Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 18, 2022

3,220 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 $179.24/cwt ≈ $946/hd at 528 lb · 172 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $148.95/cwt -4.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,090/hd at 732 lb · 127 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $210.19/cwt ≈ $1,184/hd at 563 lb · 110 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,220 1,219 903
Feeder cattle 1,991 266 171
Slaughter cattle 528 482 568
Replacement cattle 701 471 164

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Quality overall this week was much higher than last weeks light offering. Demand for feeders was moderate to good for cattle suitable to run on grass and light to moderate for cattle destined for the feedlot. Cattle were mostly in light to moderate flesh with many sets of cattle backgrounded specially for the grass cattle market. Several ranchers were on hand today bidding on grass offerings. Recent rains have helped green grass and buyers came to the sale ready to buy cattle to fill summer pastures. Turbulent markets were seen today as outside equities pressured all commodity prices lower. While this had little affect on grass cattle demand, cattle destined for the feedlot saw some market pressure. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand today. Packers showed stronger demand for slaughter cows this week as supplies of cows have started to see seasonably lighter numbers. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeding cow demand was good to very good this week. Packers and independent buyers both showed good demand for high quality cows suitable to feed. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good to very good demand. These offerings sold mostly 3.00 higher.

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
478 unweaned 478 5 185.00 $185.00 $884 —
480–494 491 8 200.00–202.50 $200.61 $985 —
509–538 528 43 198.00–203.00 $199.98 $1,056 —
562 thin fleshed 562 87 212.50 $212.50 $1,194 —
555–598 569 23 189.00–205.00 $201.44 $1,146 —
602–631 620 103 191.00–203.00 $198.59 $1,231 —
654–699 691 95 172.50–188.00 $182.34 $1,260 +5.87
698 698 4 158.00 $158.00 $1,103 -18.47
725–740 737 13 161.00–164.00 $161.68 $1,192 -7.32
759 thin fleshed 759 60 169.00 $169.00 $1,283 —
764–796 781 39 151.00–163.00 $156.41 $1,222 +1.41
808–849 827 97 148.00–152.00 $149.58 $1,237 —
860 860 5 147.00 $147.00 $1,264 —
927 927 14 141.00 $141.00 $1,307 —
985 985 2 141.00 $141.00 $1,389 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
377–398 393 12 187.00–190.00 $187.85 $738 —
451 451 13 187.00 $187.00 $843 —
500–526 507 30 187.00–189.00 $188.45 $955 —
592–593 592 26 180.00–181.00 $180.58 $1,069 —
600–648 626 26 171.00–184.00 $178.57 $1,118 —
660–691 689 18 154.00–167.50 $166.78 $1,149 —
714–737 727 9 151.50–159.00 $154.77 $1,125 -3.23
779–786 782 10 143.00–146.00 $144.79 $1,132 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
414 414 10 176.00 $176.00 $729 —
558 558 21 171.00 $171.00 $954 +11.00
628 628 23 160.00 $160.00 $1,005 —
713 713 3 139.00 $139.00 $991 -0.64
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
601 601 7 121.00 $121.00 $727 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
477 477 5 175.00 $175.00 $835 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
433 433 41 184.00 $184.00 $797 —
471 471 21 182.00 $182.00 $857 —
503 unweaned 503 29 169.50 $169.50 $853 —
501–549 533 143 175.00–185.00 $181.21 $966 —
576–583 578 18 159.00–163.00 $161.00 $931 —
610–641 632 21 152.50–164.50 $156.92 $992 —
653–694 673 67 146.00–155.50 $151.64 $1,021 -7.86
724–731 728 21 138.00–143.00 $140.63 $1,024 -12.37
728 728 17 153.50 $153.50 $1,117 +0.50
704–735 733 89 150.00–151.00 $150.05 $1,100 -2.95
756 756 12 139.00 $139.00 $1,051 —
761 761 8 134.00 $134.00 $1,020 —
777 777 9 145.00 $145.00 $1,127 —
808 808 7 145.00 $145.00 $1,172 +2.48
