Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, July 27, 2022

575 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $163.00/cwt ≈ $1,446/hd at 887 lb · 31 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $177.00/cwt ≈ $871/hd at 492 lb · 13 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $164.00/cwt ≈ $654/hd at 399 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 575 1,409 1,952
Feeder cattle 145 312 846
Slaughter cattle 345 664 645
Replacement cattle 85 433 461

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale: The last sale was held June 29 making all comparisons difficult. Demand for yearling cattle was very good. A few offerings of calves were seen this week, these were met with light to moderate demand as most buyers say its too early and to hot to take unweaned calves. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. Weigh up cows and bulls comprised most of the offering this week. Slaughter cow demand was good from western packers, however eastern packers showed lighter demand for cows which allowed prices to slip. No comparisons are available for cows or bulls as it has been a month since the last sale. Feeding cow demand was light to moderate. Very few cows were purchased to feed this week. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this week. Cattle coming off grass offered seasonally high yields, however many were pushing excess fill today. Quality was mostly average to attractive on both cows and bulls. Bull prices saw the largest decline this week as demand for bulls was light. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were very lightly tested this sale. Quality was mostly plain to average this week. Demand for these offerings was light to moderate.

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
396 unweaned 396 8 194.50 $194.50 $770 —
492 unweaned 492 13 177.00 $177.00 $871 —
856 856 4 171.00 $171.00 $1,464 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
804 804 5 168.00 $168.00 $1,351 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
399 unweaned 399 11 164.00 $164.00 $654 —
403 unweaned 403 2 166.00 $166.00 $669 —
455 unweaned 455 3 159.00 $159.00 $723 —
887 887 31 163.00 $163.00 $1,446 —
955–975 965 7 151.00–155.00 $152.35 $1,470 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
726 726 4 159.50 $159.50 $1,158 +12.50
813 813 6 155.50 $155.50 $1,264 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1033 1030 3 140.50–145.00 $143.51 $1,478 —

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Feeder Bulls

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1115 1115 1 131.00 $131.00 $1,461 —
1158 1158 3 125.00 $125.00 $1,448 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1075 1058 3 131.00–132.00 $131.34 $1,390 +18.34
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
920 920 2 145.00 $145.00 $1,334 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850 850 1 153.00 $153.00 $1,300 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085 1085 80-85% 1 68.00 $68.00 $738 —
1333 1333 80-85% 5 88.00 $88.00 $1,173 —
1311–1374 1343 80-85% 8 82.00 $82.00 $1,101 —
1290–1490 1356 80-85% 6 87.00–88.00 $87.57 $1,187 +5.12
1248–1630 1394 80-85% 114 79.00–86.50 $82.44 $1,149 -0.01
1425 1425 80-85% 1 76.00 $76.00 $1,083 -8.89
1155–1698 1444 80-85% 20 73.00–79.00 $76.52 $1,105 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1545–1739 1592 75-80% 33 82.00–86.50 $84.42 $1,344 —
1545–1858 1721 75-80% 7 72.00–81.00 $79.23 $1,364 -7.39
1743 1743 75-80% 2 87.00 $87.00 $1,516 +0.38
2035 2035 75-80% 1 88.50 $88.50 $1,801 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865–985 925 85-90% 2 71.00–75.00 $72.87 $674 —
1130 1130 85-90% 1 75.00 $75.00 $848 -14.27
1105–1200 1153 85-90% 2 85.00–86.00 $85.52 $986 —
1100–1265 1180 85-90% 22 78.00–85.00 $81.25 $959 -3.82
1010–1308 1195 85-90% 14 70.00–79.00 $76.79 $918 -8.28
1510 1510 85-90% 1 63.00 $63.00 $951 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1290–1365 1342 9 99.50–106.50 $104.65 $1,404 -2.35
1350 1350 1 84.00 $84.00 $1,134 —
1400–2040 1707 20 82.00–90.00 $86.85 $1,483 —
1565–2415 1882 30 89.00–96.00 $93.57 $1,761 —
1720–2195 1951 20 96.00–107.00 $99.49 $1,941 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
868–1460 1053 (<2 yrs)Open 30 88.00–105.50 $100.92 $1,063
1010–1500 1209 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 32 81.00–101.00 $87.23 $1,055

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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.