Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, November 12, 2021

4,510 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 $160.52/cwt +3.07 vs last sale · ≈ $915/hd at 570 lb · 416 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $148.07/cwt +2.80 vs last sale · ≈ $761/hd at 514 lb · 337 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $153.94/cwt -1.22 vs last sale · ≈ $746/hd at 484 lb · 294 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,510 3,606 3,511
Feeder cattle 4,119 3,087 3,345
Slaughter cattle 234 381 131
Replacement cattle 157 138 35

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. Steer calves under 450 lbs sold 3.00-5.00 lower, 450-599 lbs sold steady to 4.00 higher, steers over 600 lbs sold mostly steady to 4.00 higher. Heifer calves under 500lbs sold 3.00-6.00 higher, heifers over 500lbs sold 4.00-6.00 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 demand. 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 and feeding cows sold steady to weak in a narrow comparison. 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 average this sale. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, firm 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
258 unweaned 258 3 192.50 $192.50 $497 -19.01
320–346 unweaned 342 10 195.00–202.50 $196.45 $672 -5.55
335–349 344 53 185.00–201.00 $190.59 $656 -17.13
363–391 unweaned 384 27 180.00–215.00 $188.59 $724 -5.94
426–448 427 34 188.00–198.00 $197.38 $843 +3.38
406–449 unweaned 430 108 180.00–206.00 $192.60 $828 -3.59
440 440 4 151.00 $151.00 $664 -43.00
452–492 unweaned 477 111 173.00–196.00 $183.55 $876 +0.60
490 490 45 173.00 $173.00 $848 -14.25
509 509 8 163.50 $163.50 $832 —
501–536 unweaned 522 190 165.00–171.00 $169.91 $887 +4.44
529 529 7 145.00 $145.00 $767 —
566 566 13 141.00 $141.00 $798 -13.50
555–589 unweaned 569 370 151.00–166.50 $161.37 $918 +3.70
567–595 586 33 156.00–160.00 $158.71 $930 +4.21
602–627 612 106 151.00–164.50 $158.55 $970 —
600–641 unweaned 622 129 150.50–162.00 $156.20 $972 -5.29
620–633 629 12 151.00–153.00 $151.66 $954 +2.66
654–684 unweaned 666 70 145.00–159.50 $151.47 $1,009 +1.94
658–698 679 87 152.00–160.00 $155.54 $1,056 —
707–726 unweaned 711 22 153.00–159.50 $157.99 $1,123 —
719–733 724 6 142.00–150.00 $147.30 $1,066 —
759–778 unweaned 764 33 146.00–163.00 $154.42 $1,180 +5.42
785 785 4 154.50 $154.50 $1,213 —
806 806 10 150.50 $150.50 $1,213 -5.00
902 902 14 150.50 $150.50 $1,358 +3.25
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343–349 unweaned 346 7 170.00–174.00 $172.30 $596 —
391–393 unweaned 393 18 161.00–167.50 $162.44 $638 —
408–435 unweaned 423 21 147.00–177.50 $164.32 $695 —
448 448 263 157.00 $157.00 $703 —
452–499 unweaned 482 125 148.00–166.00 $156.92 $756 -10.08
513 513 6 153.00 $153.00 $785 -2.00
520–539 unweaned 527 32 141.00–157.00 $150.08 $791 +3.31
553–596 unweaned 572 25 134.00–155.00 $146.53 $838 —
571–576 574 8 148.00–149.00 $148.50 $852 +4.50
606–638 unweaned 610 22 132.50–151.00 $137.28 $837 —
673 673 2 139.00 $139.00 $935 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
413 unweaned 413 30 178.50 $178.50 $737 —
469–494 unweaned 476 14 145.00–161.00 $156.26 $744 —
511 unweaned 511 6 151.00 $151.00 $772 +2.27
