Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, November 22, 2024

2,206 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 heifers $300.29/cwt +3.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,594/hd at 531 lb · 194 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $364.53/cwt +7.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,730/hd at 475 lb · 174 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $342.18/cwt +10.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,820/hd at 532 lb · 164 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,206 2,240 1,507
Feeder cattle 2,104 2,016 1,405
Slaughter cattle 70 136 80
Replacement cattle 32 88 22

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steer calves under 500 lbs sold 10.00-20.00 higher in a narrow comparison; steers 500 lbs and heavier sold mostly 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Heifer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly steady to weak on a lower quality offering; heifer calves over 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. All yearling cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was good. One load lot of yearling heifers was offered today. Calf quality was mostly plain to attractive. Quality overall was not as attractive as last week. Demand for calves was good to very good for all weight classes. Weaned offerings were heavier this week and stronger premiums were given for offerings which were weaned. Some weaned offerings were pushing heavy amounts of fill today and many were dirty. Buyers discounted many of these type offerings. Many loads of calves continue to be purchased to sell north into Canada while light weight offerings continue to sell south to wheat pastures or west to California grass. Package sizes were small to moderate this week, with many singles and packages of 5 head or less noticed. Demand for packages under 5 head remains light. Market activity was mostly active today with a larger buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Cow quality today was mostly plain. Most of the offering was comprised of low and very low dressing cows.

