Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 17, 2020

3,469 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $156.20/cwt -3.36 vs last sale · ≈ $738/hd at 472 lb · 203 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $147.28/cwt -1.67 vs last sale · ≈ $772/hd at 524 lb · 161 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $172.00/cwt -0.02 vs last sale · ≈ $914/hd at 531 lb · 137 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,469 5,120 2,747
Feeder cattle 2,355 3,949 1,821
Slaughter cattle 933 832 160
Replacement cattle 181 339 766

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Unweaned steer calves under 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher; steers 600 lbs and heaiver sold unevenly steady. Unweaned heifers sold steady to weak on all weights. Quality this week was not as attractive as last week. Quality overall was plain to average. Many odds and ends cattle sold this week as ranchers cleaned out pens and pastures for the last sale of the year. Many buyers were on hand this sale. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Packers opted to send a large portion of the offering to slaughter this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00 higher. Feeding buyers and packer buyers competed over high quality offerings to feed to premium white. These offerings sold steady to firm. Cow and bull quality this week was mostly average. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average this sale, overall weigh conditions were better this week compared to last. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Several sets of Natural bulls sold this sale and these offerings were met with mostly good demand and offered a 6.00-8.00 premium. 2 year old to young age cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand. These cows were of mostly plain to average quality and sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 2 200.00 $200.00 $600 —
351–384 376 77 188.00–210.75 $193.95 $729 +7.49
410–438 434 82 182.00–201.00 $187.44 $813 +3.68
450–485 463 89 175.00–191.00 $181.67 $841 +1.65
466 unweaned 466 14 188.50 $188.50 $878 +11.93
512–541 524 83 166.00–180.00 $173.30 $908 +1.03
543 unweaned 543 54 170.00 $170.00 $923 -2.49
552–583 577 129 158.00–165.00 $161.38 $931 +2.32
612–644 unweaned 619 43 142.00–149.00 $143.53 $888 -4.51
610–639 626 89 144.00–160.00 $151.49 $948 +2.45
654–684 667 53 141.00–156.00 $151.77 $1,012 +5.36
708–747 716 26 131.00–138.50 $136.11 $975 -2.70
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 unweaned 326 5 187.50 $187.50 $611 —
335 335 7 190.00 $190.00 $636 —
375 unweaned 375 1 180.00 $180.00 $675 —
448 unweaned 448 16 170.00 $170.00 $762 +6.61
545 545 1 163.00 $163.00 $888 +5.29
561–589 unweaned 569 14 145.00–149.00 $147.84 $841 +2.59
599 599 10 145.00 $145.00 $869 +1.14
658 658 8 136.00 $136.00 $895 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 6 187.00 $187.00 $640 +1.50
428 428 18 178.00 $178.00 $762 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 9 100.00 $100.00 $490 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 2 152.00 $152.00 $775 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
319–342 330 24 170.00–183.00 $174.84 $577 +7.84
363–393 382 74 170.00–187.50 $174.27 $666 +3.26
407–425 unweaned 412 24 158.50–166.50 $160.91 $663 +1.70
411–447 426 52 158.00–175.00 $162.06 $690 -2.82
456–493 467 154 145.00–165.00 $155.89 $728 -3.03
462–493 unweaned 489 49 155.00–157.50 $157.16 $769 -3.44
503 unweaned 503 8 148.50 $148.50 $747 +2.33
500–545 525 153 140.00–157.00 $147.22 $773 -7.21
