Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 6, 2021

2,678 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 heifers $156.03/cwt -0.36 vs last sale · ≈ $758/hd at 486 lb · 148 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $166.86/cwt -3.56 vs last sale · ≈ $622/hd at 373 lb · 47 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $167.38/cwt -1.92 vs last sale · ≈ $859/hd at 513 lb · 46 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,678 2,262 1,480
Feeder cattle 801 1,121 564
Slaughter cattle 1,479 743 581
Replacement cattle 398 398 335

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady to lower undertones were noticed. Quality this sale was mostly plain to average, with a few larger consignments of attractive offerings. Calves were mostly offered in small lots or as singles. Demand was light to moderate for light offerings. Feeders in the corn-belt continue to be busy with harvest and unwilling to take un-weaned calves. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Many cows were very thin this sale and offered buyers mostly low to very low yielding carcasses. Yields on lean cows were significantly lower than last weeks sale. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-4.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows sold fully steady as packers search for these offerings to blend down all the lean product that is hitting the market. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Feeding cows sold steady to 4.00 lower. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white, sold fully steady. However buyers purchased some thinner feeding cows to put on a holding ration for the upcoming holiday season. These feeding cows were not as attractive as the cows that were purchased last week. Cow quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week and much better than last week. Young age cows sold fully steady as buyers continue to purchase these offerings to send to southern states for fall breeding programs.

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 unweaned 300 1 207.50 $207.50 $622 —
360–387 unweaned 383 6 185.00–187.00 $186.69 $715 -6.36
425 unweaned 425 18 181.50 $181.50 $771 +1.18
436 436 5 171.00 $171.00 $746 —
478–487 unweaned 482 7 168.00–171.00 $169.70 $818 -2.26
504–536 unweaned 513 46 159.00–173.00 $167.38 $859 -1.92
560–599 unweaned 594 26 151.00–161.50 $155.82 $926 -10.78
603–645 unweaned 610 25 148.00–160.00 $154.50 $942 -0.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 unweaned 343 2 180.00 $180.00 $617 —
381 unweaned 381 5 166.00 $166.00 $632 —
406 unweaned 406 8 172.00 $172.00 $698 +4.00
453–493 unweaned 464 7 165.00–172.00 $169.88 $788 —
523 unweaned 523 2 157.00 $157.00 $821 +3.00
Small 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 unweaned 348 6 130.00 $130.00 $452 —
414 unweaned 414 18 105.00 $105.00 $435 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
351–395 unweaned 373 47 163.00–171.00 $166.86 $622 -3.56
430–439 unweaned 438 35 160.00–163.50 $163.35 $715 +1.85
455–498 unweaned 486 148 148.00–159.50 $156.03 $758 -0.36
525–531 unweaned 528 7 137.00–138.00 $137.57 $726 -12.50
560–569 unweaned 567 21 133.00–135.00 $134.53 $763 -6.47
613 unweaned 613 3 128.00 $128.00 $785 -14.79
955–966 961 7 133.00–135.50 $134.06 $1,288 +2.43
980 980 21 127.00 $127.00 $1,245 -4.63
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
393 unweaned 393 7 148.00 $148.00 $582 -13.00
476 unweaned 476 21 146.50–147.00 $146.79 $699 +1.64
576 unweaned 576 7 128.50 $128.50 $740 —
920 920 3 130.50 $130.50 $1,201 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381 unweaned 381 19 105.00 $105.00 $400 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
783 783 14 144.00 $144.00 $1,128 —
Small 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 unweaned 365 11 80.00 $80.00 $292 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
605 unweaned 605 3 122.00 $122.00 $738 —
1083 1083 3 126.50 $126.50 $1,370 —

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Feeder Bulls

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1206 fancy 1206 6 101.50 $101.50 $1,224 —
1216 1216 5 100.00 $100.00 $1,216 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
938 938 85-90% 4 47.00 $47.00 $441 +2.70
865–989 961 85-90% 23 31.00–39.00 $33.14 $318 -15.07
1040–1190 1098 85-90% 90 31.00–43.00 $39.74 $436 —
1018–1343 1188 85-90% 179 40.00–49.50 $46.45 $552 -4.23
1148–1236 1188 85-90% 73 45.00–49.50 $47.65 $566 -3.03
1160–1295 1244 85-90% 70 50.50–61.00 $52.10 $648 -4.19
1228–1266 1255 85-90% 7 64.00–72.00 $66.24 $831 —
1210–1385 1283 85-90% 48 50.00–57.50 $52.16 $669 -15.84
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1323–1420 1364 80-85% 30 44.00–53.00 $48.12 $656 —
1293–1615 1403 80-85% 168 58.00–70.00 $64.94 $911 -7.42
1360–1433 1411 80-85% 15 55.00–64.00 $61.77 $872 -10.59
1260–1695 1440 80-85% 49 71.00–79.00 $73.43 $1,057 +19.36
1320–1514 1460 80-85% 21 51.50–55.00 $52.49 $766 +6.32
1445–1581 1567 80-85% 10 73.50–76.50 $73.78 $1,156 —
1575 1575 80-85% 1 42.00 $42.00 $662 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1525–1683 1624 75-80% 19 73.50–78.50 $76.68 $1,245 -4.32
1488–1752 1644 75-80% 10 81.00–83.00 $81.47 $1,339 +0.47
1633–1765 1677 75-80% 3 67.00 $67.00 $1,124 -2.78
2065 2065 75-80% 1 78.00 $78.00 $1,611 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300 1300 1 66.50 $66.50 $864 —
1360–1560 1465 4 61.00–79.50 $73.50 $1,077 —
1285–1600 1547 21 80.00–85.50 $82.49 $1,276 —
1453–2120 1763 29 79.00–87.00 $83.81 $1,478 —
1430–2095 1811 17 63.00–78.00 $71.93 $1,303 —
1880–2175 1996 5 89.00–94.50 $91.49 $1,826 +13.49
2440 2440 1 78.00 $78.00 $1,903 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
850 thin fleshed 850 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 63.00 $63.00 $536
885 thin fleshed 885 (<2 yrs)Open 1 85.00 $85.00 $752
781–1370 942 (<2 yrs)Open 188 74.00–112.00 $94.13 $887
770–1335 1092 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 68 60.00–85.00 $74.77 $816
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
951 951 (<2 yrs)Open 15 79.00 $79.00 $751

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1065–1190 1143 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 24 1,110.00–1,160.00 $1,137.17

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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.