Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 21, 2021

1,603 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $157.91/cwt +3.60 vs last sale · ≈ $748/hd at 474 lb · 65 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $150.36/cwt -4.47 vs last sale · ≈ $804/hd at 535 lb · 48 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $143.32/cwt -0.76 vs last sale · ≈ $1,088/hd at 759 lb · 30 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,603 6,541 1,655
Feeder cattle 877 6,057 1,143
Slaughter cattle 448 158 245
Replacement cattle 278 326 267

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend, however unevenly steady to weak undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality this week was mostly plain and significantly lower than last week. Feeder cattle were mostly offered in small size packages with no load lots on offer. Demand was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Quality today kept many buyers on the sidelines. Some local ranchers helped support the market as they purchased limited quantities of feeders to run on grass this summer. Market activity today was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand for moderate offerings. Packers and feeding buyers were both aggressive early in the sale as they fought over offerings, however as the sale progressed and feeding buyers filled loads cow prices slipped lower. Both slaughter and feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average throughout the day. Weigh up conditions were lower in the afternoon as warm weather caused cows to push heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower. Bull quality was average to very attractive this week and high quality bulls sold fully steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold fully steady. Quality this sale was average to 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
342 unweaned 342 10 190.00 $190.00 $650 —
400 unweaned 400 8 185.00 $185.00 $740 —
487 487 17 186.00 $186.00 $906 -7.98
555–561 560 14 182.00–186.00 $182.78 $1,024 +1.30
640 640 7 168.50 $168.50 $1,078 -4.69
660–678 669 10 156.00–161.00 $157.69 $1,055 -4.76
718–730 728 14 150.00–160.00 $155.35 $1,131 +2.14
750–769 759 30 139.00–145.50 $143.32 $1,088 -3.28
913 913 4 125.50 $125.50 $1,146 -3.96
953–975 960 13 125.00–127.00 $125.63 $1,206 +5.63
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332 332 5 180.00 $180.00 $598 —
350–365 363 12 182.50–187.00 $186.28 $676 -15.72
408–418 412 22 180.00–187.50 $183.11 $754 -7.34
458–496 490 13 176.00–184.00 $182.85 $896 +0.44
508–515 513 6 175.00–177.00 $175.66 $901 -5.60
625–645 641 8 156.00–160.00 $157.99 $1,013 +8.39
650–653 651 6 145.00–155.00 $148.16 $965 —
720 720 4 146.00–147.00 $146.50 $1,055 +1.85
970 970 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,154 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
674 674 24 139.50 $139.50 $940 +6.50
775 775 1 124.00 $124.00 $961 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1045 1042 3 122.00–122.50 $122.33 $1,275 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
508 508 2 142.50 $142.50 $724 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 341 5 165.00 $165.00 $563 —
367–371 368 26 153.00–162.50 $154.47 $568 -14.68
433–445 438 5 155.00 $155.00 $679 -5.77
458–485 474 65 155.00–161.50 $157.91 $748 +3.60
515–543 535 48 142.00–158.00 $150.36 $804 -4.47
584 584 26 143.00 $143.00 $835 -3.98
650–678 669 6 133.00–134.50 $134.01 $897 -1.31
677 677 19 127.00 $127.00 $860 -8.32
753–770 762 4 122.00–126.00 $124.02 $945 -5.40
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
298 298 23 160.00 $160.00 $477 —
357–388 376 17 155.00–159.00 $156.32 $588 +1.32
450 450 26 150.00 $150.00 $675 —
533 533 15 137.00 $137.00 $730 -7.12
720 720 5 116.00 $116.00 $835 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 unweaned 323 4 165.00 $165.00 $533 —
390 unweaned 390 22 166.00 $166.00 $647 —
473 473 2 167.00 $167.00 $790 -2.78
553–589 579 7 155.00–159.00 $157.91 $914 -0.90
609–645 611 18 145.00–154.00 $152.59 $932 +1.04
688 688 4 138.00 $138.00 $949 -8.83
703–710 706 17 134.00–139.00 $137.35 $970 -2.85
810 810 2 122.00 $122.00 $988 -6.92
870 870 2 122.00 $122.00 $1,061 -6.14
960 960 4 106.00 $106.00 $1,018 -14.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 6 162.00 $162.00 $726 —
529 529 5 158.50 $158.50 $838 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402 402 6 138.00 $138.00 $555 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1277 1277 3 102.00 $102.00 $1,303 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
593 593 —— 3 145.00 $145.00 $860 —
669 669 —— 5 140.00 $140.00 $937 —
825 825 —— 1 126.00 $126.00 $1,040 —
980 980 —— 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,205 —
1209 1209 (<2 yrs)N/A 5 127.00 $127.00 $1,535 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1092 1092 3 116.00 $116.00 $1,267 —
1140 1140 2 110.00 $110.00 $1,254 —
1190 1190 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,309 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
65–93 79 6 250.00–275.00 $264.72 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
522 522 3 156.00 $156.00 $814 —
728 728 2 122.00 $122.00 $888 —
905 905 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,059 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–990 928 85-90% 3 54.00–61.00 $58.29 $541 —
1125 1125 85-90% 1 73.00 $73.00 $821 —
995–1288 1178 85-90% 50 58.00–64.00 $62.48 $736 -3.08
1025–1350 1193 85-90% 45 57.00–64.50 $61.48 $733 -5.95
925–1335 1209 85-90% 58 65.00–69.50 $67.01 $810 +0.04
1085–1365 1225 85-90% 6 47.50–53.00 $51.64 $633 -15.33
1075–1335 1249 85-90% 10 65.00–68.00 $65.98 $824 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1423 1423 80-85% 2 70.00 $70.00 $996 —
1365–1570 1429 80-85% 39 64.00–69.50 $66.98 $957 —
1403–1585 1439 80-85% 15 70.00–75.00 $71.30 $1,026 —
1305–1553 1455 80-85% 30 59.00–65.50 $64.13 $933 -0.19
1370–1545 1477 80-85% 19 65.00–68.50 $66.73 $986 +2.41
1310–1623 1484 80-85% 16 60.00–64.00 $62.54 $928 -1.78
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1540 1517 75-80% 6 68.00–74.00 $72.59 $1,101 —
1650–1655 1652 75-80% 3 64.00 $64.00 $1,057 —
1580–1903 1659 75-80% 10 69.00–71.50 $70.49 $1,169 +1.99
1490–1866 1678 75-80% 12 61.00–67.50 $64.84 $1,088 -3.66

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1208–1275 1230 3 83.00–91.00 $88.24 $1,085 —
1230–1565 1398 4 75.00–82.00 $78.92 $1,103 —
1400–1765 1579 8 67.50–80.50 $76.66 $1,210 —
1540–1990 1859 15 84.00–92.50 $86.92 $1,616 —
1920–2470 2160 10 93.00–100.50 $96.94 $2,094 —
2505 2505 1 94.50 $94.50 $2,367 —
2780 2780 1 82.00 $82.00 $2,280 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2440 2440 1 81.50 $81.50 $1,989 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
742–1509 961 (<2 yrs)Open 141 81.00–121.00 $103.32 $993
935–1575 1075 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 31 62.00–93.00 $74.20 $798
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
960–1135 1018 (<2 yrs)Open 3 72.00–86.00 $80.80 $823
1130 1130 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 69.00 $69.00 $780

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1223–1423 1315 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 8 1,100.00–1,200.00 $1,153.48
1434 1434 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 900.00 $900.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1464 1464 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 1,575.00 $1,575.00 —

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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.