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
260–290 267 11 500.00–520.00 $515.38 $1,376 —
313–333 unweaned 323 6 460.00–490.00 $474.54 $1,533 -0.46
371–382 unweaned 374 14 435.00–461.00 $455.63 $1,704 +37.14
379 379 14 445.00 $445.00 $1,687 —
404–420 409 22 390.00–435.00 $415.07 $1,698 +30.07
400–447 unweaned 421 62 385.00–435.00 $403.60 $1,699 +12.57
453–490 unweaned 468 68 350.00–384.00 $373.81 $1,749 +17.72
464–490 479 106 344.50–370.00 $358.58 $1,718 -1.56
525–536 531 35 337.00–342.00 $339.63 $1,803 +11.92
509–546 unweaned 532 129 338.00–346.00 $342.87 $1,824 +10.54
574 unweaned 574 11 317.00 $317.00 $1,820 +9.80
556–582 576 91 312.50–338.00 $322.52 $1,858 +23.02
607 unweaned 607 42 305.00 $305.00 $1,851 +10.47
609–636 629 57 292.00–307.00 $301.42 $1,896 +13.42
658 658 10 285.50 $285.50 $1,879 +16.69
660 unweaned 660 5 285.00 $285.00 $1,881 +16.09
693 693 6 273.00 $273.00 $1,892 +4.19
728–742 736 69 266.00–270.00 $268.44 $1,976 -0.06
826 826 4 243.00 $243.00 $2,007 —
970 970 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,134 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 unweaned 323 8 455.00 $455.00 $1,470 +35.00
335–345 343 15 400.00–430.00 $424.67 $1,457 —
368–385 unweaned 370 9 375.00–415.00 $379.63 $1,405 -5.37
393 393 3 410.00 $410.00 $1,611 —
420–438 unweaned 424 10 360.00–369.00 $367.14 $1,557 +17.57
428–429 429 8 357.50–370.00 $360.62 $1,547 —
470–483 478 5 317.50–352.50 $331.27 $1,583 —
505–535 unweaned 530 6 307.00–335.00 $330.55 $1,752 +8.50
585–595 unweaned 592 6 290.00–297.50 $292.47 $1,731 —
601–611 606 11 283.00–299.00 $290.34 $1,759 —
690 690 4 251.00 $251.00 $1,732 —
693 unweaned 693 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,732 —
745 745 2 252.00 $252.00 $1,877 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
541 unweaned 541 7 327.00 $327.00 $1,769 +12.00
544 544 12 307.00 $307.00 $1,670 —
582 582 6 298.00 $298.00 $1,734 —
1105 1105 3 210.50 $210.50 $2,326 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 4 405.00 $405.00 $1,389 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–341 unweaned 328 27 360.00–395.00 $375.96 $1,233 -31.04
335–348 345 4 372.50–377.00 $373.59 $1,289 —
361–387 378 16 348.00–370.00 $355.00 $1,342 -7.50
386–396 unweaned 392 25 337.00–359.00 $344.79 $1,352 +1.47
418–424 421 22 323.00–335.00 $327.15 $1,377 -0.35
403–449 unweaned 426 40 326.00–345.00 $331.10 $1,410 +10.62
455–495 464 67 300.00–320.00 $315.18 $1,462 -12.82
455–484 unweaned 467 41 306.00–327.50 $318.40 $1,487 +6.10
490 490 5 282.50 $282.50 $1,384 -45.50
503–526 unweaned 520 122 299.00–308.50 $305.19 $1,587 +13.93
549 549 72 292.00 $292.00 $1,603 —
563–595 569 33 256.00–266.00 $262.00 $1,491 +13.00
581 unweaned 581 41 280.00 $280.00 $1,627 +5.27
605–615 607 41 260.00–289.00 $274.48 $1,666 +25.48
604–628 unweaned 610 16 249.00–260.00 $256.69 $1,566 +4.33
653 653 5 249.00 $249.00 $1,626 -1.00
739 unweaned 739 6 234.00 $234.00 $1,729 —
753–795 759 57 231.00–247.00 $246.07 $1,868 —
914 914 8 219.00 $219.00 $2,002 -2.00
1003 1003 40 215.50 $215.50 $2,161 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
262 unweaned 262 5 397.00 $397.00 $1,040 —
300 unweaned 300 4 342.50 $342.50 $1,028 —
370–395 388 14 332.50–339.00 $337.23 $1,308 —
398 unweaned 398 15 334.00 $334.00 $1,329 +14.00
407–447 437 23 321.00–322.00 $321.76 $1,406 —
478–489 unweaned 487 27 289.00–305.00 $299.34 $1,458 +15.82
505 unweaned 505 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,338 +5.01
545–548 548 18 255.00–279.00 $276.35 $1,514 —
568 unweaned 568 2 253.00 $253.00 $1,437 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
483–489 unweaned 487 23 284.00–287.00 $286.22 $1,394 —
555 555 3 257.50 $257.50 $1,429 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
545 545 6 257.50 $257.50 $1,403 —
632 632 3 232.50 $232.50 $1,469 —
635 unweaned 635 3 242.00 $242.00 $1,537 —
684 684 7 234.00 $234.00 $1,601 —
1105 1105 4 199.50 $199.50 $2,204 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 9 280.00 $280.00 $1,120 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
478 478 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,004 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429 429 10 387.50 $387.50 $1,662 —
450 450 2 338.00 $338.00 $1,521 —
465 unweaned 465 1 332.00 $332.00 $1,544 —
577 unweaned 577 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,529 —
1010 1010 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,121 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 2 485.00 $485.00 $1,504 —
430 unweaned 430 2 282.50 $282.50 $1,215 —
506 unweaned 506 7 320.00 $320.00 $1,619 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 3 322.50 $322.50 $1,284 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
961 961 85-90% 27 83.00 $83.00 $798 —
1009–1044 1024 85-90% 12 90.00–93.00 $91.27 $935 —
1020–1310 1068 85-90% 6 75.00–79.00 $78.18 $835 -14.11
955–1223 1087 85-90% 6 95.00–102.00 $98.55 $1,071 +6.26
1230–1265 1248 85-90% 2 103.00–107.00 $105.03 $1,311 —
1250 1250 85-90% 1 95.00 $95.00 $1,188 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365 1365 80-85% 1 76.00 $76.00 $1,037 -36.41
1343–1655 1421 80-85% 4 100.00 $100.00 $1,421 +3.02

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
894 thin fleshed 894 (<2 yrs)Open 7 150.00 $150.00 $1,341
925–940 933 (<2 yrs)Open 2 162.00–165.00 $163.51 $1,526
878–1250 1025 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 110.00–156.00 $129.71 $1,330
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
821 thin fleshed 821 (<2 yrs)Open 8 187.00 $187.00 $1,535
870–1005 938 (<2 yrs)Open 2 160.00–194.50 $176.01 $1,651
955 955 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,624

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410 1410 85-90% 1 87.00 $87.00 $1,227 —

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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.