Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 3, 2024

952 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 $228.60/cwt +6.04 vs last sale · ≈ $2,198/hd at 961 lb · 40 head

light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $382.05/cwt +65.73 vs last sale · ≈ $1,578/hd at 413 lb · 19 head

light 5-weight M&L 1 bulls $304.00/cwt ≈ $1,550/hd at 510 lb · 17 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	952	2,961	938
Feeder cattle	417	2,518	561
Slaughter cattle	374	354	276
Replacement cattle	161	89	101

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale: Feeder calves were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed on steer calves and steady to firm undertones were noticed on heifer calves. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on steers and steady to higher undertones were noticed on all heifers. Demand was mostly good on both yearling and calves. Offerings were light. CME positions traded mixed today with the front two months trading slightly lower and the differed months trading slightly higher. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Package sizes were mostly small with many very small packages and singles noticed. No load lots were seen this sale. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this sale. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Feeding cow demand was mostly good and most cows sold to feeding buyers this week. More feeding cow buyers were seen this week which helped improve demand for feeding cows compared to last weeks sale. Packers continue to show light demand for cows for immediate harvest. Very few cows were purchased to slaughter this week, however limited offerings sold with steady to higher undertones as feeding cow buyers pushed cow prices way past slaughter cow orders. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Cow and bull quality was mixed this sale. Weigh up conditions were mostly average today. Bull quality this sale was mostly average. Demand for feeding bulls was light again this sale. Feeding bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 4.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to firm. Demand for rebreed cows was mostly good this sale as several young cows were purchased for this purpose. Quality on young age cows 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
205 unweaned	205	1	420.00	$420.00	$861	—
345 unweaned	345	1	395.00	$395.00	$1,363	+28.57
403–438 unweaned	413	19	380.00–387.50	$382.05	$1,578	+65.73
500–531 unweaned	525	17	302.00–320.00	$310.24	$1,629	+28.65
568 unweaned	568	9	291.00	$291.00	$1,653	+25.12
722	722	3	265.00	$265.00	$1,913	-9.42
852	852	3	247.00	$247.00	$2,104	+8.43
913–918	915	10	238.00–240.00	$239.20	$2,189	+12.24
957	957	32	232.00	$232.00	$2,220	+9.44
979	979	8	215.00	$215.00	$2,105	-7.56

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
352–383 unweaned	366	9	365.00–372.50	$369.14	$1,351	+68.14
440 unweaned	440	3	360.00	$360.00	$1,584	+77.22
495 unweaned	495	4	306.00	$306.00	$1,515	+22.00
725	725	1	260.00	$260.00	$1,885	+3.00
786	786	7	258.00	$258.00	$2,028	+18.00
823–832	830	11	254.00–255.00	$254.18	$2,110	+10.94
880	880	1	230.00	$230.00	$2,024	-3.00

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
300–348 unweaned	324	4	355.00–375.00	$364.26	$1,180	—
451 unweaned	451	8	317.00	$317.00	$1,430	—
583 unweaned	583	2	263.00	$263.00	$1,533	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
789	789	4	248.00	$248.00	$1,957	+6.00

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
810	810	3	243.00	$243.00	$1,968	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
290–295 unweaned	294	4	375.00–385.00	$382.53	$1,125	+17.53
377 unweaned	377	3	317.50	$317.50	$1,197	-5.85
413–418 unweaned	416	4	316.00–317.50	$316.75	$1,318	-2.76
458–481 unweaned	467	13	288.00–300.00	$295.24	$1,379	+8.41
705	705	13	248.00	$248.00	$1,748	+2.43
813	813	8	233.50	$233.50	$1,898	+2.67
850–865	863	8	224.00–230.00	$224.74	$1,940	+4.24
915	915	6	219.00	$219.00	$2,004	-3.48
998	998	2	215.00	$215.00	$2,146	+11.00
1001–1035	1009	15	206.00–210.00	$207.95	$2,098	+13.95

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
283 unweaned	283	2	355.00	$355.00	$1,005	+20.99
348 unweaned	348	7	317.50	$317.50	$1,105	+5.00
500 unweaned	500	7	248.00	$248.00	$1,240	—
765	765	1	225.00	$225.00	$1,721	—
800–814	811	5	217.50–227.50	$219.47	$1,780	+14.11
905–913	911	5	207.00–217.50	$213.09	$1,941	+23.09

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
309 unweaned	309	5	335.00	$335.00	$1,035	—
402 unweaned	402	11	302.50	$302.50	$1,216	—
1073	1073	3	196.50	$196.50	$2,108	-4.50
1095	1095	2	204.00	$204.00	$2,234	+4.50
1260	1260	3	152.00	$152.00	$1,915	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
562	562	16	250.00	$250.00	$1,405	+5.50

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
328 unweaned	328	3	407.50	$407.50	$1,337	—
409 unweaned	409	9	387.50	$387.50	$1,585	+127.50
480 unweaned	480	1	322.50	$322.50	$1,548	—
510 unweaned	510	17	304.00	$304.00	$1,550	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
638	638	6	226.00	$226.00	$1,442	—
915	915	1	218.00	$218.00	$1,995	+18.00
987	987	3	218.00	$218.00	$2,152	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1125	1125	1	202.50	$202.50	$2,278	+18.00

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1205–1275	1247	80-85%	5	137.00–139.00	$137.77	$1,718	—
1230–1380	1305	80-85%	2	124.00–125.00	$124.47	$1,624	—
1313–1590	1382	80-85%	9	105.00–111.00	$108.87	$1,505	-4.82
1325–1490	1384	80-85%	11	109.00–117.00	$114.15	$1,580	+0.46
1220–1628	1398	80-85%	126	118.00–130.50	$126.34	$1,766	+18.75
1285–1660	1496	80-85%	5	113.00–121.00	$117.31	$1,755	+3.06

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
920–1290	1150	85-90%	34	105.00–117.00	$112.64	$1,295	+5.33
1055–1260	1165	85-90%	6	92.00–106.00	$101.47	$1,182	-26.13
1149–1265	1208	85-90%	18	128.00–132.00	$129.15	$1,560	+19.74
900–1368	1212	85-90%	50	117.00–127.00	$124.73	$1,512	+15.32
1155–1315	1235	85-90%	2	109.00–116.00	$112.73	$1,392	+3.32

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1415–1605	1553	75-80%	5	127.00–129.50	$128.98	$2,003	+9.11
1560	1560	75-80%	1	115.00	$115.00	$1,794	-4.87
1485–1885	1715	75-80%	8	122.50–129.00	$125.85	$2,158	+2.35

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1380–1698	1527	6	127.00–141.50	$135.15	$2,064	-1.03
1488–2030	1720	13	131.00–143.00	$138.20	$2,377	—
1670–1793	1762	4	146.00–148.00	$146.47	$2,581	—
1628–2145	1801	18	144.00–158.00	$148.72	$2,678	-4.65

YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1829	1829	15	151.00	$151.00	$2,762	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
810–1120	971	(<2 yrs)	Open	56	163.00–191.00	$180.79	$1,755
975–1295	1055	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	47	133.50–182.50	$161.71	$1,706

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
925–1080	993	(<2 yrs)	Open	5	140.00–172.50	$157.23	$1,561
825–1460	1069	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	5	127.00–135.00	$128.68	$1,376

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1080–1420	1230	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	26	1,950.00–2,200.00	$1,984.58

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1038	1038	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	4	1,875.00	$1,875.00
1125–1155	1140	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	2	1,600.00–1,800.00	$1,701.32

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
988	988	(<2 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	4	2,000.00	$2,000.00

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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.