Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 2, 2024

709 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $307.17/cwt ≈ $1,336/hd at 435 lb · 20 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $267.88/cwt ≈ $1,538/hd at 574 lb · 18 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $335.00/cwt ≈ $1,618/hd at 483 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 709 1,869 1,267
Feeder cattle 233 18 318
Slaughter cattle 386 426 640
Replacement cattle 90 1,425 309

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested last week as last weeks sale featured bred cows. Limited offerings of feeders sold on light to moderate demand as quality hampered demand. Quality today was mostly plain to average. Market activity was mostly moderate. The best demand continues to be for light weight offerings suitable to run on grass or wheat. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand today for light offerings. Demand for cows was stronger today. Most cows were purchased to feed. Packers showed good demand for both slaughter and short term feeding cows this week. Very few cows were purchased to send to immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to firm on boning and lean cows, breaking cows were all purchased to feed. Short term feeding cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 higher. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold 1.00 to 2.00 higher. Quality was most average to attractive. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Young age offerings sold mostly 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average to attractive. Market activity was mostly moderate to active.

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
305–340 unweaned 329 8 450.00–480.00 $467.34 $1,538 —
365 unweaned 365 1 430.00 $430.00 $1,570 —
408 unweaned 408 2 390.00 $390.00 $1,591 —
483 unweaned 483 14 335.00 $335.00 $1,618 —
817 817 3 250.00 $250.00 $2,042 —
1010–1031 1025 11 227.00–229.00 $227.54 $2,332 —
1058 1058 5 222.50 $222.50 $2,354 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378 unweaned 378 3 385.00 $385.00 $1,455 —
425 unweaned 425 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,572 —
470–473 unweaned 472 3 325.00 $325.00 $1,534 —
520 520 6 322.50 $322.50 $1,677 —
517–525 unweaned 521 7 312.50–327.00 $319.83 $1,666 —
670 unweaned 670 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,675 —
918 918 2 231.00 $231.00 $2,121 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
526 unweaned 526 6 300.00 $300.00 $1,578 —
578 unweaned 578 4 290.00 $290.00 $1,676 —
689 unweaned 689 6 242.50 $242.50 $1,671 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 unweaned 495 4 315.00 $315.00 $1,559 —
898 898 2 226.00 $226.00 $2,029 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423 unweaned 423 2 165.00 $165.00 $698 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 unweaned 375 2 332.50 $332.50 $1,247 —
408–445 unweaned 435 20 295.00–310.00 $307.17 $1,336 —
498 unweaned 498 2 289.00 $289.00 $1,439 —
502–508 unweaned 504 5 265.00–283.00 $272.25 $1,372 —
570 570 2 257.00 $257.00 $1,465 —
555–590 unweaned 583 5 247.50–262.00 $250.26 $1,459 —
828 828 3 225.00 $225.00 $1,863 —
853–895 861 5 217.00–227.50 $219.18 $1,887 +9.18
1073 1073 6 191.00 $191.00 $2,049 —
1086 1086 4 172.00 $172.00 $1,868 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 unweaned 555 3 268.00 $268.00 $1,487 —
572–582 578 15 264.50–273.00 $267.86 $1,548 —
630 630 4 270.00 $270.00 $1,701 —
708 708 7 240.50 $240.50 $1,703 —
872–885 875 4 232.00–232.50 $232.37 $2,033 —
1065 1065 1 206.00 $206.00 $2,194 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 3 237.00 $237.00 $1,493 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
452 unweaned 452 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,198 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
511 unweaned 511 4 307.50 $307.50 $1,571 —
628 628 7 280.00 $280.00 $1,758 —
775 775 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,802 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 unweaned 295 1 495.00 $495.00 $1,460 —
315 unweaned 315 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,480 —
410 unweaned 410 2 385.00 $385.00 $1,578 —
455 455 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,456 —
730 unweaned 730 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,788 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880 880 85-90% 1 65.00 $65.00 $572 -10.00
1075 1075 85-90% 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,322 +37.10
733–1290 1093 85-90% 37 91.00–109.00 $105.22 $1,150 +19.32
990–1297 1125 85-90% 46 109.00–120.00 $113.12 $1,273 +9.81
1045–1215 1138 85-90% 6 89.00–100.00 $93.75 $1,067 -9.56
1140–1285 1180 85-90% 5 80.00–85.00 $83.99 $991 -14.76
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260–1625 1408 80-85% 45 110.00–124.50 $118.86 $1,674 —
1296–1630 1411 80-85% 23 99.00–110.00 $106.91 $1,509 —
1245–1605 1413 80-85% 17 124.00–129.00 $125.77 $1,777 —
1545–1645 1595 80-85% 2 110.50–113.50 $112.05 $1,787 +13.08
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1730 1730 75-80% 1 121.00 $121.00 $2,093 +6.77
2040 2040 75-80% 1 111.00 $111.00 $2,264 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1530–1963 1664 12 132.00–145.50 $141.79 $2,359 —
1495–1953 1754 9 145.00–150.00 $147.85 $2,593 —
1770 1770 1 129.00 $129.00 $2,283 —
1698–2470 1980 8 145.00–150.50 $148.56 $2,941 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2585 2585 1 148.00 $148.00 $3,826 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
920–1215 1009 (<2 yrs)Open 22 172.00–215.00 $189.34 $1,910
1015–1190 1103 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 147.50–152.50 $149.80 $1,652
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
865–890 thin fleshed 875 (<2 yrs)Open 3 125.00–140.00 $132.49 $1,159
790–1088 925 (<2 yrs)Open 7 142.00–165.00 $157.94 $1,461

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1135–1260 1177 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,510.00–1,650.00 $1,610.02
1285 1285 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,725.00 $1,725.00
1370 1370 Aged (>8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 1,675.00 $1,675.00
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920 920 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1780 1780 80-85% 1 95.00 $95.00 $1,691 —

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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.