Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 9, 2021

3,216 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $168.44/cwt -3.13 vs last sale · ≈ $724/hd at 430 lb · 151 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $159.86/cwt +5.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,092/hd at 683 lb · 147 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $153.48/cwt -2.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,183/hd at 771 lb · 128 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,216 1,892 1,927
Feeder cattle 2,369 799 1,719
Slaughter cattle 589 896 108
Replacement cattle 258 197 100

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however mostly steady to firm undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers under 750 lbs sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher, while heifers over 750 lbs sold unevenly steady. Steer calves were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on steer calves under 400 lbs and steady to weak undertones were noticed on calves over 400 lbs. Heifer calves were also too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on heifer calves under 400 lbs and steady to weak undertones were noticed on calves over 400 lbs. Demand for all feeder cattle remains strong with lots of willing buyers. CME positions have fallen sharply over the past week and a half, however demand remains mostly good for high quality feeder cattle. Quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive. Demand for very light calves was especially good this week as buyers have already started thinking about buying calves to develop into yearlings. Many of the very light steers and heifers sold for the same dollars per head as their bigger brother and sisters. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Cows continue to sell for three different purposes: slaughter, feed and to preg test for bred cows. Slaughter buyers tried to buy cows near steady this week, however pressure from other buyers forced packers to pay higher money in order to secure offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher on all classes in a very narrow comparison. Feeding cow demand was mostly very good this week. Many Midwestern farmers are wrapping up cutting silage and many are starting to purchase feeding cows. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00 higher. Several sets of cow sold today that were exposed or bred and replacement cows buyers purchased most of these cows away from slaughter cow buyers this week. Cows continue to come to town in poor body condition as most have freshly weaned cows and many are coming out of very dry country. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 higher. Feeding demand helped push or hold the market steady on bulls suitable to feed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to weak. Quality was not as attractive this week as last and fewer takers were bidding on offerings.

