Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report, Billings, MT

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Fridays

Sale of Friday, October 23, 2026

2,912 head sold ·Official USDA report · Price history in the app

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $416.88/cwt -8.47 vs last sale · ≈ $2,376/hd at 570 lb · 260 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $487.13/cwt -10.44 vs last sale · ≈ $2,333/hd at 479 lb · 246 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $445.35/cwt +5.83 vs last sale · ≈ $2,138/hd at 480 lb · 221 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,912 2,239 3,730
Feeder cattle 2,601 2,142 3,400
Slaughter cattle 163 89 185
Replacement cattle 148 8 145

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week's sale steer calves under 400 lbs sold 35.00-40.00 lower, 400-499 lbs mostly 10.00 lower. Heavier steer calves 500-699 lbs sold 9.00-13.00 higher. Feeder steers 700-899 lbs not enough to establish a market trend. Feeder heifers 350-499 lbs sold uneven at 5.00 lower to 5.00 higher, 500-699 lb heifers sold 7.00-9.00 lower. Not enough heavier heifers for price comparison. Compared to the Wednesday sale, slaughter and return to feed cows traded 2.00-3.00 lower.

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
337–348 unweaned 341 5 560.00–585.00 $570.19 $1,944 -54.32
361–390 unweaned 369 39 550.00–590.00 $555.13 $2,048 -38.72
400–431 unweaned 419 54 480.00–580.00 $535.95 $2,246 -10.23
450–498 unweaned 479 246 435.00–515.00 $487.13 $2,333 -10.44
502–522 unweaned 515 163 445.00–486.50 $468.81 $2,414 +13.15
551–598 unweaned 570 260 345.00–438.00 $416.88 $2,376 -8.47
600–642 unweaned 625 126 368.00–415.00 $403.84 $2,524 +9.13
610–640 627 52 387.50–411.00 $403.12 $2,528 —
653–695 unweaned 669 90 379.00–390.00 $383.18 $2,563 +0.04
651–699 674 39 382.00–393.00 $388.33 $2,617 —
715–745 731 12 350.00–380.00 $369.90 $2,704 —
768–799 789 25 324.00–371.00 $335.17 $2,644 —
813–843 828 4 310.00–331.00 $320.31 $2,652 —
898 898 2 312.00 $312.00 $2,802 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
272 unweaned 272 9 610.00 $610.00 $1,659 +5.00
308 unweaned 308 37 627.50 $627.50 $1,933 +14.89
366–397 unweaned 373 28 450.00–515.00 $501.33 $1,870 -46.77
403–435 unweaned 425 21 475.00–517.50 $493.57 $2,098 -12.95
474–485 unweaned 477 12 432.50–440.00 $438.09 $2,090 -28.68
510–541 unweaned 531 14 370.00–415.00 $392.19 $2,083 -39.72
558–565 unweaned 561 7 380.00–388.00 $384.55 $2,157 -13.81
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
299 unweaned 299 4 530.00 $530.00 $1,585 —
421–423 unweaned 422 7 425.00–430.00 $428.57 $1,809 —
478 unweaned 478 2 405.00 $405.00 $1,936 -40.43
520–523 unweaned 522 6 377.00–400.00 $388.47 $2,028 -11.53
560 unweaned 560 5 350.00–360.00 $356.00 $1,994 —
637 unweaned 637 3 369.00 $369.00 $2,351 —
668 unweaned 668 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,271 —
690 690 2 368.00 $368.00 $2,539 +28.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
263–278 unweaned 274 16 525.00–555.00 $532.19 $1,458 —
310–346 unweaned 335 23 502.50–510.00 $505.23 $1,693 -21.80
366–396 unweaned 380 47 475.00–510.00 $492.39 $1,871 -3.03
409–447 unweaned 425 83 450.00–485.00 $472.91 $2,010 -5.21
451–494 unweaned 480 221 412.50–468.00 $445.35 $2,138 +5.83
500–549 unweaned 530 144 371.00–409.00 $395.78 $2,098 -9.54
558–590 unweaned 574 138 345.00–374.00 $362.01 $2,078 -6.83
620 620 4 342.00 $342.00 $2,120 —
606–643 unweaned 622 83 345.00–379.00 $358.91 $2,232 -7.79
650–697 669 34 315.00–375.00 $349.49 $2,338 +24.49
705–742 735 10 312.00 $312.00 $2,293 —
780 780 32 316.00 $316.00 $2,465 —
815–820 816 11 335.00 $335.00 $2,734 —
893 893 2 282.50 $282.50 $2,523 —
908 908 9 314.00 $314.00 $2,851 —
958–987 970 10 270.00–283.00 $278.43 $2,701 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
254 unweaned 254 12 530.00 $530.00 $1,346 —
373–396 unweaned 384 22 425.00–450.00 $442.23 $1,698 -34.74
421–433 unweaned 425 10 320.00–410.00 $382.47 $1,625 -62.89
476–489 unweaned 483 14 370.00–385.00 $377.60 $1,824 -11.40
554 unweaned 554 7 330.00 $330.00 $1,828 -24.88
695 695 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,842 —
725 725 3 285.00 $285.00 $2,066 -40.00
755 755 2 270.00 $270.00 $2,038 —
963 963 2 245.00 $245.00 $2,359 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 unweaned 328 2 470.00 $470.00 $1,542 —
396 unweaned 396 4 420.00 $420.00 $1,663 —
443 unweaned 443 2 375.00 $375.00 $1,661 —
510–545 unweaned 528 4 275.00–325.00 $300.83 $1,588 —
703 703 6 255.00 $255.00 $1,793 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1167 1167 5 245.00 $245.00 $2,859 —
1298 1298 2 209.00 $209.00 $2,713 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 unweaned 341 7 530.00 $530.00 $1,807 —
473 unweaned 473 4 420.00 $420.00 $1,987 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1613 1298 80-85% 77 124.00–152.50 $136.40 $1,770 —
1340–1353 1350 80-85% 4 121.00–123.00 $122.50 $1,654 +3.50
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1003–1200 1054 85-90% 6 82.50–95.00 $88.27 $930 —
1095–1225 1153 85-90% 3 60.00–75.00 $70.06 $808 -33.88
1115–1285 1166 85-90% 7 95.00–105.00 $99.15 $1,156 -4.79
1020–1365 1187 85-90% 12 111.00–120.00 $116.47 $1,382 +29.72
975–1480 1193 85-90% 4 105.00–110.00 $106.02 $1,265 +19.27
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1735–2080 1965 75-80% 3 117.00 $117.00 $2,299 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390–1425 1408 2 135.00–137.50 $136.27 $1,919 -13.61
1325–1730 1562 10 130.00–157.50 $145.39 $2,271 —
2010 2010 1 165.00 $165.00 $3,316 -20.00

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
800–1144 1030 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 64 235.00–300.00 $268.64 $2,767
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1115–1252 1199 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 12 212.50–240.00 $226.82 $2,720
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
920–1330 1111 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 180.00–240.00 $202.45 $2,249

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1115–1270 1154 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,900.00–3,100.00 $3,044.96
1320 1320 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,450.00 $2,450.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1097 1097 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 1,900.00 $1,900.00
1085–1340 1213 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,900.00 $1,900.00

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Open Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770–1050 903 (<2 yrs)N/A 11 260.00–310.00 $298.42 $2,695 —
982 982 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 5 285.00 $285.00 $2,799 —

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Price trend

high 493.67 low 397.51 Oct 2025 Oct 2026

550–599 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Oct 16, 2026)

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