Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 4, 2024

1,575 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $248.91/cwt +2.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,834/hd at 737 lb · 121 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $239.33/cwt +3.93 vs last sale · ≈ $1,945/hd at 812 lb · 112 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $315.83/cwt ≈ $1,503/hd at 476 lb · 112 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,575 1,699 2,526
Feeder cattle 1,529 1,203 2,390
Slaughter cattle 28 333 96
Replacement cattle 18 163 40

Market comments — USDA reporter

This is the first Friday feeder special of the fall marketing season, thus no comparisons can be made. Yearling steers and heifers sold on mostly good demand, while calves sold on good to very good demand. Offerings were light to moderate. Very good demand was seen for light weight calves that buyers plan on developing into yearlings. Quality this sale was mostly average, with a limited offering of attractive calves and yearlings noticed. Package sizes were mostly small today. Only one load lot was seen. Market activity was mostly active with lots of buyers both in the stands as well as over the internet. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light for very light offerings. Feeding cow buyers were mostly inactive today and most cows were purchased for immediate harvest.

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
250–285 unweaned 268 2 435.00 $435.00 $1,166 —
310 310 1 420.00 $420.00 $1,302 —
338–348 unweaned 345 20 395.00–397.50 $396.64 $1,368 —
350–360 unweaned 352 5 385.00–405.00 $400.91 $1,411 —
401–425 unweaned 407 22 352.50–370.00 $356.55 $1,451 —
451–499 unweaned 476 112 300.00–330.00 $315.83 $1,503 —
501–545 unweaned 517 53 290.00–308.00 $298.71 $1,544 —
533 533 6 280.00 $280.00 $1,492 —
565–590 unweaned 583 33 276.00–287.00 $278.24 $1,622 —
604–641 unweaned 617 56 276.00–288.50 $281.08 $1,734 —
654–694 unweaned 667 41 269.00–280.25 $276.74 $1,846 —
703 unweaned 703 10 246.00 $246.00 $1,729 —
719 719 5 254.00 $254.00 $1,826 —
757 unweaned 757 3 241.00 $241.00 $1,824 —
801 801 4 254.50 $254.50 $2,039 -7.50
854 854 19 245.50–249.50 $247.18 $2,111 -7.82
1038 1038 3 201.00 $201.00 $2,086 -37.24
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 unweaned 250 1 405.00 $405.00 $1,012 —
360 unweaned 360 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,260 —
437–438 unweaned 437 18 315.00–334.00 $318.17 $1,390 —
530–541 unweaned 534 16 270.00–286.00 $280.75 $1,499 —
581 unweaned 581 7 262.00 $262.00 $1,522 —
650 unweaned 650 5 255.00 $255.00 $1,658 —
790 790 2 254.00 $254.00 $2,007 —
813–838 826 12 241.00–250.00 $247.80 $2,047 —
867 867 3 235.50 $235.50 $2,042 —
955–998 972 5 222.00–226.00 $224.36 $2,181 —
1019 1019 8 194.00 $194.00 $1,977 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
584 584 11 255.00 $255.00 $1,489 —
587 unweaned 587 3 271.00 $271.00 $1,591 —
605 unweaned 605 5 254.00 $254.00 $1,537 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 unweaned 392 3 275.00 $275.00 $1,078 —
505 unweaned 505 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,187 —
815 815 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,801 -24.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
763 763 5 230.00 $230.00 $1,755 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1138 1138 3 204.50 $204.50 $2,327 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225 unweaned 225 1 362.50 $362.50 $816 —
278 unweaned 278 3 360.00 $360.00 $1,001 —
358–361 unweaned 360 8 330.00–335.00 $332.51 $1,197 —
402–445 unweaned 429 19 306.00–342.50 $311.99 $1,338 —
453–460 457 12 288.00–294.00 $291.52 $1,332 —
459–475 unweaned 465 65 285.00–301.00 $294.66 $1,370 —
488 488 4 280.00 $280.00 $1,366 —
500–538 unweaned 523 41 277.00–283.00 $279.96 $1,464 —
544 544 21 287.00 $287.00 $1,561 —
571–588 575 9 260.00–277.00 $263.86 $1,517 —
553–590 unweaned 576 67 255.00–273.00 $263.61 $1,518 —
614 614 5 261.00 $261.00 $1,603 —
615–631 unweaned 626 6 247.00–255.00 $252.38 $1,580 —
663 unweaned 663 6 241.00 $241.00 $1,598 —
722–748 737 121 248.00–250.00 $248.91 $1,834 +2.91
756–761 757 19 246.50–248.00 $247.60 $1,874 —
784 784 6 237.50 $237.50 $1,862 —
801–814 811 93 240.50–244.50 $241.69 $1,960 +6.29
811 811 12 225.00 $225.00 $1,825 -10.40
835 835 7 232.50 $232.50 $1,941 -2.90
858 858 5 227.00 $227.00 $1,948 -6.00
869 869 4 222.00 $222.00 $1,929 -11.00
883–893 890 43 227.50–230.00 $227.77 $2,027 -5.23
913 913 3 213.00 $213.00 $1,945 -16.72
904–926 915 14 223.00–225.00 $223.99 $2,050 -5.73
979 979 18 217.50 $217.50 $2,129 -5.78
1007–1011 1010 8 210.00–215.50 $213.44 $2,156 -0.96
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290–298 unweaned 295 7 320.00–345.00 $337.24 $995 —
328 unweaned 328 5 315.00 $315.00 $1,033 —
350–392 unweaned 374 16 310.00–325.00 $318.45 $1,191 —
404–421 unweaned 417 37 279.00–305.00 $293.07 $1,222 —
472–499 unweaned 483 20 269.00–285.00 $276.68 $1,336 —
536 unweaned 536 9 274.00 $274.00 $1,469 —
707 707 3 246.00 $246.00 $1,739 —
733 733 3 222.00 $222.00 $1,627 —
760 760 6 238.50 $238.50 $1,813 —
808–823 817 5 229.00–235.00 $231.37 $1,890 +1.35
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875 875 23 224.00 $224.00 $1,960 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 unweaned 415 12 288.00 $288.00 $1,195 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
584 584 9 250.00 $250.00 $1,460 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 unweaned 360 2 335.00 $335.00 $1,206 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940 940 80-85% 1 102.00 $102.00 $959 —
1375 1375 80-85% 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,664 -9.72
1402 1402 80-85% 3 104.00 $104.00 $1,458 -43.49
1365–1715 1500 80-85% 3 114.00–116.00 $115.07 $1,726 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060 1060 85-90% 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,314 —
1185–1205 1195 85-90% 2 106.00–109.00 $107.51 $1,285 -11.14
1120–1305 1223 85-90% 4 91.00–100.00 $94.32 $1,154 -9.01
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1442–1690 1483 75-80% 6 122.00–123.00 $122.19 $1,812 —
1610 1610 75-80% 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,884 -7.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1760–2155 1993 3 122.00–135.00 $126.91 $2,529 -46.75
1995–2020 2008 2 142.00–143.00 $142.50 $2,861 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1055 1055 (<2 yrs)Open 1 196.00 $196.00 $2,068
1275 1275 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 134.00 $134.00 $1,708
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1240 1240 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 125.00 $125.00 $1,550

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
715 715 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 12 246.00 $246.00 $1,759

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445 1445 85-90% 1 89.00 $89.00 $1,286 —

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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.