Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 5, 2022

912 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $174.33/cwt -0.67 vs last sale · ≈ $990/hd at 568 lb · 31 head

light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $168.00/cwt ≈ $1,384/hd at 824 lb · 31 head

heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $159.09/cwt -2.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,557/hd at 979 lb · 22 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	912	1,056	2,678
Feeder cattle	409	438	801
Slaughter cattle	402	291	1,479
Replacement cattle	101	327	398

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Yearling steers were not well compared. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested either this sale or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on heifers under 850 lbs and weak undertones were noticed on heifers over 850 lbs. Demand today was light to moderate for light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average. Most feeders were offered in small package sizes, with many singles in the offering. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold steady on breaking cows, boning cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower, lean cows sold 1.00-2.00 higher. Feeding cows sold 1.00-2.00 lower this week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00 higher. Demand for lean grinding materials was higher today as both lean cows and bulls both saw increased demand. Cow and bull quality was mostly average this sale. Weigh up conditions were average to below average, with a portion of the offering pushing heavy amounts of fill. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Demand for these offerings was moderate to good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
350–375 unweaned	369	4	207.00–230.00	$214.15	$790	—
448 unweaned	448	6	205.00	$205.00	$918	—
508 unweaned	508	7	195.00	$195.00	$991	—
595 unweaned	595	11	190.00	$190.00	$1,130	—
633 unweaned	633	2	180.00	$180.00	$1,139	—
854	854	7	172.00	$172.00	$1,469	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
358 unweaned	358	4	205.00	$205.00	$734	—
435 unweaned	435	2	192.00	$192.00	$835	—
542 unweaned	542	3	179.00	$179.00	$970	—
628 unweaned	628	2	172.50	$172.50	$1,083	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
521 unweaned	521	4	162.50	$162.50	$847	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
323 unweaned	323	2	215.00	$215.00	$694	—
419 unweaned	419	10	195.00	$195.00	$817	—
504–547 unweaned	527	17	175.00–176.00	$175.55	$925	—
561–578 unweaned	568	31	170.00–177.00	$174.33	$990	—
705–740	711	11	170.00–172.00	$170.38	$1,211	—
750–768	765	13	169.50	$169.50	$1,297	+1.00
824	824	31	168.00	$168.00	$1,384	—
873	873	5	159.00	$159.00	$1,388	-3.73
923	923	2	159.00	$159.00	$1,468	-2.74
978–993	979	22	155.00–159.50	$159.09	$1,557	-2.91

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
433 unweaned	433	4	165.00	$165.00	$714	—
1006–1033	1010	13	156.50–159.50	$159.03	$1,606	—
1052	1052	8	152.75	$152.75	$1,607	—
1113	1113	6	149.50	$149.50	$1,664	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
444 unweaned	444	8	178.50	$178.50	$793	—
561	561	5	158.00	$158.00	$886	—
620–624	624	15	158.00–161.00	$158.20	$987	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
320 unweaned	320	3	175.00	$175.00	$560	—
439–440 unweaned	439	7	175.00–177.50	$176.43	$775	—
730	730	2	162.00	$162.00	$1,183	-2.92
810	810	2	152.00	$152.00	$1,231	-4.58
880	880	3	155.00	$155.00	$1,364	-2.66

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
508	508	5	155.00	$155.00	$787	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
335	335	2	205.00	$205.00	$687	—
790	790	2	147.00	$147.00	$1,161	—
911	911	4	140.00	$140.00	$1,275	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1098	1098	6	110.50	$110.50	$1,213	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1150	1150	3	104.00	$104.00	$1,196	—

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1171–1495	1249	80-85%	19	81.50–89.50	$87.32	$1,091	—
1162–1490	1275	80-85%	15	66.00–73.50	$71.50	$912	-21.08
1295–1655	1370	80-85%	10	68.00–73.00	$70.21	$962	—
1290–1660	1403	80-85%	42	73.00–78.00	$74.30	$1,042	—
1215–1534	1409	80-85%	117	74.00–80.50	$77.40	$1,091	—
1415–1655	1526	80-85%	4	79.00–81.00	$80.00	$1,221	+6.86

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1035	1035	85-90%	1	55.00	$55.00	$569	+7.15
1162–1208	1189	85-90%	16	63.00–71.00	$67.67	$805	—
1040–1370	1208	85-90%	33	58.50–69.00	$63.97	$773	—
1140–1368	1265	85-90%	14	71.50–73.50	$72.33	$915	+8.62
1228–1312	1273	85-90%	6	67.00–76.50	$72.71	$926	+9.00

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1380	1380	75-80%	1	78.50	$78.50	$1,083	—
1507	1507	75-80%	9	85.50	$85.50	$1,288	—
1481–1615	1533	75-80%	12	83.50–85.50	$85.12	$1,305	—
1578	1578	75-80%	2	88.00	$88.00	$1,389	—
1683–1870	1755	75-80%	6	71.00–81.50	$79.05	$1,387	-0.04

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1275–1310	1293	2	92.00–94.00	$92.99	$1,202	—
1275–1563	1398	7	76.00–85.50	$80.14	$1,120	—
1323–2235	1712	16	72.00–85.00	$78.34	$1,341	—
1640–2395	1917	9	88.00–95.00	$90.88	$1,742	—
1950–2130	2042	3	99.00–103.00	$100.56	$2,053	—

YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
963	963	2	134.00	$134.00	$1,290	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
738–1210	970	(<2 yrs)	Open	35	91.00–120.00	$106.45	$1,033
880–1050 thin fleshed	998	(<2 yrs)	Open	5	92.00–99.00	$95.77	$956
1074–1418	1173	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	25	78.00–96.50	$88.39	$1,037
1235 thin fleshed	1235	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	74.00	$74.00	$914

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1100	1100	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	1,300.00	$1,300.00
1130–1234	1204	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	7	975.00–1,025.00	$1,011.60
1271	1271	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	9	1,325.00	$1,325.00

Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
854	854	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	6	850.00	$850.00

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1040	1040	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	3	900.00	$900.00

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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.