Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 1, 2021

2,251 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 heifers $143.99/cwt +8.75 vs last sale · ≈ $893/hd at 620 lb · 42 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $169.00/cwt +4.01 vs last sale · ≈ $740/hd at 438 lb · 37 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $163.73/cwt -1.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,038/hd at 634 lb · 35 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,251 1,471 1,754
Feeder cattle 575 568 400
Slaughter cattle 1,002 620 955
Replacement cattle 674 283 399

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested either this week or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noted on both steers and heifers. Quality this week was average to attractive. Demand was mostly moderate to good. CME positions were mostly higher today and have been trending up the past couple weeks. Market activity was mostly active with several buyers actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers showed slightly lighter demand for slaughter cows this week especially early in the sale, however with strong demand seen from feeding buyers, packers were forced to get more aggressive in order to secure offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher on lean cows. Boning cows sold steady to 1.00 higher. Breaking cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold steady to 3.00 higher. The best demand seen today was for thin cows to feed until the market improves or for the upcoming holiday break. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher. Again, demand from feeding buyers helped keep and push prices higher. Quality this week was average to very attractive with many long strings of cows and bulls off reputation ranches. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to weak. Quality this week 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
469 unweaned 469 4 198.00 $198.00 $929 +8.00
520–544 unweaned 543 17 189.00 $189.00 $1,026 -1.37
565 unweaned 565 1 174.00 $174.00 $983 —
605–644 unweaned 634 35 161.00–164.50 $163.73 $1,038 -1.25
689 unweaned 689 7 159.00 $159.00 $1,096 +9.00
761 unweaned 761 18 158.00 $158.00 $1,202 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458 unweaned 458 14 184.00 $184.00 $843 —
518–543 unweaned 537 8 167.50–178.00 $175.47 $942 +26.47
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440–449 447 17 179.00–195.00 $182.71 $817 —
453 453 3 183.00 $183.00 $829 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 unweaned 450 8 167.00 $167.00 $752 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–394 unweaned 385 16 165.00–174.00 $169.39 $652 +1.89
438 unweaned 438 37 169.00 $169.00 $740 +8.00
476 unweaned 476 13 157.00 $157.00 $747 +0.36
518–521 unweaned 520 14 150.00–152.00 $151.57 $788 -2.53
602–635 unweaned 620 42 143.50–146.00 $143.99 $893 +7.50
655–693 unweaned 662 11 132.00–139.00 $137.67 $911 —
779 unweaned 779 6 130.00 $130.00 $1,013 —
867 867 16 140.00 $140.00 $1,214 —
905 905 10 136.50 $136.50 $1,235 —
962–968 963 15 139.50–140.25 $140.15 $1,350 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1007 fancy 1007 19 137.25 $137.25 $1,382 —
1050 1050 1 127.50 $127.50 $1,339 —
1063 1063 6 119.00 $119.00 $1,265 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
418 unweaned 418 8 159.00 $159.00 $665 —
524 unweaned 524 4 144.00 $144.00 $755 +5.00
788 788 2 135.00 $135.00 $1,064 —
903 903 4 131.50 $131.50 $1,187 —
955 955 2 128.00 $128.00 $1,222 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455–466 460 11 110.00–120.00 $114.60 $527 —

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Feeder Bulls

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1049 1049 7 111.00 $111.00 $1,164 —
1050 1050 1 111.00 $111.00 $1,166 —
1180 1180 2 104.00 $104.00 $1,227 +2.50
1220 1220 3 107.00 $107.00 $1,305 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
793 793 3 135.00 $135.00 $1,071 —
988 988 3 119.00 $119.00 $1,176 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 unweaned 595 5 130.00 $130.00 $774 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810–995 931 85-90% 5 35.00–43.00 $38.65 $360 +1.65
1044–1210 1138 85-90% 19 31.00–35.00 $33.35 $380 -0.53
1075–1311 1203 85-90% 50 37.00–46.00 $43.03 $518 +9.91
1137–1310 1204 85-90% 20 58.00–61.00 $58.53 $705 +25.41
1005–1335 1206 85-90% 75 46.00–53.00 $49.00 $591 +15.88
1000–1283 1213 85-90% 31 39.00–47.00 $45.22 $549 +5.31
1030–1368 1214 85-90% 164 47.00–55.00 $49.52 $601 +9.61
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1365–1370 1369 80-85% 5 50.50–53.00 $51.00 $698 +4.28
1275–1455 1385 80-85% 39 62.00–63.00 $62.90 $871 +16.18
1359–1565 1413 80-85% 20 49.00–52.00 $50.59 $715 -11.41
1249–1513 1417 80-85% 89 51.00–59.00 $53.84 $763 +0.06
1354–1535 1436 80-85% 28 40.00–49.00 $46.49 $668 +9.19
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1368–1658 1518 75-80% 14 63.00–68.00 $64.63 $981 +1.90
1565–1639 1618 75-80% 11 54.50–63.00 $56.18 $909 —
1800 1800 75-80% 1 63.00 $63.00 $1,134 -6.50
1995 1995 75-80% 2 58.00 $58.00 $1,157 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2075 2075 65-75% 2 66.00 $66.00 $1,370 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1675 1675 2 78.00 $78.00 $1,306 +4.41
1508–1878 1773 47 84.00–90.50 $89.28 $1,583 —
1749–1955 1808 7 75.00–84.00 $77.78 $1,406 -4.98
1255–1958 1842 18 82.00–90.50 $89.38 $1,646 +6.62
1515–2215 1847 12 80.00–86.00 $84.99 $1,570 —
2195 2195 1 72.00 $72.00 $1,580 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
656 thin fleshed 656 (<2 yrs)Open 5 105.00 $105.00 $689
769–1250 935 (<2 yrs)Open 188 67.00–113.00 $93.66 $876
995 thin fleshed 995 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 45.00 $45.00 $448
898–1311 1054 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 86 49.00–82.50 $68.08 $718
1108 1108 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 3 42.00 $42.00 $465
995–1425 1141 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 39 43.00–64.00 $48.49 $553
1155 thin fleshed 1155 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 38.00 $38.00 $439
1173–1263 thin fleshed 1218 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 4 36.00 $36.00 $438
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 44.00 $44.00 $572
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
725–1045 898 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 41.00–55.00 $47.87 $430
923–1013 958 (<2 yrs)Open 6 63.00–75.00 $70.12 $672
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1095 1095 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 52.00 $52.00 $569

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
973–1063 1027 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 810.00–1,075.00 $910.43
1126–1165 1139 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,250.00–1,300.00 $1,282.95
1234–1622 1519 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 15 1,050.00–1,150.00 $1,071.67
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1230 1230 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 53.50 $53.50 $658

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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.