Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 7, 2020

1,480 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 $142.92/cwt ≈ $870/hd at 609 lb · 31 head

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $143.46/cwt ≈ $960/hd at 669 lb · 31 head

light 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $153.60/cwt ≈ $516/hd at 336 lb · 26 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,480	1,165	1,324
Feeder cattle	564	—	589
Slaughter cattle	581	—	385
Replacement cattle	335	—	350

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Unweaned calves were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings and calves was light to moderate on light offerings. Quality this week was plain to average on yearlings and calves. Yearlings and calves were both offered in mostly mostly small packages with no load lots seen this week. All feeders on offer were in light flesh. Limited offerings made it difficult for buyers to put together loads which hindered demand. Yearling weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand and light to moderate offerings. Packer buyers and feeding buyers both showed strong demand for boning and breaking flesh cows suitable to feed. Lean, thin cows sold on very light to light demand, creating a two tier market. Feeding cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher on medium and fleshy cows while thin cows sold mostly 3.00-4.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher on breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold 3.00-6.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 lower. Cow quality this week was mostly plain to average. Many cows were coming out of dry country and were very thin thin. Many cows had freshly weaned calves pulled off them and had heavy bags as a result. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week as many cows were very full. Young age 2-3 year old cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold 6.00-7.00 higher. Quality this week was average to attractive. Many of these cows had freshly weaned calves off them and were tested open. Demand was good to very good with several buyers competing over these offerings.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
359–388 unweaned	369	6	178.00–179.00	$178.65	$659
408 unweaned	408	3	185.00	$185.00	$755
458–475 unweaned	465	21	160.00–160.50	$160.28	$745
559–579 unweaned	570	15	145.50–147.50	$146.58	$836
603–640 unweaned	609	31	139.00–144.00	$142.92	$870
663–684 unweaned	669	29	142.50–146.00	$142.87	$956
670	670	2	152.00	$152.00	$1,018
715 unweaned	715	3	138.00	$138.00	$987
873	873	6	139.50	$139.50	$1,218
910–917	916	9	135.00	$135.00	$1,237
957	957	3	132.50	$132.50	$1,268

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
383 unweaned	383	3	167.00	$167.00	$640
514 unweaned	514	4	151.00	$151.00	$776
597 unweaned	597	5	133.00	$133.00	$794
772	772	6	140.00	$140.00	$1,081
875	875	3	137.00	$137.00	$1,199

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1118	1118	3	117.00	$117.00	$1,308

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
300–348 unweaned	336	26	150.00–162.50	$153.60	$516
355 unweaned	355	1	162.50	$162.50	$577
508–521 unweaned	515	10	130.50–135.00	$132.72	$684
578 unweaned	578	9	129.00	$129.00	$746
624 unweaned	624	4	126.00	$126.00	$786
811–827	816	10	127.50–131.00	$128.56	$1,049
890	890	15	130.50	$130.50	$1,161
905–923	909	9	125.50–126.00	$125.61	$1,142
918	918	8	128.50	$128.50	$1,180
974	974	5	123.00	$123.00	$1,198

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1019	1019	4	125.50	$125.50	$1,279
1005–1031	1021	15	119.50–122.75	$122.12	$1,247
1075–1092	1090	10	120.50–122.50	$120.70	$1,316
1126	1126	6	119.00	$119.00	$1,340

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
428 unweaned	428	3	132.00	$132.00	$565
471 unweaned	471	7	134.00	$134.00	$631
847	847	7	131.00	$131.00	$1,110
960	960	3	118.00	$118.00	$1,133

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
375	375	5	130.00	$130.00	$488

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
578 unweaned	578	2	130.00	$130.00	$751
683 unweaned	683	2	122.00	$122.00	$833
935	935	1	113.00	$113.00	$1,057

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1125	1125	1	90.00	$90.00	$1,012
1248	1248	2	84.00	$84.00	$1,048
1350	1350	1	82.00	$82.00	$1,107

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
930	930	85-90%	1	42.00	$42.00	$391
1077–1275	1127	85-90%	4	41.00–43.50	$42.79	$482
1005–1295	1144	85-90%	31	31.00–44.00	$37.05	$424
1193	1193	85-90%	2	62.00	$62.00	$740
1080–1290	1225	85-90%	124	49.00–58.00	$51.01	$625
1065–1399	1234	85-90%	125	47.00–55.00	$48.74	$601
1005–1458	1236	85-90%	20	45.00–49.00	$47.29	$585
1247	1247	85-90%	3	63.50	$63.50	$792
1185–1308	1253	85-90%	6	49.00–51.00	$49.91	$625

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1368–1408	1393	80-85%	6	48.00–52.00	$50.82	$708
1368–1590	1397	80-85%	12	49.50–52.00	$51.01	$713
1290–1610	1418	80-85%	46	52.75–63.50	$61.40	$871
1275–1482	1430	80-85%	32	64.00–69.00	$67.04	$959
1365–1750	1456	80-85%	19	45.00–49.00	$48.36	$704

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1345–1820	1507	75-80%	34	66.00–69.50	$68.31	$1,029
1580	1580	75-80%	2	52.50	$52.50	$830
1418–1654	1597	75-80%	11	58.00–63.00	$61.44	$981
1601–1755	1626	75-80%	13	64.00–68.00	$65.32	$1,062
1830	1830	75-80%	1	70.00	$70.00	$1,281

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1265–1800	1628	9	65.00–74.00	$71.90	$1,171
1380–2175	1679	29	60.00–73.50	$69.61	$1,169
1510–2220	1862	17	74.00–79.00	$76.06	$1,416
1930–2215	2068	4	80.50–86.00	$82.44	$1,705
2545	2545	1	72.00	$72.00	$1,832

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
790–1225	965	(<2 yrs)	Open	161	68.50–103.00	$92.19	$890
888–1378	1069	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	95	56.00–92.00	$74.68	$798
1085–1165 thin fleshed	1125	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	53.00–55.00	$53.96	$607

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1070	1070	(<2 yrs)	Open	1	67.00	$67.00	$717

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1211–1337	1274	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	12	49.00	$49.00	$624

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1125	1125	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	3	1,000.00	$1,000.00
1213	1213	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	5	1,060.00	$1,060.00
1368	1368	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	835.00	$835.00

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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.