Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, March 16, 2023

1,285 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 $200.86/cwt -2.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,370/hd at 682 lb · 29 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $225.25/cwt +8.26 vs last sale · ≈ $1,403/hd at 623 lb · 24 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $211.20/cwt -4.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,322/hd at 626 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,285 1,865 1,314
Feeder cattle 395 1,288 1,005
Slaughter cattle 469 446 141
Replacement cattle 421 131 168

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer and heifers calves were all too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Many crossbred calves were seen this week and buyers showed mostly good demand for all offerings. Buyers attempted to gather as many offering as possible as worry of shortness of supply takes hold. Quality today was mostly plain to average. All package sizes sold on good demand today. Market activity was active to very active with a very large crowd on hand for todays small sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed good demand for cows for immediate harvest and to feed this week. Packers continued to purchase a few packages of high quality cows to feed. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00 to 3.00 higher on all classes. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold steady to firm, however high dressing bulls saw very good demand and sold sharply higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average this week and very attractive to buyers. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold with higher undertones. A very attractive, fancy set, of one iron cows off two ranches sold open and vet. checked safe to breed. These offerings were met with very good demand as most offerings in the consignment sold for over $1700 per head.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–389 389 13 270.00–280.00 $270.76 $1,053 —
407 407 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,099 -10.00
455–488 470 12 252.00–270.00 $259.41 $1,219 +19.38
510–540 530 6 236.00–237.00 $236.68 $1,254 +1.68
588 588 2 233.00 $233.00 $1,370 -1.99
622–623 623 24 223.00–229.00 $225.25 $1,403 +8.26
735 735 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,396 -7.00
817 817 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,348 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
479 479 8 272.00 $272.00 $1,303 -13.00
548 548 21 256.50 $256.50 $1,406 -19.27
553–598 575 13 240.00–250.00 $246.82 $1,419 +2.07
603 603 2 237.00 $237.00 $1,429 +1.11
805 805 3 181.00–185.00 $183.67 $1,479 -0.76
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
492 492 3 185.00 $185.00 $910 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
452 452 3 262.50 $262.50 $1,186 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 2 155.00 $155.00 $783 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,058 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 7 257.50 $257.50 $881 —
411 411 12 237.00 $237.00 $974 +1.04
468 468 4 234.00 $234.00 $1,095 -5.37
550–567 561 6 222.00–227.00 $225.85 $1,267 -2.81
609–642 626 22 205.00–217.50 $211.20 $1,322 -4.13
670–687 682 29 198.00–202.00 $200.86 $1,370 -2.37
701 701 17 198.00 $198.00 $1,388 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 3 245.00 $245.00 $943 —
498 498 6 215.00 $215.00 $1,071 —
535–545 539 9 209.00–214.00 $211.75 $1,141 +1.75
555–563 558 8 207.00–211.00 $209.01 $1,166 —
582 582 5 185.00 $185.00 $1,077 -11.86
740 740 3 150.00 $150.00 $1,110 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
422 422 3 185.00 $185.00 $781 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
607 607 3 178.00 $178.00 $1,080 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 14 262.00 $262.00 $1,127 —
485 485 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,164 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
336 336 4 247.50 $247.50 $832 —
438 438 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,073 —
539 539 7 239.00 $239.00 $1,288 —
578 578 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,214 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195 1195 2 111.00 $111.00 $1,326 —
1203 1203 2 109.00 $109.00 $1,311 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372 372 3 207.50 $207.50 $772 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1294–1525 1330 80-85% 60 80.00–85.00 $83.56 $1,111 —
1264–1545 1369 80-85% 30 97.00–104.00 $98.02 $1,342 +15.02
1300–1433 1384 80-85% 4 74.00–84.00 $81.53 $1,128 -1.47
1287–1466 1388 80-85% 57 87.00–96.50 $92.13 $1,279 +9.96
1340–1446 1404 80-85% 24 87.50–96.00 $93.08 $1,307 -2.16
1363–1430 1404 80-85% 6 97.00–99.00 $97.65 $1,371 +2.41
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1478–1725 1485 75-80% 58 98.00–100.50 $98.78 $1,467 —
1544 1544 75-80% 17 91.50 $91.50 $1,413 —
1502–1747 1546 75-80% 67 93.00–97.25 $96.41 $1,490 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880–995 939 85-90% 4 79.00–86.00 $81.85 $769 +4.71
1020–1220 1094 85-90% 9 79.00–85.00 $82.57 $903 +12.68
1085–1320 1174 85-90% 6 70.00–73.00 $71.17 $836 —
1030–1280 1186 85-90% 33 76.00–85.00 $83.11 $986 —
1065–1325 1223 85-90% 30 86.00–94.00 $89.40 $1,093 +9.01
1205–1305 1240 85-90% 5 95.00–98.00 $97.00 $1,203 +4.32
1273 1273 85-90% 2 87.00 $87.00 $1,108 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1205–1265 1219 5 105.00–114.00 $110.12 $1,342 —
1420–2100 1736 24 90.00–103.00 $99.44 $1,726 -2.18
1430–2050 1753 3 106.00–117.00 $110.27 $1,933 —
1505–2095 1906 10 126.00–139.00 $133.22 $2,539 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
809–1400 1033 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 67 89.00–123.00 $111.29 $1,150
760–1375 1040 (<2 yrs)Open 38 109.50–142.00 $128.62 $1,338
1032–1168 fancy 1119 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 170 149.00–167.00 $154.59 $1,730
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
823–892 875 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 29 110.00–116.00 $111.36 $974
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
683 683 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 149.00 $149.00 $1,018
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1403 1403 (<2 yrs)Open 2 105.00 $105.00 $1,473
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
860 860 (<2 yrs)Open 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,118

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1088 1088 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,700.00 $1,700.00
1155–1247 1224 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 8 1,500.00 $1,500.00
1316 thin fleshed 1316 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 7 1,150.00 $1,150.00
1408 1408 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,675.00 $1,675.00
1474–1493 1480 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 15 1,710.00 $1,710.00
1509–1543 1522 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 68 1,525.00–1,675.00 $1,650.17

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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.