Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, September 19, 2024

431 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $241.09/cwt ≈ $1,835/hd at 761 lb · 20 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $252.00/cwt ≈ $1,666/hd at 661 lb · 16 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $218.97/cwt ≈ $2,161/hd at 987 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 431 625 585
Feeder cattle 221 299 242
Slaughter cattle 149 265 273
Replacement cattle 61 61 70

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for limited offerings was good. CME positions posted strong triple digit gains today helping spur some demand for limited offerings. Light offerings did limited demand in some instances as buyers were not willing to start loads as this is the last sale of the week. Quality today was mostly average and most cattle were offered in small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate this sale. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for light offerings. Slaughter cows sold were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, steady to weak undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold with steady undertones. Cow and bull quality was mostly average this week. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Bull quality this sale was mostly average to attractive and better than last week. Demand for feeding bulls was light again this sale. Feeding bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested this sale to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week.

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
750 750 4 255.00 $255.00 $1,912 —
862 862 3 238.00 $238.00 $2,052 —
960–998 987 12 217.50–222.00 $218.97 $2,161 —
1055 1055 2 210.00–215.00 $212.50 $2,242 +6.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
705–725 719 5 252.00–255.00 $252.99 $1,819 —
825 825 2 237.00 $237.00 $1,955 +9.00
876 876 9 236.00 $236.00 $2,067 +6.50
882 882 3 226.00 $226.00 $1,993 -3.50
973 973 2 215.00 $215.00 $2,092 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
633 633 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,646 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
707 707 3 247.00 $247.00 $1,746 —
750–786 761 20 237.00–242.75 $241.09 $1,835 —
806–845 822 10 220.50–228.50 $225.21 $1,851 -1.79
855 855 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,881 -0.15
900–930 915 2 214.00–214.50 $214.25 $1,960 +0.96
960 960 5 202.00 $202.00 $1,939 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
523 unweaned 523 4 245.00 $245.00 $1,281 +10.00
659–663 661 16 252.00 $252.00 $1,666 —
737 737 5 244.00 $244.00 $1,798 —
835 835 2 219.00 $219.00 $1,829 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1073 1073 2 200.50 $200.50 $2,151 +5.50
1100 1100 4 194.00 $194.00 $2,134 —
1150 1150 4 193.50 $193.50 $2,225 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
598 598 5 244.00 $244.00 $1,459 —
658–668 663 4 238.00–241.00 $239.51 $1,588 —

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Feeder Bulls

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1139 1137 6 190.00–192.00 $190.33 $2,164 —
1238 1238 2 171.00 $171.00 $2,117 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
972–983 977 8 213.00–218.00 $215.61 $2,107 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 unweaned 305 3 360.00 $360.00 $1,098 —
820 820 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,824 +17.50

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
817 817 85-90% 3 95.00 $95.00 $776 —
945–995 962 85-90% 3 115.00–120.00 $116.72 $1,123 —
1070 1070 85-90% 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,412 —
1020–1265 1143 85-90% 2 109.00–121.00 $115.64 $1,322 —
1005–1265 1149 85-90% 5 106.00–118.00 $113.50 $1,304 —
1000–1270 1192 85-90% 15 122.00–134.00 $125.47 $1,496 +7.70
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265 1265 80-85% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,455 —
1220–1500 1343 80-85% 17 125.00–135.00 $130.63 $1,754 -11.58
1345–1480 1413 80-85% 2 117.00–121.00 $118.90 $1,680 -13.05
1423–1495 1447 80-85% 3 125.00–128.50 $126.21 $1,826 -5.88
1474–1675 1535 80-85% 6 137.00–138.00 $137.82 $2,116 +28.82
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1525–1530 1527 75-80% 3 127.00–129.00 $127.67 $1,950 —
1510–1550 1530 75-80% 2 134.00–136.00 $134.99 $2,065 —
1580 1580 75-80% 1 142.00 $142.00 $2,244 —
1555–1860 1701 75-80% 6 133.00–138.00 $135.37 $2,303 —
1885 1885 75-80% 1 132.00 $132.00 $2,488 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1665 1405 11 124.00–145.00 $138.59 $1,947 —
1445–1745 1579 5 143.00–148.00 $146.39 $2,311 -5.14
1620–2125 1864 17 150.00–161.00 $153.05 $2,853 —
1970–2250 2116 4 163.00–168.00 $164.70 $3,485 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
820–1015 975 (<2 yrs)Open 9 180.00–194.00 $186.05 $1,814
930–1375 1086 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 10 133.00–181.00 $164.79 $1,790
1206 1206 (<2 yrs)Open 7 158.50 $158.50 $1,912
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
850–874 871 (<2 yrs)Open 9 171.00–177.50 $171.70 $1,496

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1140–1167 1160 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,850.00–2,000.00 $1,886.85
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1129 1129 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,400.00 $1,400.00

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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.