555 555 16 145.00 $145.00 $805 +2.84
563–570 567 12 136.00–137.50 $136.75 $775 -5.41
568–570 unweaned 569 7 134.00 $134.00 $762 -8.08
600–645 641 29 129.00–135.25 $134.45 $862 -0.23
666–682 670 37 131.00–134.00 $133.32 $893 +5.85
671 unweaned 671 4 123.00 $123.00 $825 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–398 391 48 157.00–165.00 $160.27 $627 +8.27
424–448 429 10 132.00–158.00 $152.57 $655 -1.85
442 unweaned 442 3 146.00 $146.00 $645 —
492 unweaned 492 8 142.00 $142.00 $699 +10.00
501–510 507 16 137.00–144.00 $140.11 $710 —
523 unweaned 523 9 135.00 $135.00 $706 —
592 unweaned 592 8 124.00 $124.00 $734 —
593–595 594 7 128.00–129.50 $128.64 $764 —
674 674 17 120.50 $120.50 $812 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
322 322 13 172.50 $172.50 $555 —
425 425 4 152.00 $152.00 $646 —
467 467 7 133.00 $133.00 $621 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
426–436 431 19 151.50–153.00 $152.30 $656 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–394 391 22 147.00–180.00 $177.20 $693 -4.80
406 406 5 178.00 $178.00 $723 —
460–478 477 41 159.00–164.00 $163.65 $781 —
529 529 5 158.00 $158.00 $836 +16.00
560 560 7 151.00 $151.00 $846 —
631 631 5 140.00 $140.00 $883 —
680 680 2 124.00 $124.00 $843 -1.00
751 751 5 126.00 $126.00 $946 —
801 801 7 121.00 $121.00 $969 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
496 496 9 130.00 $130.00 $645 -14.00
632 632 5 126.00 $126.00 $796 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1194 1194 4 89.00 $89.00 $1,063 —
1210 1210 2 87.00 $87.00 $1,053 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815–990 938 85-90% 5 40.00–48.00 $42.47 $398 —
885–985 973 85-90% 43 35.00–39.00 $35.27 $343 +3.77
1005–1210 1042 85-90% 19 33.00–40.00 $34.81 $363 —
1058–1310 1178 85-90% 92 42.00–49.00 $45.93 $541 -0.05
1205 1205 85-90% 1 58.00 $58.00 $699 —
1045–1296 1207 85-90% 132 41.00–50.00 $46.68 $563 —
1115–1285 1222 85-90% 47 49.50–55.00 $50.99 $623 +0.20
1157–1298 1249 85-90% 10 50.00–53.00 $51.76 $646 +0.97
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300 1300 80-85% 1 62.00 $62.00 $806 +8.50
1100–1485 1330 80-85% 6 43.50–46.50 $45.37 $603 -8.13
1213–1516 1372 80-85% 58 51.50–60.00 $55.61 $763 +10.68
1360–1405 1375 80-85% 3 62.00–62.50 $62.17 $855 +17.24
1231–1635 1421 80-85% 20 42.00–49.00 $46.86 $666 -0.84
1347–1612 1441 80-85% 14 49.50–56.00 $50.72 $731 +3.02
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1560 1560 75-80% 1 63.50 $63.50 $991 +8.08
1515–1955 1695 75-80% 4 57.00–61.00 $59.82 $1,014 —
1695 1695 75-80% 2 57.50 $57.50 $975 —
1510–1810 1710 75-80% 3 55.00–58.00 $57.12 $977 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1317 1317 3 84.50 $84.50 $1,113 —
1310–1473 1441 7 71.00–75.00 $72.18 $1,040 —
1152–1851 1589 8 82.00–82.50 $82.36 $1,309 —
1599–1810 1693 16 84.00–88.00 $84.96 $1,438 —
1565–1925 1795 3 80.00–83.00 $82.13 $1,474 —
1810 1810 1 81.00 $81.00 $1,466 +6.43
1743–1850 1839 19 90.00–91.50 $91.35 $1,680 +11.62
1728–2415 1895 7 73.00–76.00 $74.33 $1,409 —
2200 2200 2 88.00 $88.00 $1,936 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
760–835 thin fleshed 798 (<2 yrs)Open 2 42.50–70.00 $56.90 $454
810–1172 994 (<2 yrs)Open 62 63.00–84.00 $73.70 $733
920–1193 1093 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 33 51.00–74.00 $62.56 $684

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1237 thin fleshed 1237 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 14 625.00 $625.00

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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.