Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 13, 2022

3,881 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 $175.74/cwt ≈ $1,084/hd at 617 lb · 1,048 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $175.17/cwt +8.67 vs last sale · ≈ $1,006/hd at 574 lb · 407 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $148.22/cwt +7.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,148/hd at 774 lb · 241 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,881 658 6,541
Feeder cattle 3,445 216 6,057
Slaughter cattle 126 284 158
Replacement cattle 310 158 326

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder calves were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive and significantly higher than last weeks offering. Offerings this week were mostly in load lots or multiple load lots. Demand was good to very good for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. Demand for cattle too heavy to go to grass was mostly moderate to good. Flesh conditions varied greatly this week, and discounts for over fleshed cattle were heavy at times. Demand for replacement quality heifers was mostly good this week and several consignments were purchased to breed. Market activity was mostly active with a good crowd of order buyers in the stands today actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Feeding and slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed on both slaughter and feeding cows. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average this week with many full cows in the offering. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to trend, steady undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were not well compared this week.

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
416–443 420 14 221.00–226.00 $221.75 $931 —
454 thin fleshed 454 38 230.50 $230.50 $1,046 —
455 455 27 206.00 $206.00 $937 —
517–533 thin fleshed 521 33 216.00–217.50 $216.42 $1,128 —
501–538 524 64 205.00–214.50 $208.11 $1,090 —
581–583 583 128 195.50–200.00 $196.20 $1,144 —
609 609 22 189.00 $189.00 $1,151 —
630 630 5 176.00 $176.00 $1,109 —
665 thin fleshed 665 77 191.00 $191.00 $1,270 —
660–690 685 69 175.50–186.00 $177.71 $1,217 —
706 706 10 170.00 $170.00 $1,200 —
816–830 819 25 151.00–154.00 $151.61 $1,242 —
913 913 17 143.50 $143.50 $1,310 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 19 214.00 $214.00 $792 —
420 420 13 205.50 $205.50 $863 +11.14
505 505 1 191.00 $191.00 $965 -1.35
558–561 559 21 176.00–185.00 $179.44 $1,003 —
614 614 8 175.00 $175.00 $1,074 +5.00
674 674 8 171.00 $171.00 $1,153 +12.46
731 731 6 157.00 $157.00 $1,148 +1.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
364 364 12 180.00 $180.00 $655 —
548 548 12 169.00 $169.00 $926 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
737 737 5 158.00 $158.00 $1,164 —
841 841 10 146.00 $146.00 $1,228 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 374 27 186.50 $186.50 $698 —
443 443 13 187.00 $187.00 $828 —
464–468 467 178 188.50–194.50 $190.54 $890 —
507–539 536 226 177.00–185.75 $184.85 $991 +8.85
560 560 18 162.00 $162.00 $907 —
558–589 575 389 171.50–179.50 $175.78 $1,011 —
613 fancy 613 799 179.00 $179.00 $1,097 —
607–624 618 120 169.00–173.50 $171.95 $1,063 —
635–642 641 129 158.50–162.50 $159.05 $1,020 —
652 652 10 147.00 $147.00 $958 -7.36
663 663 30 169.00 $169.00 $1,120 +14.64
670–693 676 145 161.00–169.00 $166.90 $1,128 +12.54
707–735 714 150 152.00–157.00 $154.10 $1,100 —
730–745 737 9 145.00–146.00 $145.45 $1,072 —
750–785 758 129 144.00–149.00 $147.40 $1,117 +6.90
770 770 5 142.00 $142.00 $1,093 +1.50
794 794 107 149.50 $149.50 $1,187 +9.00
804 804 10 142.00 $142.00 $1,142 —
862 862 6 137.00 $137.00 $1,181 —
864 864 8 139.00 $139.00 $1,201 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 20 179.00 $179.00 $644 —
510–532 519 19 167.00–174.50 $171.59 $891 +4.59
588 588 6 165.00 $165.00 $970 —
613–646 623 20 164.00–166.00 $165.38 $1,030 +10.38
660–697 679 10 153.50–154.00 $153.74 $1,044 —
803–808 805 6 135.00–136.00 $135.67 $1,092 +3.67
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
414 414 4 162.50 $162.50 $673 —
586 586 6 150.00 $150.00 $879 —
664 664 5 135.00 $135.00 $896 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470 470 4 179.00 $179.00 $841 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
943 943 3 122.00 $122.00 $1,150 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,232 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1383–1585 1420 80-85% 9 79.00–82.00 $81.63 $1,159 +4.63
1288–1550 1422 80-85% 19 78.00–85.50 $80.50 $1,145 +3.50
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–950 935 85-90% 2 64.00–76.00 $70.10 $655 —
1005 1005 85-90% 1 78.00 $78.00 $784 —
1035–1175 1128 85-90% 3 55.00–56.00 $55.31 $624 -6.26
1070–1235 1166 85-90% 12 65.00–78.50 $73.91 $862 +0.22
1025–1275 1213 85-90% 6 77.00–81.00 $78.94 $958 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1299–1545 1357 10 95.00–102.50 $100.83 $1,368 —
1433–1858 1698 7 78.00–98.00 $92.70 $1,574 —
1860–2090 1975 2 107.00 $107.00 $2,113 —
2443 2443 2 112.00 $112.00 $2,736 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
803–1127 950 (<2 yrs)Open 18 102.00–119.00 $107.47 $1,021
995–1160 1085 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 76.00–83.00 $80.71 $876

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1214–1265 1244 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 31 1,400.00–1,575.00 $1,471.64
1245–1284 thin fleshed 1279 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 125 1,200.00–1,250.00 $1,236.54
1214–1355 thin fleshed 1338 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 41 1,150.00–1,175.00 $1,172.23
1428 1428 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1473–1493 1480 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 14 1,160.00–1,185.00 $1,175.99
1605 1605 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,185.00 $1,185.00
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1061 thin fleshed 1061 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 10 950.00 $950.00
1066–1138 1089 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 28 1,075.00–1,085.00 $1,081.64

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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.