Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 26, 2023

1,213 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $260.60/cwt -24.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,465/hd at 562 lb · 102 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $246.49/cwt -24.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,274/hd at 517 lb · 90 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $211.95/cwt ≈ $2,037/hd at 961 lb · 80 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,213 4,289 3,770
Feeder cattle 979 3,906 3,275
Slaughter cattle 89 221 297
Replacement cattle 145 162 198

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. The best test for steer calves was for 550-599 lbs which sold 15.00-20.00 lower. All other steer calf weights were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however lower to sharply lower undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. 500-549 lbs heifers offered the best test this week, these calves sold 15.00-20.00 lower in a narrow comparison; all other heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, lower to sharply lower undertones were noticed. Quality today was mostly average to attractive despite light offerings. Demand for yearlings was mostly good to very good, while demand for calves was light to moderate. A winter storm kept receipts light for todays sale as very cold and snowy conditions were seen. Most cattle were offered in small to moderate size packages this sale, with one load lot of yearlings seen. CME positions sold off sharply from last week, the nearby October contract closed closed at 243.575, 3.025 lower than last Thursdays close. The November contract closed at 236.50, 8.00 lower than last Thursdays close. Market activity was mostly moderate today. Weigh up cows were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate trend, however steady undertones were noticed on both feeding and slaughter cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Weigh up conditions were mixed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good demand today as quality was mostly attractive. Young age cows sold steady to weak in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly attractive.

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
249 unweaned 249 4 370.00 $370.00 $921 —
252 unweaned 252 5 375.00 $375.00 $945 —
332 unweaned 332 3 340.00 $340.00 $1,129 -51.10
351–388 unweaned 362 30 320.00–351.00 $338.56 $1,226 -54.19
420–448 unweaned 445 8 324.00–327.50 $324.41 $1,444 -48.64
454–480 unweaned 467 73 282.00–317.00 $300.90 $1,405 -36.15
518–549 unweaned 530 11 271.00–272.00 $271.53 $1,439 -32.25
551–575 unweaned 562 102 253.00–266.00 $260.60 $1,465 -24.06
647 unweaned 647 43 239.00–241.00 $240.77 $1,558 -31.60
660–688 unweaned 679 22 238.00–240.00 $239.73 $1,628 -19.40
683 683 3 233.00 $233.00 $1,591 —
718 718 4 239.50 $239.50 $1,720 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
294 unweaned 294 9 325.00 $325.00 $956 -65.00
415–448 unweaned 443 12 306.00–332.00 $310.06 $1,374 —
470 unweaned 470 3 288.00 $288.00 $1,354 +0.55
558 unweaned 558 5 242.00 $242.00 $1,350 -22.05
650 unweaned 650 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,495 -6.01
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
678 unweaned 678 2 233.00 $233.00 $1,580 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
513 unweaned 513 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,026 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
316 unweaned 316 14 323.00 $323.00 $1,021 -12.19
380–395 unweaned 381 49 299.00–300.00 $299.04 $1,139 -19.97
423–445 unweaned 430 9 260.00–272.50 $268.19 $1,153 -26.81
452–483 unweaned 459 17 257.50–261.00 $260.13 $1,194 -11.77
508–542 unweaned 517 90 240.00–250.00 $246.49 $1,274 -19.18
554–588 unweaned 573 30 237.50–240.00 $238.55 $1,367 -17.11
615–620 unweaned 618 8 233.00–235.00 $234.00 $1,446 -15.26
808–842 839 68 225.00–227.00 $226.83 $1,903 +1.96
875–893 888 15 220.00–220.50 $220.37 $1,957 +3.19
907 907 9 213.00 $213.00 $1,932 -5.38
950–965 961 80 211.50–212.50 $211.95 $2,037 —
1058 1058 9 190.50 $190.50 $2,015 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 unweaned 265 5 295.00 $295.00 $782 -25.00
327 unweaned 327 13 285.00 $285.00 $932 -16.00
365–385 unweaned 373 5 280.00–285.00 $282.94 $1,055 -23.06
490 unweaned 490 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,176 -20.83
756 756 17 213.00 $213.00 $1,610 —
818 818 3 207.00 $207.00 $1,693 -13.00
893 893 2 210.00 $210.00 $1,875 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 unweaned 328 3 262.50 $262.50 $861 +7.50
542 unweaned 542 3 202.50 $202.50 $1,098 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
504 unweaned 504 5 239.00 $239.00 $1,205 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 unweaned 545 4 243.00 $243.00 $1,324 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1175 1093 85-90% 3 78.00–86.00 $83.35 $911 +8.35
1020–1276 1131 85-90% 16 74.00–85.00 $79.84 $903 —
1170 1170 85-90% 1 67.00 $67.00 $784 -16.11
1108–1310 1216 85-90% 21 87.00–95.00 $91.01 $1,107 +9.36
1235–1270 1253 85-90% 2 87.00–89.00 $88.01 $1,103 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1293–1470 1334 80-85% 33 95.00–101.50 $98.17 $1,310 —
1345 1345 80-85% 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,224 —
1538 1538 80-85% 2 97.00 $97.00 $1,492 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1630–1730 1680 2 95.00–100.00 $97.57 $1,639 —
1750 1750 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,750 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
770 thin fleshed 770 (<2 yrs)Open 6 161.00 $161.00 $1,240
864–1202 1009 (<2 yrs)Open 78 152.50–183.00 $162.27 $1,637
970–1200 1052 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 24 102.00–142.50 $115.29 $1,213
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
836–923 860 (<2 yrs)Open 12 142.50–150.00 $148.70 $1,279
1093–1138 1104 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 85.50–89.00 $88.10 $973

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 thin fleshed 960 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,700.00 $1,700.00
1355 1355 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00

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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.