Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 19, 2022

1,358 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $179.17/cwt ≈ $859/hd at 480 lb · 48 head
light 4-weight M 1 heifers $166.50/cwt ≈ $743/hd at 446 lb · 38 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $140.50/cwt ≈ $1,387/hd at 987 lb · 30 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,358 4,022 0
Feeder cattle 608 — 0
Slaughter cattle 572 460 0
Replacement cattle 178 3,562 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested last week due to the annual Northland stock cow sale, therefore no comparisons can be made. Feeder cattle sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Quality this week was plain to average and most calves were offered in small lots or as singles. A small buyer pool was on hand for todays sale. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on all offerings in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed.

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
452 452 11 217.00 $217.00 $981 —
455 unweaned 455 3 217.50 $217.50 $990 —
531–543 541 23 192.50–202.00 $200.38 $1,084 —
562 562 12 209.00 $209.00 $1,175 —
565 unweaned 565 14 201.00 $201.00 $1,136 —
618–630 626 13 188.50–189.00 $188.65 $1,181 —
700 700 3 174.00 $174.00 $1,218 —
780 unweaned 780 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,326 —
923 923 4 174.00 $174.00 $1,606 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
422 422 8 200.00 $200.00 $844 —
455–479 466 9 185.00–207.50 $197.21 $919 —
530–532 unweaned 531 15 188.00–191.00 $189.60 $1,007 —
570 570 2 179.00 $179.00 $1,020 —
565–577 unweaned 575 10 170.00–176.00 $174.82 $1,005 —
686 686 8 169.00 $169.00 $1,159 —
932 932 8 155.50 $155.50 $1,449 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 6 197.50 $197.50 $830 —
444 unweaned 444 6 200.00 $200.00 $888 —
456 456 6 177.50 $177.50 $809 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
627 unweaned 627 3 167.00 $167.00 $1,047 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
473–498 479 45 174.00–181.00 $179.38 $859 —
490 unweaned 490 3 176.00 $176.00 $862 —
536–539 unweaned 538 15 162.00–174.00 $165.19 $889 —
581 unweaned 581 10 158.50 $158.50 $921 —
580–595 583 14 159.00–162.00 $161.34 $941 —
612 unweaned 612 6 162.00 $162.00 $991 —
683 683 2 151.00 $151.00 $1,031 —
987 987 30 140.50 $140.50 $1,387 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
397 397 15 186.00 $186.00 $738 —
400 unweaned 400 4 175.00 $175.00 $700 —
482–483 482 16 163.00–165.00 $164.50 $793 —
533 unweaned 533 5 164.00 $164.00 $874 —
578 578 4 147.00 $147.00 $850 —
904 904 5 147.00 $147.00 $1,329 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
446 446 38 166.50 $166.50 $743 —
489 489 6 175.00 $175.00 $856 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
399 unweaned 399 4 180.00 $180.00 $718 —
416 unweaned 416 5 175.00 $175.00 $728 —
450 450 3 155.00 $155.00 $698 —
451 unweaned 451 4 155.00 $155.00 $699 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
346 346 7 145.00 $145.00 $502 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
617 617 3 151.00 $151.00 $932 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
579–590 581 5 164.00–171.00 $165.42 $961 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
678 678 3 145.00 $145.00 $983 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
700 700 85-90% 1 36.00 $36.00 $252 —
823–975 871 85-90% 8 52.00–56.00 $53.82 $469 —
965 965 85-90% 1 45.00 $45.00 $434 —
1005–1040 1017 85-90% 10 40.00–45.00 $43.84 $446 —
1018–1315 1171 85-90% 163 45.00–56.50 $52.30 $612 -2.45
1010–1293 1206 85-90% 23 57.00–60.00 $57.70 $696 —
1217–1290 1235 85-90% 10 70.00–73.00 $71.78 $886 —
1133–1313 1243 85-90% 34 57.00–67.50 $61.09 $759 —
1248–1330 1279 85-90% 11 49.00–57.00 $53.27 $681 -7.72
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345 1345 80-85% 1 77.00 $77.00 $1,036 +12.06
1243–1675 1363 80-85% 76 65.00–76.00 $69.89 $953 +9.68
1294–1510 1390 80-85% 100 50.00–64.00 $58.76 $817 +1.37
1300–1645 1396 80-85% 27 52.00–60.00 $56.57 $790 -0.82
1470–1565 1518 80-85% 2 64.00–65.00 $64.48 $979 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1620 1620 75-80% 2 66.00 $66.00 $1,069 +2.90
1573–1760 1639 75-80% 6 62.00–69.00 $64.78 $1,062 +1.68

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1843 1648 5 74.00–85.00 $81.82 $1,348 —
1380–2060 1760 12 72.00–86.00 $82.96 $1,460 —
1925–2195 2039 4 88.00–97.00 $91.61 $1,868 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
785–1200 984 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 16 60.00–95.00 $71.18 $700
760–1470 1019 (<2 yrs)Open 106 81.00–117.50 $97.33 $992
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1000 1000 (<2 yrs)Open 1 60.00 $60.00 $600
1095 1095 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 54.00 $54.00 $591

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1339–1451 1378 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 12 800.00–900.00 $835.11
1508 1508 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 6 1,150.00 $1,150.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1544 1544 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 9 67.00 $67.00 $1,034
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1302 1302 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 750.00 $750.00

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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.