unweaned	332	7	155.00	$155.00	$515

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1075	1075	2	93.00	$93.00	$1,000

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
951	951	85-90%	5	51.00	$51.00	$485
890–1186	1131	85-90%	21	46.00–51.00	$49.15	$556
1118–1190	1143	85-90%	18	34.50–42.00	$36.51	$417
1059–1270	1163	85-90%	12	45.00–48.50	$47.02	$547
1126–1285	1187	85-90%	13	50.00–59.00	$53.97	$641
1195–1305	1226	85-90%	8	51.50–57.50	$54.49	$668
1250–1285	1268	85-90%	2	65.00–67.50	$66.23	$840

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1195	1195	80-85%	1	67.00	$67.00	$801
1265–1525	1379	80-85%	13	56.50–64.00	$59.71	$823
1368–1435	1413	80-85%	6	49.00–51.50	$49.81	$704
1270–1488	1428	80-85%	13	48.50–54.00	$50.92	$727
1348–1593	1506	80-85%	21	63.50–68.50	$67.84	$1,022
1715	1715	80-85%	1	53.00	$53.00	$909

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1488–1710	1540	75-80%	8	61.50–66.00	$64.16	$988
1510–1680	1582	75-80%	30	65.50–70.50	$67.03	$1,060
1535–1700	1618	75-80%	2	70.00	$70.00	$1,133

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1305	1305	1	76.00	$76.00	$992
1565–2280	1850	10	72.00–77.00	$75.02	$1,388
1545–2495	1900	16	63.00–73.50	$68.17	$1,295
1950	1950	1	64.00	$64.00	$1,248
1940–2173	2118	5	78.50–80.50	$79.59	$1,686

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1020–1100 thin fleshed	1063	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	5	53.00–57.00	$55.40	$589
998–1183	1109	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	25	59.50–70.50	$67.03	$743
820–1450	1179	(<2 yrs)	Open	21	65.00–95.00	$69.49	$819

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
968–1170	1041	(<2 yrs)	Open	13	61.00–72.00	$65.84	$685
1085	1085	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	4	62.00	$62.00	$673

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1224 thin fleshed	1224	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	4	52.00	$52.00	$636
1412	1412	Aged (>8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	7	57.50	$57.50	$812

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1452	1452	Aged (>8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	8	975.00	$975.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
728	728	(<2 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	25	800.00	$800.00

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
833	833	(<2 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	3	950.00	$950.00

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.