Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 8, 2021

1,486 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $167.06/cwt +3.01 vs last sale · ≈ $849/hd at 508 lb · 33 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $196.64/cwt -8.56 vs last sale · ≈ $922/hd at 469 lb · 30 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $176.33/cwt -10.44 vs last sale · ≈ $982/hd at 557 lb · 30 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,486 7,483 1,338
Feeder cattle 476 7,340 321
Slaughter cattle 688 78 86
Replacement cattle 322 65 931

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested this sale to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly plain to average, and offered in mostly small packages or as singles. Quality this week was significantly lower than last weeks offering. Demand was limited due to todays light offering. Market activity was mostly slow today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand. Offerings were moderate to heavy. Packers continue to show good demand for cows for immediate harvest and to feed. Packers purchased mostly high quality, young cows to feed. Feeding buyers were active this week as well actively bidding on thin cows and cows which might be bred. Slaughter cows were lightly tested last week so all comparisons are narrow. Slaughter and feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher on boning and breaking cows. Lean cows showed the greatest advance pushing mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Feeing cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher on all classes. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00-2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Bull quality today was mostly attractive. Young age cows sold on mostly good demand again this week. This class of cows sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher than last week. Quality was average to attractive and better overall than last week.

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
405 unweaned 405 4 186.00 $186.00 $753 —
452–482 469 30 191.00–203.00 $196.64 $922 -8.56
552–566 557 30 173.00–177.00 $176.33 $982 -7.55
622–630 624 4 162.00–165.00 $164.24 $1,025 -9.31
653–664 658 21 159.00–162.50 $160.99 $1,059 +19.99
898 898 5 132.50 $132.50 $1,190 -8.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 17 188.00 $188.00 $643 —
373 373 3 193.00 $193.00 $720 -13.86
403–420 407 4 190.00–195.00 $191.29 $779 -2.35
460 unweaned 460 3 167.50 $167.50 $770 —
515–523 521 8 163.00–176.00 $166.21 $866 -11.19
553–589 583 13 171.50–174.00 $171.86 $1,002 -1.12
623 623 3 145.00 $145.00 $903 -15.84
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710–735 718 3 114.00–117.00 $115.02 $826 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
473 473 3 166.50 $166.50 $788 -6.40
507–525 508 33 160.00–168.50 $167.06 $849 +3.01
550–592 572 19 154.00–160.50 $157.68 $902 -2.04
600–645 616 6 144.00–151.50 $147.39 $908 +8.04
684–687 685 14 136.00–146.00 $142.42 $976 +6.42
741 741 4 129.00 $129.00 $956 -10.63
768 768 2 132.00 $132.00 $1,014 +0.51
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
356–397 366 12 156.00–159.00 $158.19 $579 -7.55
450–489 463 15 160.00–162.00 $161.48 $748 -5.68
568–595 582 4 146.00–150.00 $147.95 $861 -4.07
658–663 661 7 125.00–131.00 $128.44 $849 -7.38
802 802 5 109.50 $109.50 $878 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
339 339 9 163.00 $163.00 $553 —
427 427 4 154.00 $154.00 $658 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
413 413 5 177.50 $177.50 $733 —
491 491 4 165.00 $165.00 $810 -15.00
721 721 11 136.00 $136.00 $981 -10.00
920 920 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,168 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 2 162.50 $162.50 $658 —
872 872 3 128.00 $128.00 $1,116 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 600 3 131.00 $131.00 $786 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
95 95 2 150.00 $150.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
953 953 85-90% 2 63.00 $63.00 $600 —
960 960 85-90% 1 67.00 $67.00 $643 —
935–1299 1114 85-90% 117 56.00–68.00 $64.73 $721 —
1041–1330 1135 85-90% 41 63.50–68.00 $65.44 $743 —
1135 1135 85-90% 1 74.50 $74.50 $846 —
1060–1300 1142 85-90% 66 67.00–71.00 $69.77 $797 —
1150–1345 1202 85-90% 40 67.00–71.00 $69.01 $830 +5.90
1238 1238 85-90% 2 73.00 $73.00 $904 —
1315 1315 85-90% 1 55.00 $55.00 $723 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1207–1576 1368 80-85% 62 67.50–71.50 $68.96 $943 +0.96
1284–1540 1385 80-85% 46 72.50–76.00 $74.00 $1,025 +6.00
1393 1393 80-85% 2 65.00 $65.00 $905 -3.00
1350–1618 1443 80-85% 12 64.00–67.50 $65.52 $945 +1.82
1305–1698 1497 80-85% 28 68.00–71.00 $69.37 $1,038 —
1380–1750 1590 80-85% 3 72.50–74.00 $73.30 $1,165 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1725 1587 75-80% 11 70.00–72.50 $70.70 $1,122 —
1588 1588 75-80% 3 73.00 $73.00 $1,159 —
1535–1740 1633 75-80% 9 64.00–67.50 $65.41 $1,068 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310 1310 1 87.50 $87.50 $1,146 -5.50
1382 1382 3 79.00 $79.00 $1,092 —
1410–1917 1642 18 74.00–83.50 $81.55 $1,339 —
1552–2180 1762 31 86.00–94.00 $89.40 $1,575 —
1980–2154 2081 10 98.00–104.00 $101.62 $2,115 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
950 thin fleshed 950 (<2 yrs)Open 7 89.00 $89.00 $846
718–1320 971 (<2 yrs)Open 129 80.00–115.50 $102.94 $1,000
840–1405 1065 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 69 63.00–100.00 $87.34 $930
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
798–1025 885 (<2 yrs)Open 4 86.00–94.50 $90.01 $797
866–1020 892 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 6 66.00–71.00 $70.05 $625

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1253 thin fleshed 1253 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 50 75.50 $75.50 $946
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1457 1457 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 1,285.00 $1,285.00

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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.