Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report, Billings, MT

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 28, 2022

1,056 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $161.74/cwt -0.81 vs last sale · ≈ $1,461/hd at 903 lb · 36 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $166.00/cwt -3.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,071/hd at 645 lb · 24 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $175.00/cwt -7.65 vs last sale · ≈ $990/hd at 566 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,056 1,375 2,262
Feeder cattle 438 955 1,121
Slaughter cattle 291 320 743
Replacement cattle 327 100 398

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Trade activity and demand moderate. Feeder steers too thinly traded for an accurate market trend. Feeder heifers 450-1050 lbs thinly tested 3.00 to 7.00 lower. Average dressing slaughter cows/bulls and stock cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. The next available report will be Wednesday, October 5, 2022.

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
310 310 1 215.00 $215.00 $666 —
428 428 4 196.00 $196.00 $839 —
478–494 487 12 191.00–201.50 $197.48 $962 —
528 528 8 185.00 $185.00 $977 —
561 561 6 187.00 $187.00 $1,049 +12.00
628 628 2 170.50 $170.50 $1,071 -0.68
651–694 680 12 170.50–173.00 $172.20 $1,171 —
700 700 5 165.00 $165.00 $1,155 -4.92
798 798 3 165.00 $165.00 $1,317 -4.47
863 863 2 165.00 $165.00 $1,424 +4.00
940 940 1 163.00 $163.00 $1,532 —
1030 1030 3 143.00 $143.00 $1,473 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
489 489 3 202.00 $202.00 $988 -10.29
505 505 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,010 -4.19
564 564 9 191.00 $191.00 $1,077 -7.98
627 627 14 195.00 $195.00 $1,223 -6.65
758 758 2 176.50 $176.50 $1,338 -8.82
963 963 2 160.50 $160.50 $1,546 -5.14
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630–645 633 5 151.00 $151.00 $956 —
652 652 5 161.00 $161.00 $1,050 —
770 770 1 143.00 $143.00 $1,101 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830 830 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,311 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 200.00 $200.00 $530 ±0.00
325–340 333 2 192.50–205.00 $198.61 $661 —
416 416 7 193.00 $193.00 $803 -0.15
465–488 486 14 178.00–181.00 $180.80 $879 -5.55
566 566 22 175.00 $175.00 $990 -7.65
645 645 24 166.00 $166.00 $1,071 -3.03
784 784 6 168.50 $168.50 $1,321 -0.50
852–886 870 19 162.50–163.00 $162.73 $1,416 -4.80
900–915 903 36 152.00–163.50 $161.74 $1,461 -0.81
980 980 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,588 +2.77
1014–1038 1019 11 151.00–159.50 $153.18 $1,561 -4.91
1032 1032 35 162.25 $162.25 $1,674 +4.16
1105–1142 1125 8 138.00–145.50 $144.24 $1,623 -6.01
1185 1185 2 142.00 $142.00 $1,683 —
1175–1198 1194 6 153.00–155.50 $155.09 $1,852 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
485–493 488 6 161.00–170.00 $166.97 $815 +1.65
721–743 728 6 157.00–169.00 $164.92 $1,201 -3.08
780–791 789 6 159.00–160.00 $159.84 $1,261 —
844–845 844 13 155.50–159.00 $156.58 $1,322 -1.70
860–873 869 3 157.00–159.00 $157.66 $1,370 +1.80
983–985 984 5 153.50–154.00 $153.70 $1,512 +1.70
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
588 588 4 147.00 $147.00 $864 —
623–635 630 11 133.00–145.00 $137.89 $869 —
675–690 683 2 125.00–147.50 $136.13 $930 —
708 708 2 152.00 $152.00 $1,076 —
755 755 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,132 —
950 950 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,340 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810 810 2 148.00 $148.00 $1,199 —
879 879 4 154.00 $154.00 $1,354 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
469 469 5 138.00 $138.00 $647 —

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Feeder Bulls

Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
493 493 9 135.00 $135.00 $666 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 1 210.00 $210.00 $798 —
603 603 2 145.00 $145.00 $874 -13.71
688–693 691 4 140.00–149.00 $144.48 $998 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 590 1 137.00 $137.00 $808 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
823–1170 1000 85-90% 14 37.50–57.00 $47.85 $478 —
1000 1000 85-90% 1 85.00 $85.00 $850 —
825–1665 1257 85-90% 16 61.00–66.00 $63.71 $801 —
1080–1446 1309 85-90% 50 67.00–79.00 $71.11 $931 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220–1355 1288 80-85% 2 91.00–94.00 $92.58 $1,192 —
1293–1315 1302 80-85% 5 71.00–75.00 $73.38 $955 -2.37
1345 1345 80-85% 1 63.00 $63.00 $847 —
1280–1645 1515 80-85% 10 78.00–83.50 $79.54 $1,205 —
1350–1710 1527 80-85% 26 70.50–75.00 $73.14 $1,117 —
1255–1805 1568 80-85% 32 77.00–84.00 $80.30 $1,259 -11.01
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1600 1600 75-80% 2 85.00 $85.00 $1,360 —
1625–1810 1670 75-80% 31 84.00–88.00 $84.60 $1,413 —
1689 1689 75-80% 8 78.50 $78.50 $1,326 —
1720–1840 1777 75-80% 3 74.00–82.00 $79.09 $1,405 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940–1113 1029 8 115.00–135.00 $121.25 $1,248 —
990–1365 1178 2 84.00–85.00 $84.42 $994 —
1185–1955 1426 15 62.00–78.00 $73.63 $1,050 —
1175–2135 1596 13 96.00–106.00 $98.55 $1,573 —
1343–2355 1830 50 81.00–96.00 $88.45 $1,619 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
860–1405 1004 (<2 yrs)Open 44 101.00–116.00 $110.14 $1,106
975–1468 1249 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 47 81.00–96.50 $88.03 $1,099
1270–1426 1324 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 28 80.00–82.00 $80.44 $1,065
1348–1395 1384 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 25 79.00 $79.00 $1,093
1270–1670 1397 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 23 80.50–88.50 $85.86 $1,199
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
995–1170 1103 (<2 yrs)Open 6 84.00–100.00 $94.99 $1,048
1090–1435 1264 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 33 67.00–80.00 $71.21 $900
1245–1373 1337 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 8 63.00–73.50 $68.53 $916
1043–1758 1427 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 70 64.00–79.50 $74.57 $1,064
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
746–1320 944 (<2 yrs)Open 8 120.00–136.00 $130.72 $1,234

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1085–1385 1215 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 9 1,025.00–1,175.00 $1,120.29
1325 1325 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,125.00 $1,125.00
1286–1437 1351 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 13 1,100.00–1,175.00 $1,122.72
1425 1425 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 1,100.00 $1,100.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
949 949 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 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.