Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, July 28, 2023

629 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $207.67/cwt ≈ $1,803/hd at 868 lb · 21 head
heavy 7-weight M 1 steers $240.50/cwt ≈ $1,849/hd at 769 lb · 21 head
light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $202.16/cwt -7.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,876/hd at 928 lb · 15 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 629 780 994
Feeder cattle 334 165 590
Slaughter cattle 229 519 359
Replacement cattle 66 96 45

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Only one sale was held this week as auctions continue with summer sale schedules. This weeks only sale was held at Billings Livestock commission, please check that sale report for current market commentary.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
675 675 3 251.00 $251.00 $1,694 —
769 769 21 240.50 $240.50 $1,849 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,396 —
517 517 3 275.00 $275.00 $1,422 —
567 567 10 279.00 $279.00 $1,582 +1.43
600 600 1 267.50 $267.50 $1,605 -0.50
732 732 3 243.00 $243.00 $1,779 —
755–783 772 4 240.00–243.50 $241.38 $1,863 +5.63
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1107 1107 15 197.00 $197.00 $2,181 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
828 828 2 228.00 $228.00 $1,888 —
984 984 8 203.00 $203.00 $1,998 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
763 763 3 222.50 $222.50 $1,698 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
658 658 2 232.50 $232.50 $1,530 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
655 655 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,572 —
815–823 820 3 213.00–220.00 $217.68 $1,785 +2.65
868–869 868 21 205.00–212.00 $207.67 $1,803 —
925–929 928 15 200.00–206.50 $202.16 $1,876 -7.84
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1013 1013 4 194.00 $194.00 $1,965 —
1050 1050 7 193.50 $193.50 $2,032 —
1181 1181 4 170.00 $170.00 $2,008 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–737 726 6 224.00–229.00 $226.46 $1,644 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
556 556 5 275.00 $275.00 $1,529 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 4 150.00 $150.00 $810 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
457 457 3 215.00 $215.00 $983 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605 605 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,452 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
413 413 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,074 —
830–835 833 2 209.00–222.50 $215.73 $1,797 —
853 853 2 202.00 $202.00 $1,723 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090 1090 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,744 —
1130–1143 1138 4 154.00–159.00 $157.50 $1,792 +1.50
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035 1035 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,604 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1483 1292 80-85% 7 106.00–112.50 $109.39 $1,413 +1.61
1340 1340 80-85% 1 99.00 $99.00 $1,327 —
1280–1505 1347 80-85% 23 113.00–116.50 $113.95 $1,535 —
1170–1409 1363 80-85% 40 113.00–116.00 $114.07 $1,555 +7.28
1252–1528 1363 80-85% 11 102.00–109.00 $106.06 $1,446 -0.73
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
928–1075 977 85-90% 3 110.00–116.00 $112.20 $1,096 —
980 980 85-90% 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,019 —
1030–1210 1129 85-90% 7 80.00–94.00 $90.93 $1,027 -18.78
1025–1380 1234 85-90% 28 100.00–107.00 $104.23 $1,286 +2.28
1210–1299 1246 85-90% 10 112.00–113.00 $112.42 $1,401 +4.37
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1925 1650 75-80% 4 111.00–114.50 $112.54 $1,857 -3.96
1650 1650 75-80% 1 116.00 $116.00 $1,914 -0.50

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1400 1238 3 90.00–110.00 $104.43 $1,293 -20.57
1185–1460 1323 2 107.00–114.00 $110.86 $1,467 —
1250–1990 1637 9 106.50–114.00 $110.55 $1,810 —
1545–2250 1807 24 116.00–127.00 $122.16 $2,207 -8.26
1910–2165 2025 6 129.00–136.00 $132.10 $2,675 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2120 2120 1 118.00 $118.00 $2,502 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
910–1143 1019 (<2 yrs)Open 11 148.00–188.00 $164.55 $1,677
996–1410 1168 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 40 119.50–148.00 $127.91 $1,494
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
990 990 (<2 yrs)Open 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,307

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1710 1710 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00 —
1716 1716 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 6 2,725.00 $2,725.00 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
756–784 772 24 207.00–209.00 $208.18 $1,607 —
861 861 8 204.00 $204.00 $1,756 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 4 205.00 $205.00 $1,292 —
966 966 1 187.00 $187.00 $1,806 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
759 759 15 244.00 $244.00 $1,852 —
870 870 11 214.00 $214.00 $1,862 —
924 924 10 201.00 $201.00 $1,857 —
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785 785 6 116.00 $116.00 $911 —
966 966 7 110.00 $110.00 $1,063 —

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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.