Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 8, 2026

2,588 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $421.44/cwt -13.21 vs last sale · ≈ $2,377/hd at 564 lb · 230 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $453.19/cwt ≈ $2,338/hd at 516 lb · 185 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $396.67/cwt +2.80 vs last sale · ≈ $2,106/hd at 531 lb · 161 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,588 1,285 3,340
Feeder cattle 2,583 665 3,340
Slaughter cattle — 379 —
Replacement cattle 5 241 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale (10-01-26): Feeder steers and heifer calves were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however unevenly steady undertones were noticed on a mixed quality offering. Yearling cattle sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Yearling cattle were mixed for quality. Some attractive quality cattle were seen this week, but many of these offerings were pushing some flesh and buyers discounted them accordingly. Calves sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Calves were mostly offered in small packages this week with no load lots seen. Many cutback calves were seen off summer video sales. A wide variety of quality and breed types were seen this sale. Todays sale featured consignments of Red Angus and Hereford calves. Demand for attractive calves was good and many sold steady to firm with last weeks prices, however a large portion of the offering this week was comprised of plain to average quality calves and buyers purchased these offerings lower. Market activity was mostly moderate. A smaller buyer pool was noticed this week. This is the first feeder special of the fall. Billings livestock commission will not sale cows or bulls again this fall on Thursdays. Cows will be sold on Mondays during the fall run.

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
240 unweaned 240 1 670.00 $670.00 $1,608 —
310–338 unweaned 329 6 560.00–630.00 $586.41 $1,929 —
378 unweaned 378 2 520.00 $520.00 $1,966 -20.00
400–448 unweaned 429 78 490.00–532.50 $509.25 $2,185 -15.75
453–498 unweaned 473 59 471.00–500.00 $481.62 $2,278 +11.63
502–549 unweaned 516 185 431.00–483.00 $453.19 $2,338 —
550–598 unweaned 564 230 405.00–436.00 $421.44 $2,377 -13.21
600–636 unweaned 609 132 381.00–410.00 $402.73 $2,453 +0.92
650–684 unweaned 669 53 363.00–388.00 $376.63 $2,520 —
685 685 29 384.00 $384.00 $2,630 —
743 743 7 370.00 $370.00 $2,749 —
882 882 21 327.00 $327.00 $2,884 —
914 914 11 317.00 $317.00 $2,897 —
993 993 21 310.00 $310.00 $3,078 —
1018 1018 31 310.00 $310.00 $3,156 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 unweaned 343 2 530.00 $530.00 $1,818 -71.79
387 unweaned 387 3 475.00 $475.00 $1,838 —
400–448 unweaned 413 29 460.00–507.50 $484.85 $2,002 -0.48
454–495 unweaned 477 39 447.50–480.00 $457.84 $2,184 +1.28
524–544 unweaned 534 52 416.00–430.00 $420.97 $2,248 -16.03
573–594 unweaned 586 44 386.00–405.00 $397.72 $2,331 +0.81
624–641 unweaned 634 68 375.00–385.00 $379.03 $2,403 -8.47
650–682 unweaned 662 22 352.00–364.00 $359.50 $2,380 —
758 unweaned 758 5 340.00 $340.00 $2,577 —
802 802 11 325.00 $325.00 $2,606 —
861–880 863 23 321.00–331.00 $329.24 $2,841 -0.76
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 unweaned 448 8 450.00 $450.00 $2,016 —
490 unweaned 490 3 437.00 $437.00 $2,141 —
509–538 unweaned 518 10 400.00–410.00 $406.88 $2,108 -8.12
823–830 828 8 305.00–311.00 $309.51 $2,563 —
883–884 883 15 295.00–305.00 $299.67 $2,646 —
905 905 4 295.00 $295.00 $2,670 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
661 unweaned 661 16 369.00 $369.00 $2,439 —
720 unweaned 720 3 345.00 $345.00 $2,484 —
790 790 2 339.00 $339.00 $2,678 —
1182 1182 5 265.00 $265.00 $3,132 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
536 unweaned 536 7 425.00 $425.00 $2,278 —
897 897 3 287.50 $287.50 $2,579 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
333 unweaned 333 3 485.00 $485.00 $1,615 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358–389 unweaned 372 33 480.00–517.50 $489.88 $1,822 +16.88
400–448 unweaned 420 20 442.50–493.00 $462.46 $1,942 —
455–497 unweaned 481 141 405.00–447.50 $419.44 $2,018 -0.77
503–548 unweaned 530 153 385.00–409.00 $397.59 $2,107 +3.72
547 547 8 379.00 $379.00 $2,073 —
550–598 unweaned 571 115 365.00–395.00 $376.12 $2,148 -4.07
619–622 unweaned 621 9 358.00–359.00 $358.56 $2,227 -23.94
654 unweaned 654 4 351.00 $351.00 $2,296 —
658 658 6 347.00 $347.00 $2,283 —
890 890 34 295.00 $295.00 $2,626 -27.39
902–930 906 8 300.00–305.00 $304.36 $2,758 -4.08
954–984 965 55 296.50–305.50 $301.67 $2,911 +3.44
1006–1022 1010 13 293.50–296.50 $295.80 $2,988 +1.29
1013 1013 3 287.00 $287.00 $2,907 -7.51
1024 1024 10 283.00 $283.00 $2,898 -11.51
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 unweaned 347 5 455.00 $455.00 $1,579 —
376–383 unweaned 379 7 435.00 $435.00 $1,649 -45.00
426–448 unweaned 437 25 420.00–440.00 $427.02 $1,866 -15.48
452–481 unweaned 462 24 385.00–415.00 $400.35 $1,850 -9.65
500–528 unweaned 520 8 350.00–382.50 $371.83 $1,934 +1.83
552–558 unweaned 556 9 340.00–360.00 $346.62 $1,927 —
647 unweaned 647 3 341.00 $341.00 $2,206 —
665 unweaned 665 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,261 —
698 698 3 331.00 $331.00 $2,310 —
795 795 4 320.00 $320.00 $2,544 -10.00
810–828 821 5 280.00–295.00 $285.92 $2,347 -31.29
925 925 2 296.00 $296.00 $2,738 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565–570 unweaned 566 6 345.00–377.00 $371.63 $2,103 —
624–649 unweaned 630 37 346.00–362.00 $356.31 $2,245 —
1069 1069 24 271.00 $271.00 $2,897 —
1143 1143 2 256.00 $256.00 $2,926 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440–441 unweaned 441 8 431.00 $431.00 $1,901 —
530 unweaned 530 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,961 —
596 unweaned 596 17 359.00 $359.00 $2,140 —
773 773 8 306.00 $306.00 $2,365 -16.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 unweaned 432 3 415.00 $415.00 $1,793 —
455 455 4 410.00 $410.00 $1,866 —
503–516 unweaned 510 9 367.50–383.00 $374.29 $1,909 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
473 unweaned 473 2 445.00 $445.00 $2,105 —
500 unweaned 500 2 430.00 $430.00 $2,150 —
560 560 10 382.50 $382.50 $2,142 —
618 618 3 327.50 $327.50 $2,024 —
633 unweaned 633 10 355.00 $355.00 $2,247 —
650 unweaned 650 6 335.00 $335.00 $2,178 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
660 660 2 335.00 $335.00 $2,211 —
1155 1155 3 237.50 $237.50 $2,743 —

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Open Heifers

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1098 1098 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 3 207.50 $207.50 $2,278 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 278.00 $278.00 $2,808 —

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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.