Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 14, 2022

2,733 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $195.34/cwt -5.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,036/hd at 530 lb · 262 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $173.51/cwt -18.34 vs last sale · ≈ $916/hd at 528 lb · 218 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $190.10/cwt -9.12 vs last sale · ≈ $1,088/hd at 572 lb · 200 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,733 3,179 3,570
Feeder cattle 2,505 3,101 3,162
Slaughter cattle 190 58 298
Replacement cattle 38 20 110

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher, steer calves over 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00-9.00 lower. Heifer calves under 500 lbs sold steady to 3.00 higher, heifers over 500 lbs sold mostly 7.00-12.00 lower. Yearlings of both sexes were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light to moderate for moderate offerings. Quality today was mostly average to attractive. Calves were offered in mostly medium to large packages. The best demand continues to be for light weight calves which could be developed into yearlings. Market activity was mostly moderate this sale. Weigh up cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on both feeding and slaughter cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows were 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
350–398 unweaned 366 35 217.50–250.00 $239.07 $875 +6.43
409–445 unweaned 425 44 218.00–234.00 $227.26 $966 +2.34
450–490 unweaned 460 82 204.00–229.00 $218.05 $1,003 +12.24
502–549 unweaned 530 254 190.00–207.00 $195.73 $1,037 -5.11
534 534 8 183.00 $183.00 $977 —
550–588 unweaned 570 180 185.00–199.50 $190.96 $1,088 -8.26
589 589 8 180.00 $180.00 $1,060 —
598 598 12 184.00 $184.00 $1,100 —
605–647 unweaned 627 148 182.00–190.50 $187.04 $1,173 -9.09
658–698 unweaned 676 131 175.00–187.50 $181.29 $1,226 -9.43
703–745 unweaned 711 7 162.00–175.00 $167.51 $1,191 -8.09
756 unweaned 756 7 163.00 $163.00 $1,232 —
848 848 8 171.00 $171.00 $1,450 -7.00
877 877 6 173.00 $173.00 $1,517 -3.25
916 916 6 166.00 $166.00 $1,521 —
959–982 977 19 164.50–168.00 $165.36 $1,616 +0.86
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
297 unweaned 297 5 225.00 $225.00 $668 —
300–327 unweaned 321 11 214.00–225.00 $215.21 $691 —
355 unweaned 355 19 215.00 $215.00 $763 -0.61
403–449 unweaned 433 27 196.00–217.00 $204.17 $884 —
452–498 unweaned 483 34 185.00–202.00 $192.53 $930 +0.80
509–548 unweaned 535 25 180.00–191.00 $184.87 $989 -6.30
570–598 unweaned 581 5 183.00–189.50 $186.82 $1,085 +3.80
640–648 unweaned 644 24 157.00–174.00 $164.74 $1,061 -17.00
685 unweaned 685 3 171.00 $171.00 $1,171 -4.00
725 725 3 174.00 $174.00 $1,262 +1.50
755 755 2 174.50 $174.50 $1,317 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 unweaned 383 7 182.50 $182.50 $699 —
845 845 2 152.00 $152.00 $1,284 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1023 1023 6 158.00 $158.00 $1,616 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725 unweaned 725 3 156.00 $156.00 $1,131 +11.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323–330 unweaned 325 6 220.00–230.00 $223.35 $726 +14.19
360–388 unweaned 379 32 210.00–219.00 $212.28 $805 +2.06
395 395 9 205.50 $205.50 $812 —
409–449 unweaned 426 110 191.50–217.00 $203.26 $866 +1.72
453–499 unweaned 483 189 182.00–194.50 $185.38 $895 +2.16
501–546 unweaned 528 218 167.50–183.00 $173.51 $916 -7.06
554–599 unweaned 579 108 165.00–174.00 $170.14 $985 -9.73
591 591 13 170.50 $170.50 $1,008 —
610–648 unweaned 622 29 162.00–168.00 $166.48 $1,036 -12.10
650 fancy 650 17 170.00 $170.00 $1,105 —
665–675 unweaned 673 7 155.00–160.00 $156.28 $1,052 +1.28
881 881 6 160.00 $160.00 $1,410 -8.67
976 976 29 157.00–163.00 $161.14 $1,573 -2.48
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326–345 unweaned 341 20 210.00–211.00 $210.19 $717 +20.19
357–390 unweaned 375 12 180.00–200.00 $193.15 $724 -1.35
434–447 unweaned 439 32 173.00–181.00 $179.94 $790 -1.68
458–499 unweaned 471 18 175.00–181.00 $178.26 $840 +3.94
519 unweaned 519 7 167.00 $167.00 $867 -4.02
685 unweaned 685 2 154.00 $154.00 $1,055 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
306 unweaned 306 5 180.00 $180.00 $551 —
453 unweaned 453 4 155.00 $155.00 $702 —
513 unweaned 513 5 149.00 $149.00 $764 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
573 unweaned 573 3 162.00 $162.00 $928 —
628 unweaned 628 3 142.00 $142.00 $892 -23.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402 unweaned 402 3 220.00 $220.00 $884 —
508 unweaned 508 3 187.50 $187.50 $952 —
620 unweaned 620 5 164.00 $164.00 $1,017 -16.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1083–1090 1087 85-90% 4 42.50–45.00 $43.75 $476 —
1203–1253 1231 85-90% 5 67.00–75.00 $70.66 $870 —
1228–1293 1242 85-90% 10 68.00–69.00 $68.10 $846 —
1142–1395 1244 85-90% 56 52.00–64.00 $58.24 $725 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1355–1408 1370 80-85% 15 67.00–74.50 $72.05 $987 —
1425–1432 1431 80-85% 12 65.50–68.00 $65.91 $943 -1.35
1365–1474 1434 80-85% 8 71.00–75.50 $72.01 $1,033 +4.75
1370–1533 1444 80-85% 13 56.00–63.00 $60.18 $869 -7.08
1522 1522 80-85% 3 78.00 $78.00 $1,187 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1493–1593 1515 75-80% 11 79.50–82.50 $81.84 $1,240 —
1515–1520 1518 75-80% 2 79.50–82.00 $80.75 $1,226 —
1560 1560 75-80% 1 77.00 $77.00 $1,201 —
1622–1785 1658 75-80% 16 73.00–77.00 $73.49 $1,218 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085 1085 1 81.00 $81.00 $879 —
1465–1603 1557 3 73.00–84.00 $80.55 $1,254 —
1620 1620 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,474 +12.72
1745–2055 1900 2 92.00–95.00 $93.62 $1,779 —
2560 2560 1 81.00 $81.00 $2,074 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
990–1280 1138 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 12 71.00–100.00 $79.41 $904
1058–1268 1163 (<2 yrs)Open 4 91.00–106.00 $97.82 $1,138
1236 1236 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 8 66.00 $66.00 $816
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1210 1210 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 57.00 $57.00 $690

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1487 1487 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,175.00 $1,175.00

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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.