Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 23, 2022

1,643 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 $188.00/cwt +33.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,604/hd at 853 lb · 49 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $180.85/cwt +17.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,467/hd at 811 lb · 34 head
light 6-weight M&L 2 steers $147.00/cwt ≈ $885/hd at 602 lb · 33 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,643 2,307 1,471
Feeder cattle 706 920 568
Slaughter cattle 644 984 620
Replacement cattle 293 403 283

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves were all too lightly tested this week or last week to develop any market trend. Quality today was mostly plain, with many cutback calves off summer video sales. Most calves were offered in small lots or as singles. Demand was mostly light for light offering. Several buyers were absent for todays light sale ahead of the holiday. Market activity was mostly slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Cow quality today was mostly average. Most of the cow offering continues to be purchased to feed, either for the upcoming holidays, to turn out on corn stalks, or to feed to premium white. Short term feeding cows and high quality feeding cows both sold steady to weak. Packers opted to send almost the entire sale to feed this week as slaughter demand was mostly light. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 1.00-3.00 lower. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this sale and better overall compared to last week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 5.00-10.00 lower. Quality was not as attractive as last week and fewer takers were actively bidding on these offerings. Many thin young cows were purchased by feeding and packer buyers and were included in the slaughter cow portion of the report.

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
459 unweaned 459 12 181.00 $181.00 $831 —
522–525 unweaned 524 20 171.00–178.00 $173.44 $909 -10.79
805 805 3 166.00 $166.00 $1,336 -4.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
602 unweaned 602 33 147.00 $147.00 $885 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
384–385 unweaned 385 12 240.00–241.00 $240.50 $926 -21.66
715 715 5 172.00 $172.00 $1,230 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
712 712 6 168.00 $168.00 $1,196 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
481–498 unweaned 492 12 165.00–171.00 $169.05 $832 -23.57
615–647 unweaned 625 22 139.00–152.00 $147.92 $924 -21.67
647 647 3 150.00 $150.00 $970 -15.00
755 755 3 180.00 $180.00 $1,359 —
808–823 811 34 178.00–182.50 $180.85 $1,467 +17.85
853 853 49 188.00 $188.00 $1,604 —
913–945 935 15 160.00–162.00 $161.06 $1,506 +16.06
989 989 8 158.00 $158.00 $1,563 +7.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
521 521 8 147.50 $147.50 $768 —
556 556 4 150.00 $150.00 $834 —
669 unweaned 669 4 148.00 $148.00 $990 —
1043 1043 8 147.00 $147.00 $1,533 -2.50
1076–1091 1087 21 142.00–144.00 $143.43 $1,559 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 unweaned 385 8 167.00 $167.00 $643 -36.00
485–496 unweaned 492 14 146.00–160.00 $155.07 $763 -17.93
509 509 4 161.00 $161.00 $819 —
738 738 11 166.00 $166.00 $1,225 —
920 920 5 149.50 $149.50 $1,375 -2.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
508–546 unweaned 513 31 139.00–140.50 $140.29 $720 —
558–570 unweaned 564 4 131.00–142.00 $136.44 $770 —
787 787 3 145.00 $145.00 $1,141 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
397 unweaned 397 4 155.00 $155.00 $615 -30.00
473 unweaned 473 5 152.00 $152.00 $719 —
754 754 11 160.00 $160.00 $1,206 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
404 unweaned 404 5 135.00 $135.00 $545 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476 unweaned 476 10 152.50 $152.50 $726 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
764 764 85-90% 15 33.50 $33.50 $256 —
895–975 934 85-90% 4 45.00–53.00 $49.96 $467 +4.96
1005–1260 1130 85-90% 9 47.00–56.00 $49.82 $563 -7.64
1000–1255 1147 85-90% 39 32.00–46.00 $40.63 $466 -16.83
1158 1158 85-90% 2 58.00 $58.00 $672 +17.52
977–1335 1161 85-90% 54 47.00–57.00 $53.96 $626 +13.48
1162 1162 85-90% 6 43.00 $43.00 $500 +2.52
875–1330 1203 85-90% 122 58.00–65.50 $60.92 $733 +6.21
1090–1290 1203 85-90% 13 69.00–76.00 $71.81 $864 +17.10
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1230–1440 1370 80-85% 6 80.00 $80.00 $1,096 +18.57
1250–1515 1385 80-85% 37 68.00–79.00 $74.92 $1,038 +13.49
1350–1495 1400 80-85% 28 52.00–65.00 $57.37 $803 -1.41
1298–1635 1433 80-85% 20 50.00–60.00 $55.59 $797 -3.19
1440 1440 80-85% 1 71.00 $71.00 $1,022 -4.81
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1525–1900 1580 75-80% 28 75.00–78.00 $77.17 $1,219 -1.83
1540–1633 1602 75-80% 3 81.00–82.50 $82.02 $1,314 +9.15
1600–1699 1668 75-80% 4 66.00–68.00 $67.01 $1,118 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
934 934 9 59.00 $59.00 $551 —
1250 1250 2 98.00 $98.00 $1,225 —
1330–1560 1479 4 73.00–84.00 $80.73 $1,194 —
1695 1695 2 90.00 $90.00 $1,526 —
1565–1898 1720 8 90.00–96.00 $92.31 $1,588 —
1895 1895 2 99.00 $99.00 $1,876 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1550 1550 1 77.00 $77.00 $1,194 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
703–1260 966 (<2 yrs)Open 127 77.00–110.00 $93.79 $906
878–1305 1066 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 22 65.00–84.00 $76.32 $814
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
705–1005 thin fleshed 887 (<2 yrs)Open 9 53.00–67.50 $62.31 $553

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1013 1013 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 9 1,050.00 $1,050.00
1053 1053 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 19 1,150.00 $1,150.00
1110 1110 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00
1151 1151 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 8 1,200.00 $1,200.00
1158–1293 1256 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 11 925.00–1,200.00 $994.14
1300 1300 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00
1391 1391 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,150.00 $1,150.00

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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.