Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, November 22, 2021

2,854 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,854 2,192 2,912
Feeder cattle — 397 —
Slaughter cattle 1,365 1,354 1,237
Replacement cattle 1,489 441 1,675

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Mondays sale: Feeder cattle were not sold this week as this sale was a bred cow special. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Both slaughter and feeding cows sold generally steady this week. Demand for thin feeding cows continues to be strong as both packer and feeding buyers competed over these offerings to hold for the holidays or until the market improves. Most thin cows are being purchased to turn out on corn stalks or shipped to the corn belt where feed is less expensive. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this sale. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Bred cows sold on mostly good demand today. Offerings were average to attractive. A good crowd was on hand today which created an active market. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. Quality this week was mostly average.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740–1013 922 85-90% 3 22.00–25.00 $24.20 $223 -7.55
1059–1310 1168 85-90% 41 25.00–35.50 $34.48 $403 +3.33
903–1311 1176 85-90% 104 45.00–56.00 $50.24 $591 +19.09
1105–1268 1187 85-90% 6 34.50–36.00 $35.20 $418 +4.05
1053–1338 1203 85-90% 95 34.00–44.50 $37.45 $451 -25.55
1230 1230 85-90% 2 45.00 $45.00 $554 +3.41
968–1337 1247 85-90% 168 35.00–44.50 $42.77 $533 +1.18
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350 1350 80-85% 1 37.00 $37.00 $500 -1.30
1230–1468 1367 80-85% 4 60.00–64.00 $62.03 $848 +23.73
1269–1530 1380 80-85% 161 50.00–60.00 $52.83 $729 +14.53
1265–1725 1388 80-85% 92 42.00–49.50 $46.81 $650 +8.51
1300–1625 1403 80-85% 24 40.50–45.00 $42.63 $598 +1.06
Breaker ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1385–1603 1489 75-80% 24 850.00 $850.00 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220 1220 75-80% 2 68.00 $68.00 $830 —
1470 1470 75-80% 1 67.00 $67.00 $985 —
1555 1555 75-80% 1 60.00 $60.00 $933 —
1810 1810 75-80% 1 56.00 $56.00 $1,014 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1255 1255 1 81.00 $81.00 $1,017 —
1665–1730 1698 5 78.00–83.00 $79.96 $1,358 —
2175 2175 1 72.00 $72.00 $1,566 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
940 thin fleshed 940 (<2 yrs)Open 3 80.00 $80.00 $752
818–1165 950 (<2 yrs)Open 142 74.50–96.00 $87.25 $829
890–1330 1037 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 104 50.50–80.50 $73.26 $760
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
930–935 933 (<2 yrs)Open 2 63.00–80.00 $71.52 $667
1149–1225 1160 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 7 45.00–48.00 $47.55 $552

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1014–1342 1136 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 139 1,375.00–1,560.00 $1,483.19
1087–1365 1156 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 31 1,075.00–1,250.00 $1,214.66
1171 1171 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 11 650.00 $650.00
1190–1293 thin fleshed 1242 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 14 600.00–635.00 $618.23
1250 1250 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 1,085.00 $1,085.00
1243–1396 1316 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 23 675.00–885.00 $781.53
1203–1505 1319 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 67 1,100.00–1,275.00 $1,218.18
1135–1497 1321 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 189 700.00–800.00 $754.08
1173–1577 1361 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 141 900.00–1,125.00 $1,029.72
1405 1405 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 11 1,285.00 $1,285.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1061–1210 1090 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 46 1,225.00–1,300.00 $1,255.56
1238–1508 1339 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 46 850.00–875.00 $865.85
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1256 1256 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 43.00 $43.00 $540
1280 1280 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 50.00 $50.00 $640
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1024 1024 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,375.00 $1,375.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
974 974 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 10 1,085.00–1,100.00 $1,092.50
924–1081 1027 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 84 1,335.00–1,550.00 $1,435.73
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
869 869 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,200.00 $1,200.00

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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.