Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 24, 2023

1,053 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $223.76/cwt -13.57 vs last sale · ≈ $1,600/hd at 715 lb · 16 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $204.03/cwt -2.08 vs last sale · ≈ $1,571/hd at 770 lb · 11 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $207.73/cwt +0.14 vs last sale · ≈ $1,672/hd at 805 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,053 2,886 886
Feeder cattle 142 2,547 227
Slaughter cattle 649 140 497
Replacement cattle 262 199 162

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Quality today was mostly plain. Most offerings sold in small packages or as singles. Demand for feeders was very good despite light offerings. Market activity was active with all bidders rapidly bidding on limited offerings. Weigh up cows comprised the bulk of the sale this week. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher on all classes. Rainfall in the south coupled with the end of spring culling in the upper plains has tightened the cow supply across much of the central US. With Memorial day this weekend packers showed need for cows for immediate harvest. Demand for feeding type cows was very good as well, as packers purchased many high quality cows to put away on feed for summer needs. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00 higher. Quality this week was mostly attractive. Weigh up conditions were mixed, however some offerings were out on grass and offered buyers above average weigh conditions. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to weak. Quality was average to attractive. Demand for young age cows slipped after buyers filled loads and exited the market.

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
508–540 525 8 290.00–295.00 $293.19 $1,539 +7.79
605–635 612 5 262.50–272.50 $266.06 $1,628 +4.13
688 688 4 250.00 $250.00 $1,720 -13.06
705–730 720 3 231.00–236.00 $233.30 $1,680 -2.68
775 775 5 224.00 $224.00 $1,736 -15.50
800–806 805 11 205.00–208.00 $207.73 $1,672 +0.14
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
645–647 647 4 253.00–257.00 $256.00 $1,656 +12.96
697 697 3 239.00 $239.00 $1,666 -6.00
825 825 4 198.00 $198.00 $1,634 +1.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 unweaned 495 2 255.00 $255.00 $1,262 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
713–740 715 16 213.00–224.50 $223.76 $1,600 -13.57
760–784 770 11 198.00–208.00 $204.03 $1,571 -0.98
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
463 463 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,065 -12.22
765 765 2 174.00 $174.00 $1,331 -7.17
850 850 2 181.50 $181.50 $1,543 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 4 227.00 $227.00 $779 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
663 663 2 189.00 $189.00 $1,253 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
575 575 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,610 +2.50
800 800 1 188.00 $188.00 $1,504 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,212 -12.00

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1430 1347 80-85% 27 86.00–93.00 $89.31 $1,203 -4.59
1210–1495 1376 80-85% 12 103.00–107.50 $104.96 $1,444 —
1292–1625 1388 80-85% 41 94.00–102.00 $96.70 $1,342 —
1265–1735 1414 80-85% 85 92.00–102.50 $98.56 $1,394 —
1347–1539 1455 80-85% 88 103.00–106.00 $104.15 $1,515 —
1370–1780 1575 80-85% 2 88.00–90.00 $89.13 $1,404 -13.21
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–950 930 85-90% 3 77.00–81.00 $78.96 $734 —
985 985 85-90% 1 89.00 $89.00 $877 —
1025–1070 1048 85-90% 2 78.00–79.00 $78.51 $823 +6.55
980–1243 1162 85-90% 9 85.00–92.00 $89.57 $1,041 +5.37
1050–1205 1167 85-90% 27 97.50–105.00 $101.85 $1,189 +17.65
1010–1490 1169 85-90% 45 81.00–91.00 $87.54 $1,023 +3.34
990–1277 1196 85-90% 53 93.00–97.00 $95.56 $1,143 +11.36
1095–1300 1222 85-90% 13 97.00–105.00 $98.21 $1,200 —
1060–1308 1223 85-90% 66 92.00–97.00 $94.72 $1,158 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1475–1590 1521 75-80% 4 101.00–104.00 $102.25 $1,555 —
1675–1678 1677 75-80% 4 93.50–96.00 $95.38 $1,600 —
1660–1835 1729 75-80% 4 101.00–104.50 $102.65 $1,775 —
1810 1810 75-80% 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,919 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1288–1345 1307 3 92.00–105.00 $96.46 $1,261 —
1375 1375 1 113.00 $113.00 $1,554 —
1410–1435 1423 2 106.50–113.00 $109.72 $1,561 —
1330–1985 1658 34 97.00–115.00 $107.99 $1,790 —
1705–2430 1915 26 116.00–126.00 $120.54 $2,308 —
1860–2495 2140 12 125.00–135.00 $130.77 $2,798 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
803–1205 992 (<2 yrs)Open 80 130.00–171.00 $157.33 $1,561
805–1390 1138 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 97 101.00–146.00 $118.33 $1,347
1070–1335 1203 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 95.00–102.50 $98.34 $1,183
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
885–1140 973 (<2 yrs)Open 5 127.50–148.00 $134.67 $1,310
890–1175 1002 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 90.00–125.00 $105.13 $1,053

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1072–1450 1126 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 1,560.00–1,625.00 $1,571.96
1083–1210 1147 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 1,750.00–1,850.00 $1,802.77
1280 1280 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,500.00 $1,500.00
1385 1385 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,600.00 $1,600.00
1503 1503 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,500.00 $1,500.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1310 1310 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 5 2,250.00 $2,250.00 —

↑ Back to top

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.