Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 2, 2020

1,754 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 $143.55/cwt +10.03 vs last sale · ≈ $744/hd at 518 lb · 61 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $119.00/cwt ≈ $1,145/hd at 962 lb · 18 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $149.58/cwt +8.16 vs last sale · ≈ $711/hd at 475 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,754 1,809 1,723
Feeder cattle 400 519 385
Slaughter cattle 955 1,008 145
Replacement cattle 399 282 1,193

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Unweaned steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average and offered in small packages. Demand this sale as mostly good despite a light offering of feeder cattle. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly mixed demand and heavy offerings. Demand started the day light to moderate, however demand improved drastically as the sale progressed ending the day mostly moderate to good. Packer buyers showed light demand for slaughter cows to start the sale, buying them mostly lower than last week, however packers became significantly more aggressive as the sale progressed. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-4.00 higher on boning cows and uneven on lean cows with prices from 1.00 lower to 3.00 higher. Breaking cows sold generally steady, however packers opted to send most of these cows to slaughter instead of feed this sale. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher with demand improving as the sale progressed. Cows and bulls offered buyers mostly below average weigh up conditions this sale. Many cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill, especially later in the day. Slaughter bulls sold mostly firm, however, much like cows prices, improved as the sale progressed. Two year old to young age cows sold on mostly moderate demand this sale. Quality was average. This class of cows sold sold generally steady.

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
406–433 unweaned 421 9 188.00–202.00 $194.00 $817 +14.99
465–490 unweaned 487 8 178.00–180.00 $178.24 $868 —
503 503 3 172.00 $172.00 $865 —
511–546 unweaned 529 8 157.00–174.00 $165.22 $874 +9.68
633 unweaned 633 14 147.50 $147.50 $934 —
730 730 2 137.00 $137.00 $1,000 —
970–980 975 4 121.00–124.00 $122.51 $1,194 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
553–595 unweaned 581 8 138.00–147.00 $140.88 $819 —
620 620 3 132.00 $132.00 $818 —
620–623 unweaned 623 6 134.00–137.00 $134.50 $838 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476 unweaned 476 5 150.00 $150.00 $714 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
397 unweaned 397 5 166.00 $166.00 $659 +9.52
406 406 4 150.00 $150.00 $609 —
418–444 unweaned 438 8 151.00–154.00 $153.28 $671 +6.28
467–487 unweaned 475 16 149.00–150.50 $149.58 $711 +8.16
517 517 27 144.50 $144.50 $747 —
502–531 unweaned 519 34 137.00–146.50 $142.80 $741 +9.28
588 588 5 130.50 $130.50 $767 —
663 unweaned 663 4 129.50 $129.50 $859 —
750 750 4 129.50 $129.50 $971 —
812–849 824 15 124.00–130.00 $127.94 $1,054 -2.06
929 929 4 123.50 $123.50 $1,147 +1.50
962 962 18 119.00 $119.00 $1,145 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1013 1013 7 102.00 $102.00 $1,033 —
1122 1122 5 106.50 $106.50 $1,195 +1.50
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710 710 9 122.00 $122.00 $866 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860 860 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,015 —
978 978 2 117.00 $117.00 $1,144 +3.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
863 863 3 111.00 $111.00 $958 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160 1160 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,206 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 unweaned 415 2 199.00 $199.00 $826 —
548 unweaned 548 5 144.00 $144.00 $789 —
582 unweaned 582 3 143.00 $143.00 $832 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1268 1268 2 87.00 $87.00 $1,103 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–995 923 85-90% 4 22.50–38.00 $32.48 $300 -2.50
925–975 942 85-90% 3 39.00–42.00 $40.04 $377 +5.06
1061–1240 1124 85-90% 14 28.00–38.00 $32.75 $368 -7.66
950–1327 1156 85-90% 160 38.50–49.00 $44.51 $515 -1.24
1040–1202 1166 85-90% 5 36.00 $36.00 $420 -9.75
1095–1320 1171 85-90% 11 39.50–47.50 $43.27 $507 +5.27
1045–1340 1187 85-90% 110 47.50–57.00 $49.90 $592 +11.90
1190–1360 1276 85-90% 4 47.00–48.50 $47.62 $608 —
1296 1296 85-90% 6 57.50 $57.50 $745 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1213–1600 1350 80-85% 124 51.00–62.00 $56.43 $762 -9.35
1243–1645 1375 80-85% 21 62.00–65.00 $63.34 $871 -2.44
1265–1528 1406 80-85% 23 44.00–50.00 $47.57 $669 —
1305–1670 1502 80-85% 20 42.00–50.50 $46.80 $703 —
1295–1694 1516 80-85% 22 49.00–54.00 $52.24 $792 —
1518 1518 80-85% 3 63.75 $63.75 $968 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1470 1470 75-80% 1 62.00 $62.00 $911 -3.88
1420–1585 1534 75-80% 5 55.00–60.00 $57.25 $878 -12.25
1658 1658 75-80% 2 67.00 $67.00 $1,111 —
1435–1956 1694 75-80% 13 62.50–65.00 $63.04 $1,068 —
1810 1810 75-80% 1 52.00 $52.00 $941 -5.50

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–2048 1665 10 67.00–74.00 $71.19 $1,185 -2.17
1530–2080 1815 10 75.00–81.00 $78.43 $1,424 —
1555–2090 1839 11 75.50–83.00 $79.67 $1,465 —
1505–2315 1840 13 60.00–74.00 $69.26 $1,274 —
1860–1920 1890 2 83.00–85.00 $83.98 $1,587 +5.24
1870–2255 2003 3 84.00–84.50 $84.34 $1,689 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
855–1040 thin fleshed 935 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 44.00–51.00 $47.67 $446
755–1465 942 (<2 yrs)Open 159 62.00–90.50 $77.99 $735
928–1332 1079 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 83 51.00–77.00 $63.24 $682

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1121 thin fleshed 1121 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 9 525.00 $525.00
1192–1308 1203 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 32 660.00–675.00 $661.53
1244 1244 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 7 1,050.00 $1,050.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1463 1463 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 56.00 $56.00 $819

↑ Back to top

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.