Cattle Market Pulse

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

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, January 17, 2025

4,900 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $328.27/cwt +22.76 vs last sale · ≈ $2,035/hd at 620 lb · 478 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $333.58/cwt +15.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,721/hd at 516 lb · 361 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $345.19/cwt +25.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,968/hd at 570 lb · 360 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,900 1,579 1,521
Feeder cattle 4,833 1,465 1,474
Slaughter cattle 49 92 27
Replacement cattle 18 22 20

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale (12-13-24): The last Friday feeder special was in the middle of December and market conditions have improved constantly since then. Feeder steer calves under 700 lbs sold 10.00-18.00 higher; steers over 700 lbs were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Heifers 450-649 lbs sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher; heifers over 650 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for all feeder calves was good. Offerings were heavy. While prices were higher than last months feeder special, it is worth noting that calf prices were slightly lower compared to similar special feeder calf sales last week. Calf quality was mixed from plain to very attractive. Most calves were weaned from 45-100 days. Demand for all calves to go to grass remains good to very good. Package sizes were mixed today, however buyers showed good demand for all calves on offer. Demand remained constant throughout the sale which stretched well into the evening. A moderate size buyer pool was on hand for todays sale and buyers bid rapidly on feeders as they pushed to fill loads. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light for very light offerings. Slaughter cows sold on mostly light demand as buyers were concerned about leaving cows over the weekend due to subzero temperatures. Cow quality today was mostly average. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average as most cows filled up due to very cold conditions. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly moderate demand as quality was attractive.

