Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 25, 2022

886 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $143.18/cwt +3.70 vs last sale · ≈ $1,115/hd at 779 lb · 22 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $157.49/cwt +0.57 vs last sale · ≈ $1,017/hd at 646 lb · 21 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $142.13/cwt ≈ $944/hd at 664 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 886 3,220 1,291
Feeder cattle 227 1,991 190
Slaughter cattle 497 528 702
Replacement cattle 162 701 399

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Quality this week was plain to average. Demand for feeders was mixed. A few buyers looking for heavyweight feeders showed moderate to good demand for limited offerings. Demand overall was mostly light to moderate for light offerings. Market activity this week was mostly moderate. Weigh up cattle comprised most of the offering this week. Slaughter cows sold unevenly steady from 1.00 lower to 1.00 higher. Demand was uneven today as packers tried to buy cows lower but, when pressed gave slightly higher money for high quality offerings with good weigh up conditions. Feeding cows steady to 1.00 lower. Weigh conditions were mixed, however overall weigh conditions were better for buyers this week compared to last. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Young age cows sold steady to 5.00 lower. Quality this week was not as attractive as last weeks offering. The volume of young cows that lost calves is starting to slow as most ranchers have already marketed the cows that lost calves in the April and May snow storms.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
685 685 3 167.50 $167.50 $1,147 +0.72
870–885 878 6 138.50–140.00 $139.26 $1,223 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 1 157.50 $157.50 $906 -13.50

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
589 589 8 160.50 $160.50 $945 -0.50
637–649 646 21 155.00–158.25 $157.49 $1,017 +0.57
655–668 666 12 152.00–153.00 $152.08 $1,013 +0.44
763–784 779 22 143.00–144.00 $143.18 $1,115 -1.82
808 808 3 144.00 $144.00 $1,164 -1.00
855–893 880 3 141.50–143.00 $141.99 $1,250 +15.08
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
582 582 3 159.00 $159.00 $925 +6.17
662–680 664 17 140.00–149.00 $142.13 $944 —
750–795 777 5 133.00–142.00 $136.47 $1,060 -0.73
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
658 658 6 133.00 $133.00 $875 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
624 624 5 140.00 $140.00 $874 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
548 548 2 176.00 $176.00 $964 —
660–680 677 13 148.00–158.00 $149.50 $1,012 —
874 874 7 125.50 $125.50 $1,097 —
925–948 941 7 113.00–123.00 $115.81 $1,090 -18.19
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 4 109.00 $109.00 $1,232 —
1152–1165 1155 4 104.00–108.00 $105.01 $1,213 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920–985 958 85-90% 5 61.00–70.00 $65.51 $628 -2.44
1085–1138 1120 85-90% 3 74.00 $74.00 $829 —
1133 1133 85-90% 2 59.00 $59.00 $668 —
1037–1375 1178 85-90% 66 61.00–74.50 $69.26 $816 -11.87
1020–1310 1185 85-90% 22 65.00–74.00 $72.09 $854 -9.04
1065–1310 1216 85-90% 33 79.00–85.00 $81.76 $994 +5.46
1180–1300 1232 85-90% 3 81.00–85.00 $82.44 $1,016 +26.40
1090–1355 1235 85-90% 66 74.00–77.50 $75.53 $933 +19.49
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1317–1570 1377 80-85% 33 75.00–80.50 $76.91 $1,059 +5.54
1343–1580 1400 80-85% 14 82.00–87.50 $84.87 $1,188 +3.97
1350–1495 1417 80-85% 3 83.50–86.00 $84.46 $1,197 +3.56
1305–1590 1433 80-85% 35 71.50–75.00 $72.97 $1,046 -5.69
1325–1575 1438 80-85% 14 64.50–74.50 $69.57 $1,000 -9.09
1290–1655 1444 80-85% 41 74.00–81.00 $77.82 $1,124 -0.84
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1372 1372 75-80% 3 88.00 $88.00 $1,207 —
1540–1780 1669 75-80% 4 82.00–84.50 $83.33 $1,391 —
1645–1810 1700 75-80% 3 72.50–78.00 $74.45 $1,266 —
1700 1700 75-80% 1 80.00 $80.00 $1,360 —
1688–1880 1809 75-80% 9 72.00–80.50 $76.57 $1,385 —
2000 2000 75-80% 1 84.50 $84.50 $1,690 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1201–1230 1207 5 90.00–105.50 $102.34 $1,235 —
1250–1490 1339 6 80.00–86.00 $83.68 $1,120 —
1490–2470 1748 8 75.00–89.00 $83.70 $1,463 —
1530–2200 1777 19 91.00–103.50 $98.37 $1,748 +6.16
1820–2475 2125 12 105.50–116.00 $109.27 $2,322 —
2540 2540 1 91.00 $91.00 $2,311 -24.00
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2315–2390 2353 2 98.00–103.00 $100.54 $2,366 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
820–1290 1057 (<2 yrs)Open 64 80.00–123.00 $105.30 $1,113
890–1360 1120 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 62 75.00–105.50 $86.39 $968
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
890–1005 943 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 66.00–72.00 $69.21 $653

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1202–1250 1211 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 11 1,150.00–1,250.00 $1,231.23
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1146 1146 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 1,050.00 $1,050.00

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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.