Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 3, 2022

2,761 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $170.85/cwt +9.43 vs last sale · ≈ $986/hd at 577 lb · 179 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $160.17/cwt +12.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,002/hd at 625 lb · 175 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $177.69/cwt +17.69 vs last sale · ≈ $931/hd at 524 lb · 162 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,761 1,407 5,474
Feeder cattle 2,236 737 4,739
Slaughter cattle 390 509 522
Replacement cattle 135 161 213

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Calves were offered in mostly moderate size packages. A few light load lots were on offer as well and these were met with very good demand. Most calves were backgrounded and long weaned. A few bigger calves were starting to show some flesh, however quality on calves over 700 lbs was very attractive and buyers showed good demand as a result. CME positions were higher most of the week and buyers showed good demand for all feeders on offer. A large crowd was on hand for todays sale and both order buyers and ranchers were actively bidding on offerings. The best demand was for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. Buyers purchased steers up to 660 lbs and heifers up to 625 lbs to run on grass. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed very good demand for slaughter cows this week. Packers pushed to own the majority of the cows in the offering as they pushed cow prices sharply higher again this week. Slaughter cows sold sharply higher with most sales 6.00-9.00 higher on all classes. Slaughter bulls sold sharply higher, with most sales 13.00-17.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. Quality this week was mostly average and better than last week. Demand for young age cows was mostly moderate.

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
400–419 410 10 212.50–216.00 $214.29 $879 -0.62
453–478 467 40 210.50–211.00 $210.78 $984 +4.82
510–548 530 97 192.00–208.00 $205.11 $1,087 +10.11
550–590 567 131 185.00–199.00 $193.40 $1,097 —
569 unweaned 569 4 188.00 $188.00 $1,070 —
605–638 619 113 176.00–186.00 $180.67 $1,118 +2.17
649 649 5 165.50 $165.50 $1,074 —
662–683 674 94 177.00–180.00 $179.16 $1,208 +14.89
684 684 13 168.00 $168.00 $1,149 +3.73
712–716 713 40 162.50–164.00 $162.95 $1,162 —
763–795 771 31 150.00–158.00 $155.87 $1,202 —
873–885 881 123 149.00–159.00 $158.06 $1,393 —
887 887 19 143.50 $143.50 $1,273 —
977–983 979 18 143.00–144.50 $144.08 $1,411 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
512 512 25 193.00 $193.00 $988 —
602–621 620 45 163.00–166.00 $163.19 $1,012 —
786 786 7 149.00 $149.00 $1,171 —
1014 1014 4 136.00 $136.00 $1,379 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
464 464 4 198.00 $198.00 $919 +4.07
505–536 528 8 183.00–190.00 $188.33 $994 +7.33
564 564 15 180.00 $180.00 $1,015 +17.56
663–692 674 27 155.00–168.00 $160.01 $1,078 +1.01
715 715 3 147.00 $147.00 $1,051 —
786 786 4 147.00 $147.00 $1,155 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
396 396 10 212.00 $212.00 $840 —
443 443 3 207.50 $207.50 $919 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
303 303 8 170.00 $170.00 $515 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–397 386 28 180.00–187.00 $186.27 $719 —
413 unweaned 413 8 182.00 $182.00 $752 —
427–443 439 42 183.00–188.00 $183.93 $807 —
456 456 4 182.00 $182.00 $830 +7.51
514–521 unweaned 516 36 172.00–173.50 $173.12 $893 —
506–547 526 126 173.00–186.50 $179.00 $942 +19.00
551–599 577 179 161.50–176.00 $170.85 $986 +9.43
615–622 unweaned 621 48 152.00–158.50 $157.96 $981 +12.96
601–636 627 127 157.00–162.25 $161.00 $1,009 +10.01
650–684 658 30 149.50–161.50 $157.54 $1,037 +7.20
726 726 53 145.50 $145.50 $1,056 —
893–899 898 11 134.00–135.00 $134.82 $1,211 +0.63
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313 313 3 172.00 $172.00 $538 —
363–368 367 10 167.50–175.00 $169.74 $623 -0.26
430–440 432 9 175.00–179.00 $178.10 $769 +10.28
475–487 479 9 167.00–168.00 $167.34 $802 +4.34
500–508 505 7 167.00–170.00 $168.73 $852 +15.89
624 624 20 153.00 $153.00 $955 +10.33
780 780 4 135.00 $135.00 $1,053 +0.36
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
461 461 30 165.00 $165.00 $761 —
537 537 10 160.00 $160.00 $859 —
581 581 5 152.00 $152.00 $883 —
702 702 2 136.00 $136.00 $955 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
322 322 10 160.00 $160.00 $515 +7.50
517 517 14 141.00 $141.00 $729 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
401–405 403 10 150.00–156.00 $152.39 $614 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434–437 435 14 190.00–195.00 $193.92 $844 —
533 533 3 168.00 $168.00 $895 —
568 568 6 176.00 $176.00 $1,000 +25.00
635 635 1 151.00 $151.00 $959 ±0.00
688 688 5 145.00 $145.00 $998 +7.00
751 751 9 144.00 $144.00 $1,081 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1600 1358 80-85% 99 68.00–76.50 $71.84 $976 —
1224–1571 1364 80-85% 29 69.00–75.00 $70.29 $959 —
1390 1390 80-85% 2 65.00 $65.00 $904 —
1395–1490 1427 80-85% 3 78.00–79.00 $78.65 $1,122 +11.57
1395–1560 1478 80-85% 2 77.00–78.50 $77.71 $1,149 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845–1030 943 85-90% 8 55.00–62.00 $59.63 $562 —
1005–1305 1109 85-90% 42 58.00–66.00 $61.37 $681 —
1165 1165 85-90% 10 70.50 $70.50 $821 +16.30
1123–1325 1189 85-90% 42 66.00–73.00 $69.10 $822 +14.90
1288 1288 85-90% 6 74.00 $74.00 $953 —
1300 1300 85-90% 1 54.00 $54.00 $702 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270 1270 1 77.00 $77.00 $978 -8.84
1305–1730 1578 11 83.50–94.00 $91.43 $1,443 —
1755–2345 1947 17 98.00–105.00 $101.19 $1,970 —
2028 2028 2 107.00 $107.00 $2,170 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1466 1466 4 95.50 $95.50 $1,400 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
760 thin fleshed 760 (<2 yrs)Open 1 80.00 $80.00 $608
740–1180 915 (<2 yrs)Open 58 73.00–110.00 $90.44 $828
1000–1395 1085 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 12 71.00–83.00 $77.86 $845
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1020 1020 (<2 yrs)Open 1 75.00 $75.00 $765

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1315 1315 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,225.00 $1,225.00

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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.