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
300–333 322 5 470.00–510.00 $483.30 $1,556 —
357 357 10 475.00 $475.00 $1,696 +12.50
386 unweaned 386 5 447.50 $447.50 $1,727 —
409–440 415 93 394.00–449.00 $428.85 $1,780 +17.32
457–491 471 188 370.00–391.00 $382.25 $1,800 +6.60
500–548 532 177 347.00–374.00 $359.52 $1,913 +12.78
550–593 570 360 330.00–354.00 $345.19 $1,968 +25.84
603 thin fleshed 603 49 341.50 $341.50 $2,059 —
600–639 622 429 314.00–336.50 $326.76 $2,032 +17.22
655–699 685 242 290.00–310.00 $300.73 $2,060 +1.21
704–748 722 145 280.00–303.00 $294.70 $2,128 -3.13
758–788 771 23 270.00–284.00 $275.23 $2,122 +1.69
824–845 834 122 262.00–270.00 $266.95 $2,226 +11.44
881–895 883 8 261.00–264.00 $263.62 $2,328 +9.62
931 931 30 256.00 $256.00 $2,383 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 3 470.00 $470.00 $1,607 —
363–398 378 17 415.00–435.00 $425.31 $1,608 —
428–446 441 11 377.50–387.50 $384.85 $1,697 +9.94
455–496 474 47 352.50–367.50 $364.09 $1,726 +34.09
474 unweaned 474 8 315.00 $315.00 $1,493 —
505–535 519 8 321.00–332.50 $327.37 $1,699 -9.00
576 unweaned 576 23 281.00 $281.00 $1,619 —
556–599 590 62 290.00–321.00 $303.99 $1,794 +7.17
608 unweaned 608 5 271.00 $271.00 $1,648 —
609–631 619 22 287.00–301.00 $293.49 $1,817 —
666–669 667 13 279.00–289.00 $285.14 $1,902 —
725–738 732 7 275.00–280.00 $277.12 $2,029 +8.54
757 757 3 278.00 $278.00 $2,104 +23.82
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 11 367.50 $367.50 $1,580 —
458–492 477 11 350.00–363.00 $357.32 $1,704 —
531–535 534 15 320.00–345.00 $338.37 $1,807 —
567–599 578 115 316.50–328.00 $323.09 $1,867 +15.59
637 637 48 305.00 $305.00 $1,943 —
750 750 11 265.00 $265.00 $1,988 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
601–619 606 15 277.00–299.00 $282.99 $1,715 -2.01
704–736 709 40 272.50–286.00 $274.60 $1,947 —
792–795 794 14 254.00–276.00 $271.30 $2,154 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 7 312.50 $312.50 $1,688 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
589 589 5 297.50 $297.50 $1,752 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 392 5 385.00 $385.00 $1,509 -5.00
415–447 442 60 349.00–390.00 $350.60 $1,550 —
472–490 481 89 329.00–352.00 $341.64 $1,643 +13.71
504 thin fleshed 504 74 348.50 $348.50 $1,756 —
500–545 519 287 319.00–346.00 $329.73 $1,711 +10.72
554 554 69 339.50 $339.50 $1,881 +47.73
550–588 578 252 297.00–324.00 $303.71 $1,755 +11.94
602–648 626 206 285.00–299.50 $296.92 $1,859 +19.92
651 fancy 651 15 293.00 $293.00 $1,907 —
657–696 677 110 266.00–287.00 $271.26 $1,836 +15.20
703–746 717 42 255.00–264.00 $261.05 $1,872 +17.23
778 fancy 778 30 257.00 $257.00 $1,999 —
817 817 29 247.00 $247.00 $2,018 —
874 874 20 238.00 $238.00 $2,080 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 368 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,362 +42.47
406–414 410 27 347.50 $347.50 $1,425 +22.03
505–545 535 29 306.00–317.50 $310.08 $1,659 +34.96
558–593 577 17 285.00–294.00 $288.64 $1,665 +19.92
600–645 623 8 244.00–270.00 $262.02 $1,632 +7.55
661–683 672 14 256.00–260.00 $258.03 $1,734 —
907 907 6 202.00 $202.00 $1,832 —
974 974 10 215.00 $215.00 $2,094 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 17 312.50 $312.50 $1,384 —
481–484 482 19 310.00 $310.00 $1,494 —
534–540 537 15 294.00–295.00 $294.53 $1,582 —
570–578 574 13 280.00–286.00 $282.79 $1,623 +18.79
600 600 17 278.00 $278.00 $1,668 —
840 840 6 220.00 $220.00 $1,848 —
1062–1068 1067 22 205.00–208.00 $207.32 $2,212 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 3 320.00 $320.00 $1,168 —
413–430 424 17 312.50–340.00 $328.60 $1,393 -1.40
462 462 9 315.00 $315.00 $1,455 —
530 530 6 312.00 $312.00 $1,654 —
569 569 3 292.50 $292.50 $1,664 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 6 312.50 $312.50 $1,244 +35.00
432 432 21 285.00 $285.00 $1,231 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 5 320.00 $320.00 $1,418 —
545 545 4 267.50 $267.50 $1,458 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
456 456 6 372.50 $372.50 $1,699 —
591–597 594 18 274.00–309.00 $293.48 $1,743 —
758 758 12 244.00 $244.00 $1,850 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
519 519 14 320.00 $320.00 $1,661 —
622 622 3 280.00 $280.00 $1,742 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
433 433 6 345.00 $345.00 $1,494 —
561 561 5 305.00 $305.00 $1,711 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1103 1085 85-90% 6 105.00–110.00 $105.79 $1,148 —
1150 1150 85-90% 1 67.50 $67.50 $776 -36.50
1205 1205 85-90% 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,181 -25.90
1166–1261 1223 85-90% 10 120.00–121.00 $120.62 $1,475 -3.28
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1425 1362 80-85% 3 97.00–102.00 $100.26 $1,366 +6.26
1425 1425 80-85% 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,510 —
1485 1485 80-85% 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,634 —
1560 1560 80-85% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,794 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1940 1940 75-80% 1 120.00 $120.00 $2,328 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110 1110 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,610 —
1590–1695 1657 3 123.00–133.00 $129.12 $2,140 —
1840–1960 1920 3 142.00–143.00 $142.68 $2,739 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
820–905 863 (<2 yrs)Open 2 175.00–180.00 $177.62 $1,533
1280 1280 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,677

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1440 1440 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 2,050.00 $2,050.00

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1310 1310 85-90% 2 108.00 $108.00 $1,415 —
1683 1683 80-85% 2 92.00 $92.00 $1,548 —

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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.