Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 29, 2026

745 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $355.50/cwt -8.50 vs last sale · ≈ $2,406/hd at 677 lb · 57 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $439.77/cwt +5.77 vs last sale · ≈ $2,414/hd at 549 lb · 53 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $317.00/cwt ≈ $2,590/hd at 817 lb · 34 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 745 — —

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
400 400 1 580.00 $580.00 $2,320 —
470 470 4 552.50 $552.50 $2,597 —
522 unweaned 522 11 525.00 $525.00 $2,740 +27.50
573 573 3 482.00 $482.00 $2,762 +6.48
603–618 611 4 432.50–437.50 $434.97 $2,658 —
633 unweaned 633 15 427.00 $427.00 $2,703 —
854 854 17 332.00 $332.00 $2,835 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
695 695 2 362.50 $362.50 $2,519 -17.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
543 543 2 460.00 $460.00 $2,498 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
433–448 438 10 481.00–484.00 $483.08 $2,116 —
549 549 53 439.50–440.00 $439.77 $2,414 -0.23
555–587 584 11 426.00–443.00 $427.47 $2,496 +6.46
624–648 630 8 381.00–400.00 $395.11 $2,489 —
630 630 10 369.00 $369.00 $2,325 —
670–674 673 38 359.50–370.00 $367.25 $2,472 —
684 684 19 332.00 $332.00 $2,271 —
817 817 34 317.00 $317.00 $2,590 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357–398 373 5 455.00–475.00 $466.47 $1,740 —
440–443 441 7 467.50–482.50 $473.95 $2,090 —
551–578 560 11 370.00–395.00 $380.21 $2,129 —
635 635 2 337.50 $337.50 $2,143 -34.08
740 740 3 337.00 $337.00 $2,494 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 2 460.00 $460.00 $1,932 —
473 473 5 425.00 $425.00 $2,010 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
618 618 2 364.00 $364.00 $2,250 +4.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
593 593 2 417.50 $417.50 $2,476 —
617 617 3 392.50 $392.50 $2,422 —
623 unweaned 623 2 397.50 $397.50 $2,476 —
703–707 706 14 362.50–367.00 $366.36 $2,587 —
784 784 4 337.50 $337.50 $2,646 —
970 970 3 287.50 $287.50 $2,789 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–1545 1387 80-85% 5 140.00–157.00 $147.81 $2,050 -2.89
1270–1605 1415 80-85% 63 160.00–172.00 $168.63 $2,386 —
1395–1440 1418 80-85% 2 120.00–130.00 $124.92 $1,771 —
1340–1650 1472 80-85% 3 133.00–142.00 $138.31 $2,036 —
1496 1496 80-85% 4 173.50 $173.50 $2,596 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470–1573 1521 75-80% 13 143.00–161.00 $153.20 $2,330 —
1514–1635 1585 75-80% 31 167.00–170.00 $167.81 $2,660 -2.91
1448–1933 1638 75-80% 23 163.00–174.00 $168.74 $2,764 +1.37
1596–1853 1686 75-80% 8 150.00–162.00 $159.17 $2,684 -5.17
2090 2090 75-80% 1 164.00 $164.00 $3,428 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910 910 85-90% 1 85.00 $85.00 $774 —
943 943 85-90% 2 95.00 $95.00 $896 —
980–1045 1012 85-90% 6 135.00–154.00 $147.58 $1,494 +45.08
1105–1130 1118 85-90% 2 100.00–102.50 $101.24 $1,132 -40.57
1030–1210 1120 85-90% 9 112.00–130.00 $120.67 $1,352 -21.14
985–1295 1180 85-90% 5 163.00–169.00 $166.56 $1,965 +7.92
1185–1198 1195 85-90% 4 170.00–172.00 $171.50 $2,049 +12.86

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210 1210 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,996 —
1350 1350 1 182.00 $182.00 $2,457 —
1405–1640 1518 3 152.50–182.50 $169.08 $2,567 -2.43
1365–1770 1596 7 165.00–184.00 $180.40 $2,879 —
1500–1975 1698 7 167.00–176.00 $172.15 $2,923 —
1653–1900 1830 20 186.00–197.00 $195.27 $3,573 —
1460–2305 1844 16 179.00–192.00 $183.56 $3,385 —
1881 1881 8 198.50 $198.50 $3,734 +16.15
2475 2475 1 193.50 $193.50 $4,789 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
803–943 891 (<2 yrs)Open 61 257.50–322.00 $300.25 $2,675
825–1285 1056 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 67 184.00–310.00 $247.54 $2,614
1198–1255 1223 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 171.00–172.00 $171.33 $2,095
1175–1425 1313 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 175.00–182.50 $178.60 $2,345
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
930 930 (<2 yrs)Open 3 244.00 $244.00 $2,269
935 thin fleshed 935 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,730
873–1215 989 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 11 185.00–252.50 $225.07 $2,226

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1115 1115 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00
1140–1385 1226 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 9 2,650.00–2,800.00 $2,742.05
1345 1345 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 2,950.00 $2,950.00
1361 1361 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 5 2,650.00 $2,650.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1446 1446 Aged (>8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 4 165.00 $165.00 $2,386

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
897 897 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 9 2,700.00 $2,700.00
955 955 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 11 3,025.00 $3,025.00

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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.