Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 16, 2023

1,145 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $221.81/cwt ≈ $1,906/hd at 859 lb · 33 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $255.22/cwt ≈ $1,442/hd at 565 lb · 28 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 steers $338.00/cwt +23.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,301/hd at 385 lb · 28 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,145 802 1,343
Feeder cattle 551 443 668
Slaughter cattle 499 245 498
Replacement cattle 95 114 177

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested either this week or last to develop any accurate market trend. Demand was light to moderate demand for light offerings. All feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Quality today was mostly plain. Market activity was slow to moderate with a small buyer pool on hand for todays sale. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to weak on all offerings in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold steady to 1.00 higher. Demand for feeding cows was stronger this week as more buyers were active in buying this class. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady.

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
450–469 unweaned 463 20 310.00–321.00 $313.21 $1,450 —
526–549 unweaned 536 20 270.00–272.00 $270.61 $1,450 -7.39
550–593 unweaned 565 28 249.00–270.00 $255.22 $1,442 —
643 unweaned 643 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,543 —
664–696 unweaned 680 12 238.00–239.00 $238.49 $1,622 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 unweaned 385 28 338.00 $338.00 $1,301 +23.00
403 unweaned 403 5 329.00 $329.00 $1,326 —
495 unweaned 495 3 261.00 $261.00 $1,292 -26.33
541–548 unweaned 545 11 256.00–260.00 $258.56 $1,409 -13.94
622–628 unweaned 626 8 233.50–243.00 $237.04 $1,484 —
704 704 5 239.00 $239.00 $1,683 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
437–444 unweaned 439 23 206.00–209.00 $207.05 $909 —
481 unweaned 481 4 240.00 $240.00 $1,154 -15.00
517 unweaned 517 6 232.00 $232.00 $1,199 —
598 unweaned 598 2 215.00 $215.00 $1,286 —
618 unweaned 618 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,421 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 unweaned 285 1 326.00 $326.00 $929 —
390 unweaned 390 1 312.00 $312.00 $1,217 —
404–415 unweaned 405 15 293.00–300.00 $296.19 $1,200 —
450–479 unweaned 473 17 270.00–287.00 $271.90 $1,286 +2.90
517–520 unweaned 519 7 252.00–256.00 $254.29 $1,320 -3.21
635 unweaned 635 3 233.00 $233.00 $1,480 —
664 unweaned 664 6 230.00 $230.00 $1,527 —
853–895 854 29 218.00–224.50 $224.27 $1,915 —
896 896 4 204.00 $204.00 $1,828 —
916–924 918 13 212.50–214.00 $213.54 $1,960 -0.71
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 unweaned 348 2 270.00 $270.00 $940 -23.06
426–441 unweaned 435 12 244.00–255.00 $248.49 $1,081 -26.51
506–540 unweaned 526 18 230.00–246.00 $238.74 $1,256 -0.30
740 740 2 229.00 $229.00 $1,695 —
795 795 2 223.00 $223.00 $1,773 —
948 948 2 211.00 $211.00 $2,000 —
970 970 2 193.00 $193.00 $1,872 —
1040 1040 3 187.00 $187.00 $1,945 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 unweaned 431 11 236.00 $236.00 $1,017 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
424 unweaned 424 7 182.00 $182.00 $772 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
648 648 3 227.00 $227.00 $1,471 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145 1145 1 196.00 $196.00 $2,244 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327 unweaned 327 17 298.00 $298.00 $974 -7.00
480 unweaned 480 2 250.00 $250.00 $1,200 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 unweaned 430 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,268 —
460–477 unweaned 470 5 270.00 $270.00 $1,269 —
641 unweaned 641 4 228.00 $228.00 $1,461 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1381 1354 80-85% 10 94.00–98.00 $94.90 $1,285 -0.26
1315–1380 1361 80-85% 4 110.00–111.00 $110.75 $1,507 +15.59
1263–1570 1397 80-85% 63 98.00–108.50 $104.90 $1,465 —
1300–1615 1481 80-85% 24 84.00–96.50 $91.51 $1,355 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
855 855 85-90% 1 80.00 $80.00 $684 —
902–935 910 85-90% 4 60.00–63.00 $60.77 $553 —
1040–1300 1221 85-90% 14 80.00–91.00 $86.97 $1,062 -9.53
1220–1230 1225 85-90% 2 93.00–94.00 $93.50 $1,145 -3.00
1209–1265 1231 85-90% 27 94.50–99.00 $96.02 $1,182 -0.48
1205–1250 1233 85-90% 4 85.50–93.00 $90.67 $1,118 -5.83
1270–1385 1328 85-90% 2 70.00–76.00 $72.87 $968 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1568–1670 1605 75-80% 5 100.00–102.00 $100.99 $1,621 —
1573–1688 1624 75-80% 6 105.00–109.00 $105.85 $1,719 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1465–1800 1602 3 96.00–108.00 $101.14 $1,620 —
1615 1615 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,567 —
1680–2003 1826 13 109.00–117.00 $112.80 $2,060 —
1845 1845 1 112.00 $112.00 $2,066 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
892–1290 980 (<2 yrs)Open 28 139.00–184.50 $170.88 $1,675
1052–1195 1107 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 11 111.00–135.00 $119.93 $1,328
1122 fancy 1122 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 154.00 $154.00 $1,728
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
805–812 811 (<2 yrs)Open 7 137.50–155.00 $152.52 $1,237
1005–1075 1040 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 94.00–117.50 $105.35 $1,096

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1190 1190 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 3 1,525.00 $1,525.00

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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.