810 810 2 133.00 $133.00 $1,077 -9.52
820 820 6 128.00 $128.00 $1,050 -14.52
852–899 879 7 124.00–131.00 $126.91 $1,116 -5.09
898 898 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,167 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 6 176.00 $176.00 $686 —
419 unweaned 419 11 149.00 $149.00 $624 —
501–523 510 36 157.00–167.50 $162.20 $827 -1.80
556–590 586 31 148.00–153.50 $152.83 $896 —
608–642 631 45 138.50–144.00 $140.14 $884 -14.86
760–768 762 7 134.00–138.50 $137.20 $1,045 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
805–817 811 111 1,250.00–1,260.00 $1,255.01 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357 357 3 150.00 $150.00 $536 —
438 438 9 160.00 $160.00 $701 —
483–489 486 21 139.00–157.00 $149.34 $726 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
511 511 4 140.00 $140.00 $715 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 unweaned 540 53 167.50 $167.50 $904 —
800 800 7 137.00 $137.00 $1,096 -4.00
918 918 9 134.00 $134.00 $1,230 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 2 137.00 $137.00 $1,062 —
824 824 12 120.00 $120.00 $989 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010 1010 11 112.00 $112.00 $1,131 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–980 965 85-90% 2 65.00–71.00 $67.95 $656 —
1128–1248 1158 85-90% 8 81.00–81.50 $81.13 $939 +13.04
1020–1319 1214 85-90% 31 74.00–79.00 $76.30 $926 +0.87
1020–1323 1219 85-90% 27 65.00–73.50 $69.89 $852 -5.54
1095–1298 1230 85-90% 6 51.00–59.00 $56.04 $689 -25.20
1055–1308 1276 85-90% 34 75.00–78.50 $77.68 $991 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1321–1499 1377 80-85% 32 64.00–76.00 $71.37 $983 —
1314–1490 1390 80-85% 15 84.00–85.00 $84.33 $1,172 —
1315–1570 1406 80-85% 20 79.00–83.00 $80.90 $1,137 +2.61
1340–1578 1434 80-85% 10 76.00–83.00 $78.66 $1,128 -5.01
1495 1495 80-85% 1 73.00 $73.00 $1,091 +3.05
1515–1550 1533 80-85% 2 85.00–87.00 $85.99 $1,318 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1517–1610 1536 75-80% 5 83.00–84.50 $84.19 $1,293 —
1549–1795 1590 75-80% 18 79.00–79.50 $79.09 $1,258 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410–2061 1788 15 82.00–96.50 $92.21 $1,649 -6.67
1508–2220 1858 15 96.00–105.00 $98.77 $1,835 —
1923–2185 2038 5 106.50–116.00 $109.15 $2,224 +2.66
2520 2520 1 115.00 $115.00 $2,898 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
730–1440 988 (<2 yrs)Open 60 97.00–123.50 $112.56 $1,112
988–1430 1171 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 38 77.00–102.50 $85.09 $996

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1185–1290 1264 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 16 1,235.00–1,375.00 $1,342.18
1308 1308 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 29 1,210.00 $1,210.00
1374 1374 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 15 1,075.00 $1,075.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1252 thin fleshed 1252 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 14 1,150.00 $1,150.00 —
1220–1467 1299 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 36 1,860.00–1,900.00 $1,886.05 —
1320–1350 thin fleshed 1332 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 10 1,050.00–1,060.00 $1,055.95 -769.05
1342 1342 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 9 975.00 $975.00 -667.31
1308–1499 1436 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 23 1,410.00–1,560.00 $1,480.79 —
1477 1477 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 10 1,110.00 $1,110.00 —
1455–1574 1492 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 81 1,250.00–1,260.00 $1,254.51 —
1450–1661 1580 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 63 1,350.00–1,485.00 $1,426.52 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1634 1634 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 5 1,400.00 $1,400.00 —

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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.