Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, August 2, 2023

494 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $267.00/cwt ≈ $1,703/hd at 638 lb · 16 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 bulls $206.14/cwt ≈ $1,775/hd at 861 lb · 11 head
heavy 5-weight M 1 heifers $250.00/cwt ≈ $1,425/hd at 570 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 494 808 575
Feeder cattle 169 222 145
Slaughter cattle 277 495 345
Replacement cattle 48 91 85

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale(7-19-23): Feeder cattle were too lightly tested either this sale or last to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Demand for feeders was mostly good. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Several small packages of cattle coming off grass were seen this sale. Demand for light fleshed yearlings was very good. A few offerings of fall born calves which had been running on grass were seen. These offerings were met with mostly moderate demand. Market activity remains active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand today. Breaking and boning cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher, lean cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher. Packers showed very good demand for slaughter cows as they opted to send all offerings to harvest. Feeding cows sold mostly sales 2.00-3.00 higher. Cow quality today was mostly average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today as many set were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold sharply lower than last sale, most offerings sold 10.00-15.00 lower. Fewer packer buyers for bulls were seen this week and prices sold off sharply as a result. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Quality was average this week.

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
591 591 4 271.00 $271.00 $1,602 —
638 638 16 267.00 $267.00 $1,703 —
745 745 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,807 —
895 895 7 225.00 $225.00 $2,014 —
931 931 4 213.00 $213.00 $1,983 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
332 unweaned 332 3 280.00 $280.00 $930 —
353 unweaned 353 3 275.00 $275.00 $971 —
468 468 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,381 —
955 955 4 212.00 $212.00 $2,025 +3.00
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 4 205.00 $205.00 $1,015 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
538 538 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,345 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1022 1017 4 192.00–194.00 $192.49 $1,958 -6.08
1050 fancy 1050 10 196.00 $196.00 $2,058 —
1170 1170 1 178.00 $178.00 $2,083 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 10 250.00 $250.00 $1,425 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 unweaned 400 4 290.00 $290.00 $1,160 —
895 895 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,871 -7.00
976 976 4 200.00 $200.00 $1,952 +1.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 unweaned 348 2 275.00 $275.00 $957 —
450 450 3 277.50–282.00 $280.50 $1,262 —
690 690 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,587 —
725 725 2 223.00 $223.00 $1,617 +11.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
630 630 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,480 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
809 809 9 214.00 $214.00 $1,731 —
860–861 861 11 197.50–207.00 $206.14 $1,775 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1065 1060 2 169.00–179.00 $174.02 $1,845 —
1135 1135 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,873 —
1170 1170 1 159.00 $159.00 $1,860 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005 1005 1 174.00 $174.00 $1,749 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1565 1304 80-85% 38 114.00–121.00 $117.88 $1,537 +15.88
1168–1508 1365 80-85% 13 109.00–113.00 $110.49 $1,508 -2.75
1310–1558 1429 80-85% 19 103.50–113.50 $106.74 $1,525 -8.27
1365–1580 1473 80-85% 2 115.00–118.00 $116.61 $1,718 +9.94
1395–1775 1583 80-85% 5 88.00–102.50 $97.02 $1,536 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845 845 85-90% 1 99.00 $99.00 $837 —
775–925 852 85-90% 3 85.00–96.00 $89.04 $759 —
1080 1080 85-90% 1 83.00 $83.00 $896 +2.00
935–1295 1165 85-90% 11 88.00–101.00 $95.67 $1,115 +4.46
1060–1360 1199 85-90% 30 103.00–109.00 $106.32 $1,275 -7.70
1190–1212 1203 85-90% 5 110.00–115.00 $113.52 $1,366 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1478–1648 1561 75-80% 16 116.50–117.50 $117.16 $1,829 +2.66
1575 1575 75-80% 1 114.50 $114.50 $1,803 ±0.00
1577–1600 1583 75-80% 4 117.00–118.00 $117.25 $1,856 +2.75
1675 1675 75-80% 2 112.00 $112.00 $1,876 +0.60
1705 1705 75-80% 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,824 -10.00
1760–1960 1880 75-80% 3 99.00–106.50 $102.94 $1,935 —
2065 2065 75-80% 1 110.00 $110.00 $2,272 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950 950 1 80.00 $80.00 $760 —
1195–1285 1214 8 117.00–121.00 $119.48 $1,450 +17.48
1265–1280 1273 2 108.00–118.00 $113.03 $1,439 —
1385–2415 1715 18 105.00–114.00 $110.62 $1,897 —
1415–2305 1773 53 114.00–125.00 $119.82 $2,124 —
1890–2240 2052 13 123.00–130.00 $125.88 $2,583 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
995–1215 1067 (<2 yrs)Open 10 140.00–156.00 $149.42 $1,594
1040–1240 1190 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 16 117.00–128.00 $125.81 $1,497
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
920 920 (<2 yrs)Open 2 155.00 $155.00 $1,426

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1605 1605 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00 —

↑ Back to top

Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
933 933 2 108.50 $108.50 $1,012 —

↑ Back to top

Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1233 1233 (<2 yrs)Open 2 2,150.00 $2,150.00 —

↑ 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.