Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 12, 2022

1,725 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $158.84/cwt -4.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,107/hd at 697 lb · 89 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $167.67/cwt -7.83 vs last sale · ≈ $949/hd at 566 lb · 86 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $154.95/cwt -0.29 vs last sale · ≈ $1,138/hd at 734 lb · 48 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,725 948 1,660
Feeder cattle 907 468 510
Slaughter cattle 421 292 806
Replacement cattle 397 188 344

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were all too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain and lower than last weeks offering. Many consignments were cutback cattle off video or country sales this week. Most consignments were small packages or singles this week. A few packages of replacement quality heifers were seen and these offerings were met with moderate to good demand. Market activity was mostly slow. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for mostly moderate offerings. Demand for cows was mixed today as the sale started with light to moderate demand and ended the sale with moderate to good demand as buyers pushed to fill loads to get out for the week. Slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 lower on breakers, boning and lean cows sold steady to firm. Feeding cow demand from private buyers was lighter today as the Dakotas got or expect rain. Fleshy feeding cows sold with the lightest demand, selling steady to 3.00 lower. Boning and lean cows sold fully steady with last weeks sale. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Weigh up conditions we mixed today, from below average to above average. Weigh up conditions improved as the sale progressed. Young age cows sold on mostly good to very good demand today. Young, replacement type cows sold mostly 5.00-7.00 higher. Quality this week was average to very attractive.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 341 10 175.00 $175.00 $597 —
435–437 436 13 175.00–185.00 $178.07 $776 —
453–472 470 32 170.00–176.00 $175.28 $824 —
589 589 11 170.00 $170.00 $1,001 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
454–460 455 22 185.00–194.50 $193.63 $881 —
562 thin fleshed 562 16 183.50 $183.50 $1,031 —
582–585 583 6 175.00–181.00 $180.00 $1,049 -5.50
687–690 688 6 168.00–170.00 $168.33 $1,158 -1.78
712–745 725 5 155.00–162.00 $159.12 $1,154 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436 436 8 189.00 $189.00 $824 -11.00
503 503 23 180.00 $180.00 $905 —
569 569 12 173.00 $173.00 $984 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
579 579 4 187.00 $187.00 $1,083 -12.63
600–613 604 7 180.00 $180.00 $1,087 -12.00
708 708 2 167.50 $167.50 $1,186 -2.70
803–842 823 14 146.00–153.00 $149.58 $1,231 -8.03
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–473 471 11 134.00–141.00 $138.44 $652 —
593 593 2 136.00 $136.00 $806 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
421 421 7 150.00 $150.00 $632 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
386 386 7 189.00 $189.00 $730 —
503–505 504 6 171.00–176.00 $174.34 $879 —
551–592 566 86 163.50–172.00 $167.67 $949 -7.83
624 624 46 163.50 $163.50 $1,020 -5.71
683–686 685 12 152.00–163.00 $156.20 $1,070 -6.80
699 699 77 159.25 $159.25 $1,113 -3.75
711–735 728 27 154.00–154.50 $154.14 $1,122 -1.10
742 742 21 156.00 $156.00 $1,158 +0.76
771–785 779 39 147.00–157.00 $150.01 $1,169 -3.99
810 fancy 810 4 152.00 $152.00 $1,231 —
877 877 3 140.00 $140.00 $1,228 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
840 840 72 1,250.00 $1,250.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482 482 7 170.00 $170.00 $819 -4.49
515–545 539 9 165.00–167.00 $166.22 $896 +4.02
610–618 612 11 154.00–160.00 $156.31 $957 -3.97
717–718 717 9 140.00 $140.00 $1,004 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 19 172.50 $172.50 $673 —
488 488 3 155.00 $155.00 $756 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
494 494 7 125.00 $125.00 $618 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
538 538 2 175.00 $175.00 $942 —
562 562 22 176.00 $176.00 $989 —
668 668 14 167.00 $167.00 $1,116 +10.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1019 1019 5 116.00 $116.00 $1,182 —
1065 1065 1 113.00 $113.00 $1,203 —
1133 1133 6 110.00 $110.00 $1,246 +1.00
1150 1150 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,254 —
1255 1255 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,318 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
553–573 560 6 170.00–173.00 $171.98 $963 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
422 422 3 171.50 $171.50 $724 —
580 580 2 155.00 $155.00 $899 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085 1085 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,139 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945 945 85-90% 3 64.00–69.00 $67.33 $636 +6.33
975 975 85-90% 1 71.00 $71.00 $692 +15.34
1065 1065 85-90% 2 53.00 $53.00 $564 —
935–1349 1155 85-90% 32 67.00–72.50 $69.14 $799 -8.86
855–1275 1167 85-90% 56 72.00–79.50 $73.74 $861 +7.07
1010–1350 1189 85-90% 31 62.00–72.50 $66.04 $785 -3.10
1025–1336 1201 85-90% 42 70.00–78.00 $73.28 $880 —
1165–1370 1209 85-90% 14 80.00–86.00 $82.03 $992 +8.71
1208–1290 1230 85-90% 5 79.50–86.00 $81.60 $1,004 +8.28
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350–1413 1383 80-85% 8 72.00–75.00 $73.60 $1,018 -9.66
1361–1580 1394 80-85% 53 74.00–82.00 $77.35 $1,078 -5.91
1330–1450 1413 80-85% 6 80.00–83.00 $81.66 $1,154 +7.61
1378–1550 1437 80-85% 9 62.00–70.50 $67.34 $968 -6.71
1300–1508 1442 80-85% 15 82.50–86.50 $84.52 $1,219 +10.47
1405–1640 1512 80-85% 7 71.00–73.50 $73.17 $1,106 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1500 1500 75-80% 1 84.00 $84.00 $1,260 —
1500–1708 1612 75-80% 12 75.00–80.00 $76.27 $1,229 -2.39
1496–1843 1629 75-80% 9 75.00–80.50 $77.78 $1,267 -0.88
1705 1705 75-80% 1 75.00 $75.00 $1,279 —
1680–1918 1809 75-80% 10 68.50–75.50 $74.29 $1,344 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1236–1395 1268 5 89.50–100.00 $97.69 $1,239 +2.69
1285 1285 3 75.00 $75.00 $964 -20.00
1300 1300 1 72.00 $72.00 $936 —
1395 1395 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,297 —
1335–1725 1559 4 85.00–88.00 $86.75 $1,352 +2.03
1615–2000 1768 21 92.00–103.00 $97.15 $1,718 +1.25
1665–2140 1923 9 104.50–110.50 $106.58 $2,050 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
780–1345 963 (<2 yrs)Open 171 91.00–127.00 $115.25 $1,110
980 fancy 980 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 12 116.00 $116.00 $1,137
1035–1165 1091 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 9 69.00–75.00 $73.02 $797
775–1416 1093 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 57 78.50–105.50 $87.32 $954
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
940–955 944 (<2 yrs)Open 4 82.50–83.00 $82.87 $782
970–1000 990 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 71.00–77.00 $75.31 $746
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1174 1174 (<2 yrs)Open 5 92.00 $92.00 $1,080
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
685 thin fleshed 685 (<2 yrs)Open 1 90.00 $90.00 $616

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1107–1280 1186 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 19 1,210.00–1,310.00 $1,265.14
1082–1255 1190 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 8 1,125.00–1,200.00 $1,174.43
1353 1353 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,050.00 $1,050.00
Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1109 1109 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 10 1,025.00 $1,025.00
1349 1349 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,050.00 $1,050.00

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Heifer Pairs

Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
895 thin fleshed 895 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 1,150.00 $1,150.00 —

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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.