Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 4, 2020

3,624 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction report →

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $177.92/cwt +11.17 vs last sale · ≈ $855/hd at 481 lb · 356 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $159.08/cwt +11.41 vs last sale · ≈ $901/hd at 566 lb · 292 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $156.08/cwt +13.86 vs last sale · ≈ $958/hd at 614 lb · 286 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,624 3,199 2,100
Feeder cattle 3,530 2,918 1,975
Slaughter cattle 80 202 28
Replacement cattle 14 79 97

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to two weeks ago: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Weaned and unweaned steers sold mostly 8.00-13.00 higher on all weights. Weaned and unweaned heifer calves under 550 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 higher; heifers over 550 lbs sold mostly 2.00-6.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand this sale was mostly good to very good. Todays feeder special featured enhanced health protocol cattle. Many sets of calves were weaned and given an extensive vaccination protocol. Weaned calves sold on mostly very good demand this sale. Most unweaned calves were given 2 rounds of vaccinations. Quality this sale was mostly attractive to very attractive. Many buyers were on hand today actively bidding on offerings. Market activity was mostly active with offerings quickly moving through the ring. Weigh up cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend. Demand was mostly good for very light offerings. Higher undertones were noticed on both slaughter and feeding cows. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly good demand as well. Bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed. Two year old to young age cows sold on mostly moderate demand this sale. Quality was average. This class of cows was too lightly tested to develop any market trend.

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
368–374 unweaned 372 10 185.00–185.50 $185.35 $690 +5.33
391 391 8 196.50 $196.50 $768 —
403–434 unweaned 413 27 181.00–193.00 $187.20 $773 +12.24
400–447 421 54 181.00–193.50 $187.96 $791 +6.96
459–494 unweaned 474 96 169.00–185.00 $179.50 $851 +12.75
452–496 483 260 170.00–189.00 $177.34 $857 —
518–543 529 102 160.00–172.00 $167.41 $886 +13.28
511–542 unweaned 531 102 161.00–171.00 $167.69 $890 +14.55
553–596 unweaned 561 93 159.50–163.00 $160.12 $898 +12.34
552–594 568 189 155.00–163.50 $159.36 $905 +12.59
584 584 10 144.00 $144.00 $841 -2.77
603–613 unweaned 608 49 146.00–161.50 $156.73 $953 +15.01
600–647 615 237 148.50–162.00 $155.94 $959 +12.62
653 unweaned 653 3 145.00 $145.00 $947 +9.78
678 678 5 136.00 $136.00 $922 -1.40
653–698 685 53 138.00–148.50 $145.99 $1,000 +8.59
707–715 711 23 149.50–150.50 $150.02 $1,067 +16.87
717 717 6 136.00 $136.00 $975 +2.85
714–725 unweaned 722 17 137.50–138.00 $137.88 $995 +8.37
883 883 10 135.50 $135.50 $1,196 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
336 336 6 182.00 $182.00 $612 —
339 unweaned 339 12 185.00 $185.00 $627 +7.50
378–380 379 13 175.50–187.00 $179.05 $679 —
388 unweaned 388 9 174.00 $174.00 $675 —
404–431 unweaned 417 15 167.00–178.00 $172.69 $720 +10.88
462–483 466 24 164.00–165.00 $164.91 $768 —
467–494 unweaned 480 43 164.00–165.00 $164.27 $788 +4.27
501 501 4 143.00 $143.00 $716 —
549 unweaned 549 6 153.50 $153.50 $843 +3.08
566 unweaned 566 4 152.00 $152.00 $860 +10.00
614–615 unweaned 614 6 138.00–143.00 $141.33 $868 +7.33
618 618 4 140.00 $140.00 $865 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
337 337 13 181.00 $181.00 $610 —
374–389 387 59 175.00–187.00 $176.57 $683 —
432 432 9 181.00 $181.00 $782 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 6 167.50 $167.50 $645 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
364–391 unweaned 384 50 156.50–168.00 $159.25 $612 +2.25
386–399 390 22 158.00–163.00 $161.37 $629 —
400–449 420 229 152.00–160.00 $155.72 $654 +4.72
406–430 unweaned 421 42 153.00–158.00 $154.35 $650 +4.00
455–498 472 211 145.00–161.00 $156.28 $738 +13.39
465–487 unweaned 475 37 151.00–161.50 $156.55 $744 +13.36
509–527 514 89 143.00–157.00 $153.45 $789 +15.89
501–539 unweaned 520 132 144.00–151.00 $148.06 $770 +8.15
556–597 571 153 134.00–145.00 $137.92 $788 +3.61
567–588 unweaned 574 36 133.00–137.50 $136.04 $781 +4.69
601–629 609 39 130.00–135.00 $132.09 $804 +2.09
625–628 unweaned 626 5 128.00–131.00 $129.80 $813 +2.24
655–659 unweaned 658 17 125.00–126.50 $125.26 $824 -1.74
650–673 667 15 126.00–130.00 $129.74 $865 —
703–704 703 12 124.50–126.50 $125.83 $885 —
938 938 21 129.25 $129.25 $1,212 +7.75
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
318 318 13 157.50 $157.50 $501 —
366–397 unweaned 393 41 154.00–156.50 $154.30 $606 —
405–435 unweaned 410 26 145.00–150.00 $146.38 $600 +1.38
476 unweaned 476 10 141.00 $141.00 $671 +3.76
469–493 483 12 135.00–138.00 $136.21 $658 +2.21
516–534 unweaned 528 27 138.00–139.00 $138.43 $731 +2.49
608–638 631 9 124.00–127.00 $124.64 $786 —
823 823 3 122.50 $122.50 $1,008 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357 unweaned 357 6 131.00 $131.00 $468 -6.50
418 418 13 140.00 $140.00 $585 —
495 unweaned 495 3 128.50 $128.50 $636 +3.50
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378 378 9 140.00 $140.00 $529 -5.00
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367 367 8 130.00 $130.00 $477 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1170 1087 85-90% 8 37.00–38.00 $37.13 $404 -0.87
1005–1278 1212 85-90% 16 45.50–49.75 $47.21 $572 -7.29
1065–1341 1221 85-90% 13 50.00–54.00 $51.27 $626 -3.23
1230 1230 85-90% 1 63.00 $63.00 $775 +8.50
1080–1365 1254 85-90% 7 41.00–47.00 $43.79 $549 —
1165–1276 1260 85-90% 7 49.50–52.00 $49.83 $628 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350 1350 80-85% 1 48.00 $48.00 $648 -3.00
1365 1365 80-85% 1 62.00 $62.00 $846 +11.00
1375 1375 80-85% 1 53.50 $53.50 $736 -1.88
1290–1610 1411 80-85% 15 52.50–61.00 $56.68 $800 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1760–1795 1778 75-80% 2 57.50 $57.50 $1,022 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1815 1815 1 72.00 $72.00 $1,307 —
1843 1843 3 77.00 $77.00 $1,419 —
1840–1920 1880 2 77.00–79.50 $78.28 $1,472 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
885 885 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 62.00 $62.00 $549
974–1295 1049 (<2 yrs)Open 11 69.00–85.00 $75.47 $792

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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.