Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 9, 2024

755 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight L 1 heifers $264.00/cwt ≈ $1,629/hd at 617 lb · 14 head
light 4-weight M 1-2 heifers $269.43/cwt ≈ $1,183/hd at 439 lb · 13 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $230.00/cwt +3.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,914/hd at 832 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 755 2,556 1,327
Feeder cattle 246 2,294 482
Slaughter cattle 269 135 523
Replacement cattle 240 127 322

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for feeders was light to moderate as quality today limited demand. Quality was mostly plain to average today, and most calves were offered in small packages or as singles. CME Feeder cattle contracts all closed lower today. Market activity was mostly moderate this week, with a small crowd on hand. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers showed good demand for all cows on offer. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average this week. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this week as many cows were tanked up following the rain earlier this week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to firm. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Demand was mostly good with the best demand seen for cows which lost calves. Demand for one iron home raised heiferettes was very good as buyers needed them to fill loads for the week.

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
519 519 6 317.50 $317.50 $1,648 -9.24
553 553 4 289.00 $289.00 $1,598 —
610–641 631 10 261.00–265.00 $262.31 $1,655 —
670 670 2 256.00 $256.00 $1,715 -14.17
775 775 3 244.00 $244.00 $1,891 -3.52
883 883 3 224.00 $224.00 $1,978 —
912 912 5 210.00 $210.00 $1,915 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
756 756 6 253.00 $253.00 $1,913 -1.37
930 930 2 213.00 $213.00 $1,981 -7.76

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Feeder Heifers

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–440 439 13 265.00–270.00 $269.43 $1,183 —
578 578 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,272 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710–733 722 4 246.00–251.00 $248.54 $1,794 -8.07
758 758 2 244.00 $244.00 $1,850 -5.00
832 832 10 230.00 $230.00 $1,914 +3.50
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
617 617 14 264.00 $264.00 $1,629 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423–449 443 8 225.00–247.50 $242.12 $1,073 —
450 450 3 225.00 $225.00 $1,012 —
610 610 2 180.00 $180.00 $1,098 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357 357 10 280.00 $280.00 $1,000 -12.50
552 552 3 242.50 $242.50 $1,339 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 388 6 297.50 $297.50 $1,154 —
563 563 3 256.00 $256.00 $1,441 +2.32
632 632 3 244.00 $244.00 $1,542 -14.12
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 5 252.50 $252.50 $871 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
613 613 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,532 -10.00
798 798 3 213.00 $213.00 $1,700 —
865 865 2 195.00 $195.00 $1,687 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230 1230 2 170.00 $170.00 $2,091 —
1275–1295 1285 2 160.00–162.50 $161.24 $2,072 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
712 712 3 248.00 $248.00 $1,766 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402 402 3 315.00 $315.00 $1,266 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320–1500 1420 80-85% 5 123.00–126.50 $124.91 $1,774 +5.80
1270–1588 1427 80-85% 35 126.75–137.50 $131.91 $1,882 -0.09
1095–1590 1438 80-85% 37 127.50–138.00 $132.88 $1,911 +0.88
1450 1450 80-85% 1 139.50 $139.50 $2,023 —
1495–1575 1548 80-85% 3 115.00–126.00 $122.46 $1,896 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
960–990 975 85-90% 2 95.00–105.00 $100.08 $976 —
1010–1015 1012 85-90% 3 83.00–96.00 $87.99 $890 —
965–1280 1126 85-90% 13 103.00–117.50 $111.51 $1,256 -6.16
1020–1210 1137 85-90% 8 119.00–123.00 $120.64 $1,372 +2.97
1095–1285 1211 85-90% 26 121.00–129.50 $126.13 $1,527 +30.12
1155–1265 1226 85-90% 4 130.50–131.00 $130.75 $1,603 -3.51
1118–1323 1233 85-90% 9 122.00–128.50 $126.38 $1,558 -7.88
1237–1285 1249 85-90% 4 131.50–134.00 $132.14 $1,650 -2.12
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510 1510 75-80% 1 139.00 $139.00 $2,099 —
1490–1590 1537 75-80% 13 134.00–136.00 $134.69 $2,070 —
1585–1770 1651 75-80% 11 128.00–133.50 $130.33 $2,152 —
1565–1799 1685 75-80% 15 124.50–134.00 $131.25 $2,212 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1215–1305 1248 3 100.00–110.00 $106.19 $1,325 —
1345 1345 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,614 —
1425–1870 1660 8 124.00–138.00 $130.69 $2,169 —
1500–2240 1874 14 141.00–150.00 $145.78 $2,732 -13.86
1880–2285 2076 4 156.00–162.00 $158.26 $3,285 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2710 2710 1 125.00 $125.00 $3,388 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
889 fancy 889 (<2 yrs)Open 18 230.00 $230.00 $2,045
720–1203 948 (<2 yrs)Open 93 160.00–216.00 $188.73 $1,789
890–1240 1089 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 5 121.00–162.00 $133.76 $1,457
870–1405 1180 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 54 133.00–186.00 $153.37 $1,810
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
760–1103 932 (<2 yrs)Open 26 128.00–195.50 $168.89 $1,574
880–1175 991 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 129.00–160.00 $140.01 $1,387
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1025–1218 1122 (<2 yrs)Open 2 150.00–164.50 $157.87 $1,771
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
725 725 (<2 yrs)Open 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,421

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1275 1275 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00
1330 1330 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,325.00 $2,325.00
1602 1602 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,375.00 $2,375.00
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950 950 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 1,500.00 $1,500.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1395 1395 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
750–920 818 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 10 1,700.00–2,000.00 $1,834.96
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1150–1283 1239 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 2,125.00–2,300.00 $2,227.21

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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.