Cattle Market Pulse

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

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, November 5, 2021

3,606 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $157.45/cwt -3.33 vs last sale · ≈ $899/hd at 571 lb · 458 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $142.49/cwt +3.08 vs last sale · ≈ $811/hd at 569 lb · 233 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $183.56/cwt +9.22 vs last sale · ≈ $878/hd at 478 lb · 182 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,606 3,479 3,952
Feeder cattle 3,087 1,990 3,613
Slaughter cattle 381 288 199
Replacement cattle 138 1,201 140

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Friday: All yearlings were too scarcely tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was mostly moderate. Most yearlings were out of a grow lot this week. Most of these yearling offerings were in moderate to moderate plus flesh and sold with a discount to the yearlings coming off grass. Steer calves under 450 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 higher, 450-599 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher, steers over 600 lbs sold mostly steady to 10.00 higher. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Demand was stronger and more consistent today as trucks have started to loosen up. Vaccinations remain vital to getting front end prices this year. Calves with two rounds of vaccinations sold with strong 10.00-12.00 premiums. Price spreads remain large. Market activity this week was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold steady to weak in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. All cows and bulls were packing lots of fill as they sold late in the sale. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady to firm. Bull quality was mostly attractive this sale. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed.

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
275–285 unweaned 282 3 205.00–225.00 $211.51 $596 —
317–322 321 13 200.00–210.00 $207.72 $667 —
335 unweaned 335 7 202.00 $202.00 $677 +4.49
350–398 unweaned 385 27 187.00–200.00 $194.53 $749 +9.66
383–396 390 77 200.00 $200.00 $780 —
404–444 unweaned 430 76 188.00–207.00 $196.19 $844 +10.77
441 441 4 194.00 $194.00 $856 +17.55
462–463 463 26 183.50–190.00 $187.25 $867 —
451–491 unweaned 481 156 167.50–194.00 $182.95 $880 +8.61
500–534 unweaned 525 69 156.00–169.00 $165.47 $869 +5.72
560 560 32 154.50 $154.50 $865 —
550–590 unweaned 572 426 150.00–168.50 $157.67 $902 -3.11
601–644 unweaned 631 74 148.50–166.50 $161.49 $1,019 +8.49
648 648 8 149.00 $149.00 $966 —
654–690 unweaned 682 126 144.00–151.50 $149.53 $1,020 -3.09
755 unweaned 755 5 149.00 $149.00 $1,125 —
805 805 28 155.50 $155.50 $1,252 —
900 900 63 147.25 $147.25 $1,325 —
999 999 17 123.00 $123.00 $1,229 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 unweaned 380 15 189.00 $189.00 $718 —
518–532 unweaned 529 18 137.00–155.00 $148.73 $787 —
746 746 16 136.00 $136.00 $1,015 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355 unweaned 355 3 185.00 $185.00 $657 —
460 unweaned 460 3 167.00 $167.00 $768 +6.19
515 515 6 155.00 $155.00 $798 —
518–546 unweaned 535 20 140.00–156.00 $146.77 $785 -4.23
555 555 2 144.00 $144.00 $799 —
671 unweaned 671 4 140.00 $140.00 $939 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476 476 6 159.50 $159.50 $759 —
562 unweaned 562 5 150.00 $150.00 $843 —
1003 1003 12 145.00 $145.00 $1,454 —
1081 1081 6 130.50 $130.50 $1,411 —
1152 1152 5 115.00 $115.00 $1,325 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
319–345 unweaned 322 18 171.00–176.00 $175.40 $565 -9.45
323 323 6 175.00 $175.00 $565 —
355–393 unweaned 375 20 168.00–170.00 $169.10 $634 -7.67
382 382 38 165.00 $165.00 $630 -5.50
401–448 unweaned 416 69 155.00–163.00 $159.32 $663 +0.19
469 469 14 159.00 $159.00 $746 —
460–495 unweaned 473 140 149.00–162.00 $154.78 $732 +1.84
507–544 unweaned 525 169 142.00–149.75 $145.64 $765 +3.73
542 542 10 139.00 $139.00 $753 —
554–595 unweaned 569 221 139.50–144.75 $142.57 $811 +3.16
573 573 12 141.00 $141.00 $808 —
615–639 unweaned 629 121 134.00–141.50 $139.22 $876 +1.91
656 unweaned 656 4 135.00 $135.00 $886 -2.85
698 698 2 131.00 $131.00 $914 —
710 710 3 133.00 $133.00 $944 —
735 unweaned 735 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,029 —
761 761 14 142.00 $142.00 $1,081 -3.00
788 788 131 143.50 $143.50 $1,131 -1.50
861–881 873 30 134.00–140.50 $137.17 $1,197 -1.83
917 917 24 129.00 $129.00 $1,183 -6.55
915–948 918 38 133.00–134.50 $134.34 $1,233 -1.21
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429–439 432 14 140.00–143.00 $142.13 $614 —
436 unweaned 436 10 151.50 $151.50 $661 —
451–479 463 16 137.00–142.00 $139.74 $647 —
470–495 unweaned 480 35 140.50–144.00 $142.56 $684 —
529 529 6 131.00 $131.00 $693 —
687 687 21 131.00 $131.00 $900 —
730 730 8 137.00 $137.00 $1,000 —
760 760 11 135.00 $135.00 $1,026 -5.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
354 unweaned 354 29 158.00 $158.00 $559 —
402–428 unweaned 408 11 142.00–154.00 $149.28 $609 -0.06
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429 unweaned 429 18 138.00 $138.00 $592 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
609 unweaned 609 5 105.00 $105.00 $639 —
698 unweaned 698 11 100.00 $100.00 $698 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
364–396 unweaned 383 15 160.00 $160.00 $613 -15.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
883–941 922 85-90% 6 35.50–39.00 $36.62 $338 —
995 995 85-90% 1 33.00 $33.00 $328 —
1038–1190 1107 85-90% 19 34.50–38.00 $36.33 $402 —
1085–1235 1130 85-90% 44 38.00–44.00 $41.21 $466 —
1080–1255 1168 85-90% 2 46.00–47.50 $46.81 $547 +4.70
1205 1205 85-90% 7 58.50 $58.50 $705 +7.99
1140–1338 1250 85-90% 14 40.50–46.50 $44.03 $550 -4.68
1110–1326 1258 85-90% 86 47.00–54.00 $50.01 $629 -10.30
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1350 1350 80-85% 2 44.00 $44.00 $594 -3.21
1278–1575 1377 80-85% 31 47.00–54.50 $49.17 $677 +1.96
1348–1631 1401 80-85% 27 56.50–65.50 $61.42 $860 —
1440–1520 1456 80-85% 5 65.00–68.00 $67.37 $981 +26.87
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505 1505 75-80% 2 60.50 $60.50 $911 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1610 1610 1 71.00 $71.00 $1,143 +10.00
1690–1858 1802 3 80.00–88.00 $85.50 $1,541 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
788–1275 888 (<2 yrs)Open 27 70.00–92.00 $86.75 $770
1058 1058 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 10 62.50 $62.50 $661
973–1190 1069 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 27 49.00–76.00 $62.16 $664

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1274–1289 1278 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 16 49.00–52.00 $51.24 $655
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1045 1045 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,000.00 $1,000.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
955 955 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,000.00 $1,000.00

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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.