Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 20, 2022

4,049 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 $180.83/cwt -1.53 vs last sale · ≈ $942/hd at 521 lb · 356 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $212.48/cwt +7.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,033/hd at 486 lb · 348 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $203.38/cwt +7.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,080/hd at 531 lb · 343 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,049 3,140 7,046
Feeder cattle 3,604 2,490 6,510
Slaughter cattle 303 488 414
Replacement cattle 142 162 122

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers under 950 lbs sold steady to firm, heifers over 950 lbs were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Steer calves under 450 lbs sold sharply higher, with most sales 20.00-25.00 higher, 450-549 lbs steers sold mostly 8.00-10.00 higher, 550-599 lbs steers sold unevenly steady, steers over 600 lbs sold 4.00-6.00 lower. Heifer calves under 500 lbs sold steady to firm, heifer calves over 500 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower. Demand for all feeders was moderate to good this sale. Overall, quality was mostly average to attractive. The best demand was for light calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Buyers were willing to buy steers up to 560 lbs and heifers up to 500 lbs for that purpose. Package sizes were mostly medium this week with a couple of load lots on offer. Calves with two rounds of vaccinations sold with the best demand today and brought a strong premium to cattle with only one round of vaccinations. Cold and wet conditions are expected this weekend for cattle which sold locally and cattle destined for the corn belt expect a few more days in the 80s before cold and wet conditions arrive. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Weigh up conditions were the limiting factor affecting demand today as all cows and bulls were full to extremely full as temperatures reached the low 80s and cows and bulls tanked up on water. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 1.00-4.00 lower. Feeding cows sold generally steady. Demand for feeding cows was mostly good as several private buyers as well as packers were actively purchasing cows to feed. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00 higher. Quality was average to attractive this 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
331 unweaned 331 14 257.50 $257.50 $852 +9.50
353–390 unweaned 370 75 244.00–263.00 $256.19 $948 +27.91
403–449 unweaned 425 153 231.00–247.00 $236.98 $1,007 +18.86
451–497 unweaned 486 348 206.00–239.00 $212.48 $1,033 +7.40
503–548 unweaned 531 343 194.00–212.50 $203.38 $1,080 +7.72
552–593 unweaned 576 248 182.50–202.00 $190.74 $1,099 +1.10
601–631 unweaned 621 128 176.00–188.50 $183.64 $1,140 -3.58
651–687 unweaned 664 62 170.00–181.00 $175.43 $1,165 -8.97
738 unweaned 738 3 173.00 $173.00 $1,277 -0.98
758–780 unweaned 768 10 162.00–171.00 $166.25 $1,277 —
768 768 16 175.50 $175.50 $1,348 -3.33
938 938 19 174.50 $174.50 $1,637 ±0.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
251 unweaned 251 4 245.00 $245.00 $615 —
351–375 unweaned 368 22 214.00–235.00 $226.53 $834 +16.53
428–445 unweaned 431 12 219.00–224.00 $222.52 $959 +21.73
466 466 7 204.00 $204.00 $951 —
500–541 unweaned 529 60 180.00–191.00 $189.59 $1,003 —
565–599 unweaned 593 10 166.00–181.00 $174.60 $1,035 -3.93
627 unweaned 627 7 173.50 $173.50 $1,088 +6.49
763 763 8 170.50 $170.50 $1,301 +8.00
843 843 5 170.50 $170.50 $1,437 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
299 unweaned 299 5 250.00 $250.00 $748 —
400 unweaned 400 6 222.50 $222.50 $890 —
546 unweaned 546 6 185.00 $185.00 $1,010 —
591 591 7 171.00 $171.00 $1,011 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025 1025 6 165.50 $165.50 $1,696 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282 unweaned 282 3 210.00 $210.00 $592 —
318–347 unweaned 334 61 210.00–216.00 $212.05 $708 +4.55
358–388 unweaned 381 52 205.00–214.00 $207.97 $792 -3.73
404–443 unweaned 417 113 196.00–210.00 $203.69 $849 +2.51
453–499 unweaned 484 148 181.00–193.00 $187.38 $907 +2.60
500–549 unweaned 521 356 169.50–186.00 $180.83 $942 -1.53
550–596 unweaned 561 117 164.00–175.50 $172.07 $965 -1.26
602–632 unweaned 613 55 155.00–170.00 $164.67 $1,009 -6.42
744 744 8 167.50 $167.50 $1,246 —
765 unweaned 765 3 162.00 $162.00 $1,239 —
810–819 817 22 167.00–170.00 $169.32 $1,383 +9.32
850–891 883 45 162.00–167.00 $162.89 $1,438 +0.39
906–937 925 51 162.00–168.00 $164.31 $1,520 +0.99
956–963 960 33 156.00–159.50 $156.93 $1,507 -6.84
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
364 unweaned 364 5 200.00 $200.00 $728 +6.00
430–448 unweaned 434 118 181.00–193.00 $190.12 $825 +6.37
488–496 unweaned 492 31 174.00–179.50 $176.75 $870 —
548 unweaned 548 5 164.00 $164.00 $899 —
572–593 unweaned 581 23 152.00–157.00 $154.78 $899 -7.11
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
294 unweaned 294 16 202.50 $202.50 $595 —
643 643 6 161.00 $161.00 $1,035 —
723 723 6 166.50 $166.50 $1,204 —
795 795 17 150.50 $150.50 $1,196 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
452 unweaned 452 3 180.00 $180.00 $814 —
1005 1005 12 149.00 $149.00 $1,497 -6.98
1018 1018 5 154.00 $154.00 $1,568 -1.98
1126 1126 10 142.50 $142.50 $1,605 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 13 158.50 $158.50 $911 —
616 616 6 151.00 $151.00 $930 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 unweaned 368 5 240.00 $240.00 $883 —
460–480 unweaned 478 12 190.00–200.00 $190.80 $912 —
560 unweaned 560 1 163.00 $163.00 $913 -16.16
722 unweaned 722 3 157.00 $157.00 $1,134 —
850 850 2 131.00 $131.00 $1,114 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1328–1588 1423 80-85% 24 69.00–78.50 $72.44 $1,031 +10.18
1368–1585 1428 80-85% 18 52.50–67.50 $57.60 $823 -4.66
1266–1540 1448 80-85% 49 56.50–67.00 $61.74 $894 —
1530 1530 80-85% 1 54.00 $54.00 $826 -27.47
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060 1060 85-90% 1 62.00 $62.00 $657 —
1090–1490 1218 85-90% 5 53.00–63.00 $58.91 $718 -0.91
1178–1287 1243 85-90% 5 65.00–73.00 $69.97 $870 +10.15
1135–1289 1253 85-90% 20 41.00–49.00 $48.01 $602 —
1120–1383 1319 85-90% 37 50.50–58.50 $54.59 $720 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1545 1545 75-80% 1 81.50 $81.50 $1,259 +6.01
1587–1621 1608 75-80% 9 73.00–77.50 $75.35 $1,212 -3.55
1670 1670 75-80% 1 75.50 $75.50 $1,261 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1440–2043 1676 13 72.00–92.00 $82.77 $1,387 —
1710 1710 2 85.50 $85.50 $1,462 +3.11
2030 2030 1 93.50 $93.50 $1,898 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
886–1016 946 (<2 yrs)Open 39 102.00–123.50 $114.94 $1,087
988–1328 1099 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 42 75.00–93.00 $86.36 $949
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
805–1169 1058 (<2 yrs)Open 15 82.00–92.50 $83.99 $889

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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.