Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 20, 2025

1,142 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 $437.46/cwt +109.96 vs last sale · ≈ $2,498/hd at 571 lb · 68 head
light 3-weight M&L 1 steers $663.06/cwt ≈ $2,201/hd at 332 lb · 42 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $539.04/cwt +119.04 vs last sale · ≈ $2,199/hd at 408 lb · 35 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 1,142 — —

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
230 unweaned 230 2 840.00 $840.00 $1,932 —
263 unweaned 263 16 810.00 $810.00 $2,130 —
305–349 unweaned 332 42 620.00–700.00 $663.06 $2,201 —
365–390 unweaned 384 4 550.00–615.00 $565.46 $2,171 —
404–412 unweaned 408 35 519.00–565.00 $539.04 $2,199 —
534 unweaned 534 19 442.50 $442.50 $2,363 +102.17
556–586 unweaned 571 68 436.00–439.00 $437.46 $2,498 —
604–638 unweaned 621 14 401.00–420.00 $410.24 $2,548 —
727 unweaned 727 9 372.00 $372.00 $2,704 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436 unweaned 436 8 510.00 $510.00 $2,224 +132.50
572 unweaned 572 14 419.00 $419.00 $2,397 —
645 unweaned 645 3 335.00 $335.00 $2,161 +40.00
648 648 4 376.00 $376.00 $2,436 —
693 693 3 366.00 $366.00 $2,536 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381 unweaned 381 10 542.50 $542.50 $2,067 —
408–414 unweaned 413 23 487.50–510.00 $508.07 $2,098 —
466–489 unweaned 474 11 431.00–460.00 $441.87 $2,094 +122.58
521 unweaned 521 12 408.00 $408.00 $2,126 +94.50
555 unweaned 555 4 373.00 $373.00 $2,070 +63.67
885 885 14 322.00 $322.00 $2,850 +85.00
903–927 917 5 316.00–318.00 $316.79 $2,905 —
963 963 4 312.50 $312.50 $3,009 —
1082 1082 7 295.00 $295.00 $3,192 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
192 unweaned 192 3 650.00 $650.00 $1,248 —
337–340 unweaned 339 6 500.00–533.00 $516.57 $1,751 —
368–380 unweaned 373 11 480.00–495.00 $488.06 $1,820 +123.09
493 unweaned 493 7 412.50 $412.50 $2,034 +107.87
820 820 1 322.00 $322.00 $2,640 +99.00
858 858 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,703 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
962 962 3 326.00 $326.00 $3,136 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125 1125 1 269.00 $269.00 $3,026 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1328–1347 1336 80-85% 7 157.00–183.00 $171.77 $2,295 —
1278–1665 1407 80-85% 3 117.50–121.00 $119.62 $1,683 —
1265–1620 1409 80-85% 71 181.00–187.50 $185.26 $2,610 —
1270–1680 1411 80-85% 105 170.00–185.50 $177.53 $2,505 —
1245–1570 1415 80-85% 22 136.00–172.00 $164.27 $2,324 —
1330–1565 1462 80-85% 3 131.00–141.00 $135.08 $1,975 —
1680 1680 80-85% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,932 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–985 968 85-90% 2 117.50–120.00 $118.73 $1,149 —
985 985 85-90% 1 147.50 $147.50 $1,453 —
990 990 85-90% 1 105.00 $105.00 $1,040 —
1000 1000 85-90% 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,550 —
1025–1060 1039 85-90% 4 65.00–92.50 $81.75 $849 —
1125 1125 85-90% 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,395 +40.06
1058–1285 1156 85-90% 11 150.00–164.00 $160.31 $1,853 —
1045–1345 1174 85-90% 28 102.50–122.00 $113.91 $1,337 -3.53
1085–1298 1222 85-90% 87 166.00–177.50 $173.16 $2,116 +45.26
1190–1275 1262 85-90% 21 178.50–187.00 $179.45 $2,265 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1509 1509 75-80% 4 187.00 $187.00 $2,822 +64.07
1540 1540 75-80% 1 166.00 $166.00 $2,556 +43.07
1583 1583 75-80% 2 190.00 $190.00 $3,008 —
1545–1691 1663 75-80% 11 173.00–183.00 $179.87 $2,991 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1700 1405 3 159.00–183.50 $176.61 $2,481 —
1505–1955 1745 17 184.00–196.00 $190.40 $3,322 —
1980 1980 1 172.00 $172.00 $3,406 —
1855–2280 2038 4 186.00–187.00 $186.27 $3,796 —
2115 2115 1 195.00 $195.00 $4,124 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
750–760 thin fleshed 755 (<2 yrs)Open 2 290.00–315.00 $302.58 $2,284
748–1275 957 (<2 yrs)Open 66 218.00–348.00 $306.08 $2,929
868–1405 1131 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 68 190.00–277.50 $234.48 $2,652
1270–1645 1403 (<2 yrs)Open 3 217.00–228.00 $223.70 $3,139
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
810–1150 1004 (<2 yrs)Open 5 200.00–310.00 $245.41 $2,464
1020–1045 1033 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 200.00–210.00 $205.06 $2,118
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,800

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1082 1082 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 3,500.00 $3,500.00
1148 thin fleshed 1148 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 13 2,750.00 $2,750.00
1110–1365 1232 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 22 3,400.00–3,650.00 $3,550.33
1270 1270 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 6 2,850.00 $2,850.00
1337–1412 1363 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 26 3,150.00–3,300.00 $3,234.93
1317–1461 1371 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 105 2,800.00–3,100.00 $3,056.16
1426–1458 1435 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 3,150.00–3,400.00 $3,327.43
1440 1440 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 3,400.00 $3,400.00
1445 1445 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 2,850.00 $2,850.00
1493 1493 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 6 2,850.00 $2,850.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1274 1274 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 245.00 $245.00 $3,121
1410 1410 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 10 196.00 $196.00 $2,764
1632 1632 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 176.00 $176.00 $2,872
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1107 1107 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,950.00 $2,950.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
914 914 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 3,400.00 $3,400.00

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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.