610–617 unweaned 616 10 133.00–135.00 $133.40 $822 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 unweaned 410 6 130.00 $130.00 $533 —
522 unweaned 522 5 121.00 $121.00 $632 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
279 unweaned 279 4 161.00 $161.00 $449 —
301 301 28 176.00 $176.00 $530 +1.00
335–344 unweaned 337 53 165.00–183.00 $168.69 $568 -6.71
369–397 382 101 160.00–175.00 $171.12 $654 +6.12
389–398 unweaned 395 53 159.00–175.50 $170.25 $672 +1.15
408–448 unweaned 421 78 150.00–168.50 $163.29 $687 +3.97
439–440 439 62 145.00–164.50 $163.55 $718 —
466–497 unweaned 484 282 147.00–156.00 $154.41 $747 -0.37
493 493 12 143.00 $143.00 $705 -16.00
509 509 7 137.00 $137.00 $697 -2.00
501–548 unweaned 511 277 142.00–156.00 $149.36 $763 +3.72
519–548 532 53 140.00–144.50 $142.78 $760 +3.78
558–599 unweaned 581 169 140.00–156.00 $146.30 $850 +3.73
589–592 591 85 141.00–145.00 $142.64 $843 +1.64
602–633 unweaned 622 64 136.00–140.25 $139.19 $866 -0.03
670 unweaned 670 4 141.00 $141.00 $945 +6.00
723–742 unweaned 733 50 150.00 $150.00 $1,100 +10.00
778 778 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,011 -13.50
817 817 13 144.00 $144.00 $1,176 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 unweaned 290 10 146.00 $146.00 $423 —
319 unweaned 319 8 140.00 $140.00 $447 —
378 378 4 140.00 $140.00 $529 —
390 unweaned 390 3 150.00 $150.00 $585 —
405–439 unweaned 422 12 140.00–145.00 $142.60 $602 -6.68
475–484 unweaned 482 20 133.00–142.00 $135.07 $651 —
493 493 6 138.00 $138.00 $680 —
505–515 unweaned 509 5 127.00–139.00 $131.86 $671 —
551 unweaned 551 7 136.00 $136.00 $749 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 unweaned 388 4 150.00 $150.00 $582 —
470–488 unweaned 479 9 131.50–148.00 $139.87 $670 -2.69
517 unweaned 517 27 139.50 $139.50 $721 —
581 unweaned 581 4 136.00 $136.00 $790 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
396 unweaned 396 4 152.00 $152.00 $602 —
440 unweaned 440 3 150.00 $150.00 $660 —
487–497 unweaned 492 6 122.50–135.00 $128.81 $634 —
561–570 unweaned 562 9 139.00–144.00 $143.44 $806 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
459–490 unweaned 468 31 141.00–169.00 $160.49 $751 —
615 unweaned 615 16 135.00 $135.00 $830 —
878 878 2 137.00 $137.00 $1,203 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925 925 85-90% 2 58.00 $58.00 $536 +21.38
1103–1208 1182 85-90% 8 41.00–46.00 $44.83 $530 -1.98
975–1236 1183 85-90% 11 30.00–35.50 $34.15 $404 -12.66
1210–1235 1214 85-90% 6 29.00–33.00 $32.32 $392 -26.18
985–1430 1250 85-90% 50 38.00–43.00 $40.74 $509 -3.29
1025–1318 1255 85-90% 6 34.00–40.50 $37.63 $472 -12.38
940–1290 1260 85-90% 15 45.00–51.00 $46.24 $583 -3.77
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410–1435 1414 80-85% 10 37.00–47.00 $45.59 $645 -15.83
1360–1513 1430 80-85% 8 56.00–60.00 $58.47 $836 -2.95
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1623 1623 75-80% 5 52.50 $52.50 $852 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220 1220 7 90.00 $90.00 $1,098 —
1305–2205 1755 2 67.50–74.50 $70.10 $1,230 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
755–930 812 (<2 yrs)Open 61 75.00–98.50 $96.13 $781
975–1025 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 70.00–80.00 $74.88 $749

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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.