Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 15, 2022

815 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 bulls $158.63/cwt ≈ $1,028/hd at 648 lb · 51 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $174.89/cwt +1.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,362/hd at 779 lb · 41 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $202.65/cwt +10.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,040/hd at 513 lb · 36 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 815 1,942 2,896
Feeder cattle 506 1,511 1,226
Slaughter cattle 270 336 996
Replacement cattle 39 95 674

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested today to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop a full market comparison, however steady undertones were noticed. Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested either this week or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on steers and lower undertones were noticed on heifers. Demand for yearlings was mostly moderate, while demand for calves was mostly light to moderate. Yearling quality was mixed from plain to attractive. Calf quality was mostly average to attractive. Package sizes for yearlings were mostly small this week, with many singles in the offering. Calves were offered in mostly small to moderate size packages. Several packages of fall born or very early born spring calves sold this week. These calves were weaned and were left untagged in the report below. Market activity was mostly moderate this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was much lighter this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower on lean and boning cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however weak undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower. Fewer feeding cow buyers were seen this week and with lighter demand seen from packers all cow prices softened. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00-6.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive, however offerings were limited. Steady undertones were noticed.

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
315 unweaned 315 1 240.00 $240.00 $756 -7.18
375–396 unweaned 393 7 220.00–224.00 $223.45 $878 -7.55
477 unweaned 477 8 222.00 $222.00 $1,059 -1.39
507–549 unweaned 513 36 189.00–206.00 $202.65 $1,040 +10.06
566 unweaned 566 5 184.00 $184.00 $1,041 +3.53
603–615 unweaned 609 4 170.00–172.00 $171.01 $1,041 -7.99
700 unweaned 700 2 164.00 $164.00 $1,148 —
799 799 8 180.00 $180.00 $1,438 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 unweaned 345 3 215.00 $215.00 $742 —
445 unweaned 445 3 204.00 $204.00 $908 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1158 1158 2 146.50 $146.50 $1,696 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–380 unweaned 374 5 180.00–195.00 $191.46 $716 —
416–441 unweaned 430 23 176.00–191.00 $182.23 $784 -22.77
510–518 unweaned 517 25 160.00–166.00 $165.45 $855 -14.51
551–552 unweaned 551 7 155.00–161.00 $158.43 $873 -12.57
565 565 3 168.00 $168.00 $949 —
628 unweaned 628 3 153.00 $153.00 $961 —
680 unweaned 680 5 152.00 $152.00 $1,034 —
708 708 16 179.50 $179.50 $1,271 —
765–779 779 41 170.50–175.00 $174.89 $1,362 +1.62
809–845 816 5 165.00–169.00 $168.17 $1,372 -3.52
853–866 859 22 169.50–170.00 $169.77 $1,458 +9.63
863–889 881 10 151.00–161.00 $155.76 $1,372 -13.19
920–942 937 4 162.00–164.50 $163.89 $1,536 +1.38
985 985 8 152.50 $152.50 $1,502 +5.44
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
843 843 4 162.00 $162.00 $1,366 —
936 936 4 154.00 $154.00 $1,441 —
1006–1033 1013 12 157.50–160.50 $158.26 $1,603 -3.67
1097 1097 3 151.50 $151.50 $1,662 -4.63
1260 1260 3 131.00 $131.00 $1,651 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 unweaned 350 5 180.00 $180.00 $630 —
463 unweaned 463 2 155.00 $155.00 $718 —
684–687 685 8 174.00–175.50 $174.56 $1,196 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
703 703 2 162.00 $162.00 $1,139 —
788 788 2 155.00 $155.00 $1,221 —
897 897 3 151.00 $151.00 $1,354 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
298 unweaned 298 3 235.00 $235.00 $700 —
507 507 3 162.00 $162.00 $821 —
535 unweaned 535 2 154.00 $154.00 $824 —
584 584 4 162.00 $162.00 $946 —
645–648 648 51 150.00–160.00 $158.63 $1,028 —
755 755 5 157.00 $157.00 $1,185 —
873 873 9 150.00 $150.00 $1,310 —
945 945 3 139.00 $139.00 $1,314 —
965 fancy 965 1 148.00 $148.00 $1,428 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1068 1068 2 117.00 $117.00 $1,250 —
1200–1243 1231 7 108.50–113.00 $109.75 $1,351 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1344–1430 1361 80-85% 5 78.50–79.00 $78.61 $1,070 -7.63
1115–1608 1403 80-85% 21 80.00–88.00 $83.84 $1,176 +16.84
1280–1620 1451 80-85% 36 80.00–86.50 $82.45 $1,196 -9.35
1370–1760 1453 80-85% 25 72.00–80.00 $78.11 $1,135 -13.69
1295–1623 1482 80-85% 6 87.00–89.00 $88.14 $1,306 -3.66
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000 1000 85-90% 1 56.00 $56.00 $560 —
1025 1025 85-90% 1 81.00 $81.00 $830 —
1054–1295 1144 85-90% 7 70.00–78.50 $73.05 $836 -1.74
455–1379 1173 85-90% 20 64.00–77.00 $72.48 $850 -9.33
1145–1260 1215 85-90% 4 77.50–78.00 $77.88 $946 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1475 1475 75-80% 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,372 —
1515 1515 75-80% 1 85.00 $85.00 $1,288 -4.50
1300–1695 1539 75-80% 5 88.00–90.50 $89.29 $1,374 -0.21
1365–1805 1658 75-80% 3 82.00–85.50 $82.96 $1,375 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1248–1260 1252 3 104.00–107.00 $105.99 $1,327 —
1345 1345 1 92.00 $92.00 $1,237 -9.08
1245–1925 1505 11 78.00–90.00 $84.67 $1,274 —
1498–2195 1755 38 92.00–102.00 $96.77 $1,698 -5.12
1723–2190 1917 13 104.00–114.00 $106.11 $2,034 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1980–2475 2228 2 103.50–104.00 $103.72 $2,311 —
2265–2475 2403 3 94.00–98.00 $96.29 $2,314 —
2600 2600 1 90.00 $90.00 $2,340 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
920–1193 1114 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 89.00–100.00 $94.00 $1,047
950–1320 1163 (<2 yrs)Open 15 94.00–104.00 $100.33 $1,167
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1218 1218 (<2 yrs)Open 2 95.50 $95.50 $1,163

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1156–1283 1192 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 1,225.00–1,250.00 $1,242.31

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1018 1018 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,450.00 $1,450.00

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Dairy Heifers

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 510 4 147.50 $147.50 $752 —
700–740 724 5 137.50 $137.50 $996 —

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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.