heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers$298.30/cwt-9.20 vs last sale · ≈ $2,902/hd at 973 lb · 111 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers$371.27/cwt≈ $2,855/hd at 769 lb · 66 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers$323.45/cwt+8.63 vs last sale · ≈ $2,807/hd at 868 lb · 50 head
Billings, MT (Thu) 9-weight heifers sold at $300/cwt. MT 9-weight heifers are down $17 from their early August peak of $315/cwt.
What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,078
1,034
1,702
Feeder cattle
655
313
883
Slaughter cattle
349
599
721
Replacement cattle
74
122
98
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last sale (8-13-26): Feeder steers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeder heifers under 900 lbs sold generally steady in a narrow comparison, heifers over 900 lbs sold mostly 8.00-10.00 lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Several sets of yearlings coming off grass were seen this sale. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Many moderate size packages were seen this sale as ranchers sold mostly tested open heifers out of their replacements. Calves were offered in mostly small packages with many singles noticed. CME positions moved higher today which helped provide some market support. Cooperate feeders were back in the market today, showing moderate to good demand for yearlings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with a moderate size buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Demand for feeding cows was mostly moderate. Canadian buyers continue to buy cows to ship north and feed. All feeding buyers showed lighter demand for cows to feed with most buyers citing uncertainty going forward into fall. Feeding cows sold 3.00-6.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking flesh feeding cows sold mostly 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower to sharply lower undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 7.00-10.00 lower. Bull quality was mostly plain to average. Most bulls were average to low dressing this sale as most were coming out of breeding pastures. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Most offerings were fleshy coming off grass and many sold to feeding cow buyers as a result. A few bred offerings sold this sale. Demand for bred offerings was mostly light to moderate. Buyers continue to weigh the economics of keeping and maintaining cows from now till spring.
→ Feeder cattle: Cooperate feeders were back in the market today
▼ Feeder heifers: heifers over 900 lbs sold mostly 8.00-10.00 lower
→ Feeder steers: Feeder steers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend
▼ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter bulls sold mostly 7.00-10.00 lower
→ Slaughter cows: Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend
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.
Cattle Market
Compared to last sale (8-13-26): Feeder steers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeder heifers under 900 lbs sold generally steady in a narrow comparison, heifers over 900 lbs sold mostly 8.00-10.00 lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Several sets of yearlings coming off grass were seen this sale. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Many moderate size packages were seen this sale as ranchers sold mostly tested open heifers out of their replacements. Calves were offered in mostly small packages with many singles noticed. CME positions moved higher today which helped provide some market support. Cooperate feeders were back in the market today, showing moderate to good demand for yearlings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with a moderate size buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Demand for feeding cows was mostly moderate. Canadian buyers continue to buy cows to ship north and feed. All feeding buyers showed lighter demand for cows to feed with most buyers citing uncertainty going forward into fall. Feeding cows sold 3.00-6.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking flesh feeding cows sold mostly 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower to sharply lower undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 7.00-10.00 lower. Bull quality was mostly plain to average. Most bulls were average to low dressing this sale as most were coming out of breeding pastures. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Most offerings were fleshy coming off grass and many sold to feeding cow buyers as a result. A few bred offerings sold this sale. Demand for bred offerings was mostly light to moderate. Buyers continue to weigh the economics of keeping and maintaining cows from now till spring.