Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 5, 2023

938 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $233.32/cwt +0.32 vs last sale · ≈ $2,231/hd at 956 lb · 43 head

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $303.70/cwt -15.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,440/hd at 474 lb · 36 head

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $288.34/cwt -10.42 vs last sale · ≈ $1,511/hd at 524 lb · 32 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	938	2,781	1,892
Feeder cattle	561	2,312	908
Slaughter cattle	276	347	725
Replacement cattle	101	122	259

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Receipts were too light either this week or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on all offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most offerings sold in small packages this sale. Buyers showed mostly light to moderate demand for feeders today. Not enough calves were seen for multiple buyers to start loads. Most buyers were not willing to start loads unless they could get calves on the road today. CME positions sold off in recent days which also put a damper on demand for feeder offerings. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed lighter demand for all cows this week. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to weak on breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold 3.00-4.00 lower. Demand for feeding cows was lighter this week as packers and private buyers both showed light demand for wet bagged cows which had just weaned calves. Additionally several sets of cows were in very thin flesh as a dry end to summer and competition with grasshoppers over feed weighed on body condition. Overall, feeding cow quality was not as attractive this week as last. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today as most cows were pushing some fill. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on very good demand today as rebreed buyers and feeding buyers both competed over offerings. Young age cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
408 unweaned	408	2	317.00	$317.00	$1,293	-11.09
460–488 unweaned	474	36	296.00–318.00	$303.70	$1,440	-15.70
505–539 unweaned	524	32	283.00–294.00	$288.34	$1,511	-10.42
557–589 unweaned	581	29	265.00–279.00	$275.97	$1,603	-8.89
602–643 unweaned	614	30	254.00–271.00	$266.55	$1,637	-0.85
680 unweaned	680	3	265.00	$265.00	$1,802	±0.00
754–795	779	11	249.00–259.50	$254.92	$1,986	-10.84
845	845	1	239.50	$239.50	$2,024	—
893	893	7	238.50	$238.50	$2,130	-2.18
955–985	956	43	226.00–233.50	$233.32	$2,231	+0.32
1038	1038	2	216.50	$216.50	$2,247	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
308–347 unweaned	338	9	322.50–325.00	$324.49	$1,097	—
365–390 unweaned	381	4	320.00–322.50	$320.60	$1,221	-11.40
421–448 unweaned	431	9	300.00–315.00	$309.36	$1,333	-7.14
480–486 unweaned	486	14	287.50–294.00	$293.26	$1,425	-0.63
515–545 unweaned	525	3	270.50–282.00	$278.02	$1,460	±0.00
610 unweaned	610	5	233.00	$233.00	$1,421	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
418 unweaned	418	6	297.50	$297.50	$1,244	—
583 unweaned	583	2	244.00	$244.00	$1,423	+4.00
641 unweaned	641	6	248.00	$248.00	$1,590	—
1289	1289	6	177.00	$177.00	$2,282	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
380 unweaned	380	5	316.00	$316.00	$1,201	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
386 unweaned	386	6	294.00	$294.00	$1,135	-6.00
426–442 unweaned	430	11	275.00–280.00	$276.40	$1,189	-5.35
455–476 unweaned	473	10	266.00–273.00	$270.37	$1,279	-14.47
512–529 unweaned	526	19	257.50–269.00	$259.27	$1,364	-5.29
554–595 unweaned	573	11	247.00–253.50	$250.43	$1,435	-4.28
610–643 unweaned	630	5	240.50–246.00	$242.63	$1,529	-5.20
705	705	2	249.00	$249.00	$1,755	-3.92
800–836	832	15	225.00–230.00	$226.34	$1,883	-8.39
878–885	881	11	214.00	$214.00	$1,885	-16.80
905–915	910	10	210.00–212.00	$210.40	$1,915	-13.89
987–995	989	4	210.00–211.00	$210.25	$2,079	-9.87
1015–1028	1025	15	209.00–210.50	$210.20	$2,155	-8.10

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
447 unweaned	447	5	265.00	$265.00	$1,185	+3.00
500–540 unweaned	514	6	248.00–256.00	$252.85	$1,300	+8.85
570 unweaned	570	1	240.00	$240.00	$1,368	+8.00
798	798	6	223.00	$223.00	$1,780	-6.17
1000	1000	4	201.50	$201.50	$2,015	—
1092	1092	3	195.50	$195.50	$2,135	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
378 unweaned	378	3	298.00	$298.00	$1,126	—
400 unweaned	400	1	287.50	$287.50	$1,150	—
1100	1100	2	193.00	$193.00	$2,123	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
371 unweaned	371	4	235.00	$235.00	$872	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
422 unweaned	422	3	173.00	$173.00	$730	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
356 unweaned	356	6	300.00	$300.00	$1,068	+7.50
471 unweaned	471	4	270.00	$270.00	$1,272	—
1120	1120	1	172.50	$172.50	$1,932	—

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
408 unweaned	408	2	290.00	$290.00	$1,183	—
458 unweaned	458	3	279.00	$279.00	$1,278	—
960–982	977	4	199.00–208.00	$201.21	$1,966	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1098	1098	6	185.00	$185.00	$2,031	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
970–990	980	85-90%	2	84.00	$84.00	$823	—
918–1178	1051	85-90%	54	80.00–93.50	$87.78	$923	-6.09
990–1245	1096	85-90%	7	95.50–107.50	$100.60	$1,103	+6.73
1060–1285	1188	85-90%	34	79.00–90.50	$87.56	$1,040	—
1110–1295	1192	85-90%	9	92.50–101.50	$95.10	$1,134	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1270–1580	1362	80-85%	27	99.00–111.50	$106.47	$1,450	+10.79
1362–1455	1382	80-85%	18	90.00–96.50	$93.83	$1,297	-0.71
1313–1402	1385	80-85%	11	112.00–113.00	$112.09	$1,552	+17.55
1305–1575	1408	80-85%	16	85.00–93.00	$89.44	$1,259	-14.64
1320–1685	1506	80-85%	8	96.00–108.00	$101.02	$1,521	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1620	1620	75-80%	1	105.00	$105.00	$1,701	-10.33
1645–1853	1748	75-80%	11	106.00–109.50	$107.73	$1,883	-8.01

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1300	1300	1	94.00	$94.00	$1,222	—
995–1680	1424	26	90.00–103.50	$99.11	$1,411	—
1695–1760	1738	3	108.00–116.00	$110.70	$1,924	—
1665–2060	1763	5	94.00–98.50	$96.48	$1,701	—
1515–2290	1842	11	106.50–115.00	$111.68	$2,057	—
1830–2023	1959	3	120.50–121.00	$120.84	$2,367	—

YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
2530	2530	1	114.00	$114.00	$2,884	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
754–828 thin fleshed	784	(<2 yrs)	Open	16	149.50–167.50	$157.86	$1,238
845–1225	1035	(<2 yrs)	Open	30	146.00–182.50	$158.82	$1,644
1040–1350	1133	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	16	108.00–151.00	$127.87	$1,449
1233	1233	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	2	103.50	$103.50	$1,276

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
975–1000	988	(<2 yrs)	Open	2	130.00–144.00	$137.09	$1,354

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1332	1332	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	3	1,725.00	$1,725.00

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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.