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
270–278 unweaned 275 5 230.00–232.50 $231.52 $637 —
307–333 unweaned 318 27 221.00–235.00 $230.22 $732 +6.22
351–394 unweaned 372 46 203.00–232.00 $215.04 $800 -9.96
403–436 unweaned 420 55 181.00–185.00 $183.54 $771 -15.46
454–495 unweaned 474 90 173.00–185.00 $178.30 $845 -1.19
500–529 unweaned 522 35 168.50–171.00 $169.93 $887 -3.81
556–598 unweaned 570 70 160.50–169.00 $166.83 $951 +0.83
608 unweaned 608 6 162.00 $162.00 $985 —
660 unweaned 660 2 156.00 $156.00 $1,030 —
686 686 21 170.50 $170.50 $1,170 —
749 749 4 168.00 $168.00 $1,258 —
764–770 765 69 163.00–170.50 $169.73 $1,298 +5.73
818 818 5 163.50 $163.50 $1,337 +1.50
905 905 3 147.00 $147.00 $1,330 -4.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 unweaned 320 22 212.00 $212.00 $678 —
393 unweaned 393 13 181.00 $181.00 $711 —
447–449 unweaned 448 28 173.00–176.50 $174.87 $783 -8.13
470–486 unweaned 478 10 168.00–174.00 $170.95 $817 —
543 unweaned 543 12 160.00 $160.00 $869 -7.04
568 unweaned 568 5 155.00 $155.00 $880 —
728 728 3 157.00 $157.00 $1,143 —
921 921 4 145.00 $145.00 $1,335 +5.09
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
569 569 6 165.00 $165.00 $939 —
608 608 2 163.00 $163.00 $991 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 6 160.00 $160.00 $912 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1064 1064 4 134.00 $134.00 $1,426 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
276 unweaned 276 7 211.00 $211.00 $582 —
300–345 unweaned 313 39 197.00–211.00 $201.37 $630 +14.37
352–378 unweaned 367 46 177.00–200.00 $186.88 $686 +9.88
404–448 unweaned 430 151 162.50–172.50 $168.44 $724 -3.13
473–493 unweaned 482 52 162.00–166.00 $163.98 $790 -5.18
500–537 unweaned 518 102 152.00–162.00 $157.03 $813 -3.97
551 unweaned 551 8 150.00 $150.00 $826 —
644–649 646 39 158.50–162.00 $160.03 $1,034 —
651–698 683 147 156.00–163.00 $159.86 $1,092 +5.36
740 740 70 157.00 $157.00 $1,162 +0.89
751–797 771 128 149.00–157.00 $153.48 $1,183 -2.64
806–846 811 55 145.00–147.00 $145.88 $1,183 —
850–899 865 98 140.50–144.75 $142.14 $1,230 +10.14
889 889 8 135.50 $135.50 $1,205 -10.35
905–924 910 23 138.00–143.00 $141.27 $1,286 +2.95
939 939 23 136.00 $136.00 $1,277 -2.32
970–981 980 11 137.00–139.00 $137.18 $1,344 -0.32
981 981 11 130.50 $130.50 $1,280 -7.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
254–255 unweaned 255 10 182.50 $182.50 $465 —
301–327 unweaned 316 24 180.00–186.00 $183.39 $580 —
375 unweaned 375 3 175.50 $175.50 $658 —
402–446 unweaned 431 9 160.00 $160.00 $690 -9.00
480 unweaned 480 4 155.00 $155.00 $744 -14.00
674 674 6 154.00 $154.00 $1,038 —
703–733 722 53 145.00–153.50 $149.88 $1,082 +4.88
755–781 774 14 148.00 $148.00 $1,146 —
807–837 821 36 138.00–144.00 $142.71 $1,172 +0.66
858–883 871 4 138.00–139.00 $138.51 $1,206 —
998 998 3 127.00 $127.00 $1,267 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
612–643 625 53 148.00–156.00 $153.26 $958 —
669 669 13 154.00 $154.00 $1,030 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488 unweaned 488 6 160.00 $160.00 $781 —
863 863 2 139.00 $139.00 $1,200 —
991 991 5 127.50 $127.50 $1,264 —
1050–1093 1073 28 125.50–131.50 $129.82 $1,393 —
1120 1120 5 126.50 $126.50 $1,417 —
1133 1133 11 126.00 $126.00 $1,428 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
806 806 4 132.50 $132.50 $1,068 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085 1085 3 114.50 $114.50 $1,242 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
632 632 3 147.50 $147.50 $932 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
264 unweaned 264 7 212.50 $212.50 $561 —
313–318 unweaned 317 15 201.00–205.00 $204.47 $648 —
394 unweaned 394 7 175.00 $175.00 $690 —
424 unweaned 424 5 170.00 $170.00 $721 —
478 unweaned 478 9 168.00 $168.00 $803 —
520–541 unweaned 532 9 151.00–154.00 $152.70 $812 —
903 903 2 124.00 $124.00 $1,120 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930 930 6 113.00 $113.00 $1,051 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1202 1202 3 104.00 $104.00 $1,250 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
933 933 85-90% 2 55.00 $55.00 $513 —
855–1140 1097 85-90% 30 44.50–48.00 $44.63 $490 —
1005–1266 1206 85-90% 46 52.00–56.25 $53.77 $648 +6.27
1206 1206 85-90% 46 49.50 $49.50 $597 +2.00
1240 1240 85-90% 1 77.50 $77.50 $961 +20.88
1080–1374 1249 85-90% 26 52.00–56.00 $54.72 $683 -1.90
1185–1345 1289 85-90% 11 56.00–59.00 $57.16 $737 -2.88
1288–1307 1301 85-90% 20 57.00–58.00 $57.30 $745 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1319–1445 1350 80-85% 45 53.00–58.00 $56.49 $763 -7.89
1285–1416 1375 80-85% 32 71.00–76.00 $73.82 $1,015 +9.44
1384–1405 1392 80-85% 8 60.00–65.00 $61.89 $862 +6.37
1335–1495 1416 80-85% 5 52.00–57.00 $55.27 $783 -3.15
1322–1537 1418 80-85% 59 61.00–69.00 $64.55 $915 +6.13
1495–1585 1540 80-85% 4 68.50–73.00 $70.68 $1,088 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1527 1527 75-80% 21 73.50 $73.50 $1,122 -3.02
1385–1633 1532 75-80% 6 67.00–72.50 $70.93 $1,087 -6.49
1325–1586 1551 75-80% 10 76.00–78.00 $76.37 $1,184 —
1700 1700 75-80% 1 80.00 $80.00 $1,360 —
1550–1990 1770 75-80% 2 77.00–78.00 $77.56 $1,373 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1308–1855 1539 13 81.50–87.00 $83.92 $1,292 —
1578–1980 1684 5 76.00–80.00 $78.50 $1,322 -10.35
1513–1840 1747 7 77.00–80.00 $79.26 $1,385 -5.08
1755–2095 1833 14 90.00–94.50 $92.41 $1,694 —
1570–2470 1838 25 82.00–89.50 $86.65 $1,593 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1880 1880 1 76.00 $76.00 $1,429 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
835–1243 1045 (<2 yrs)Open 66 72.00–96.00 $83.65 $874
850–1235 1064 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 28 59.00–76.50 $71.27 $758
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1040 1040 (<2 yrs)Open 4 72.00 $72.00 $749
1148–1318 1194 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 61.00–67.00 $65.28 $779
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
945–1182 1034 (<2 yrs)Open 9 57.00–71.00 $65.99 $682

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1223–1324 1286 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 24 55.00–63.50 $60.47 $778
1348–1443 1410 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 22 56.50–61.00 $59.63 $841
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,135.00 $1,135.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1257 1257 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 925.00 $925.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1052 fancy 1052 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 9 1,585.00 $1,585.00

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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.