Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 20, 2023

1,610 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $264.34/cwt ≈ $1,816/hd at 687 lb · 82 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $300.00/cwt +1.53 vs last sale · ≈ $1,590/hd at 530 lb · 79 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $265.02/cwt ≈ $2,051/hd at 774 lb · 59 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,610 902 1,375
Feeder cattle 1,370 639 955
Slaughter cattle 220 143 320
Replacement cattle 20 120 100

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale(9-13-23): Feeder steers sold mostly steady, feeder heifers sold unevenly steady, feeder bulls lightly tested. Demand for feeders was mostly good. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive with market activity being mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand, slaughter cows and feeding cows both sold 1.00 to 6.00 lower. Slaughter bulls and feeding bulls both sold 2.00 to 6.00 lower. Cow quality today was mostly average to attractive. Several packages of young age cows sold this week. Demand for these offerings was mostly good as feeding and rebreeding buyers competed over attractive offerings.

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
331 331 6 359.00 $359.00 $1,188 —
353 353 2 344.00 $344.00 $1,214 —
427–431 429 21 332.50–334.00 $333.07 $1,429 —
455–462 461 17 315.00–320.00 $315.87 $1,456 —
530 530 79 300.00 $300.00 $1,590 —
668–685 672 4 279.00–282.50 $281.61 $1,892 —
720–731 730 18 271.00–280.00 $271.49 $1,982 —
731 value added 731 23 283.00 $283.00 $2,069 —
770–781 774 59 260.00–268.00 $265.02 $2,051 —
800–848 836 21 250.00–258.00 $255.57 $2,137 —
850–875 866 12 245.00–257.00 $252.06 $2,183 +11.24
915–938 924 49 234.00–245.00 $242.89 $2,244 —
962 962 3 238.00 $238.00 $2,290 —
1059 1059 8 220.00 $220.00 $2,330 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 8 347.50 $347.50 $1,209 —
360–390 384 9 320.00–327.50 $323.91 $1,244 —
410–434 433 34 310.00–325.00 $323.85 $1,402 —
473 473 9 295.00 $295.00 $1,395 —
513 513 7 288.00 $288.00 $1,477 —
554–555 554 8 276.00–284.00 $278.00 $1,540 —
633–641 636 23 273.00–278.00 $275.19 $1,750 —
660–679 676 11 261.00–270.00 $262.60 $1,775 —
754–785 758 11 245.00–252.50 $251.04 $1,903 —
823–840 825 11 238.00–248.00 $246.34 $2,032 —
853–870 869 19 227.00–236.00 $234.21 $2,035 —
905–934 918 30 223.00–230.50 $228.39 $2,097 —
970–990 977 3 220.00–227.00 $224.63 $2,195 —
1058–1059 1059 9 217.00–220.00 $219.67 $2,326 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570–590 583 3 260.00–264.00 $262.70 $1,532 —
603–613 610 18 258.00–262.50 $259.48 $1,583 —
670–695 683 5 242.50–254.50 $248.86 $1,700 —
710–712 712 4 235.00–240.00 $236.25 $1,682 —
760–768 767 13 235.00–239.00 $235.30 $1,805 —
855–890 873 2 218.00–225.00 $221.43 $1,933 —
900 900 1 207.00 $207.00 $1,863 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
351–357 352 13 330.00–332.50 $330.58 $1,164 —
415 415 4 297.50 $297.50 $1,235 —
525 525 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,483 —
650–697 687 82 255.00–266.50 $264.34 $1,816 —
702–748 735 53 247.50–259.00 $256.83 $1,888 —
760–788 778 15 242.00–247.50 $245.42 $1,909 -3.49
821 821 20 236.50 $236.50 $1,942 +1.74
863–882 872 28 225.00–230.00 $227.30 $1,982 -10.20
915–947 937 55 219.50–224.00 $220.84 $2,069 -6.93
958–993 977 42 217.00–219.25 $218.28 $2,133 -7.72
1000–1048 1032 6 215.50–216.50 $215.82 $2,227 +10.32
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–444 433 38 280.00–288.00 $284.55 $1,232 —
451–496 462 25 257.00–281.00 $274.72 $1,269 —
513 513 9 266.00 $266.00 $1,365 —
608–646 633 7 250.00–253.00 $250.82 $1,588 —
655–695 670 19 241.00–251.00 $248.34 $1,664 —
730–740 731 7 235.00–242.00 $240.99 $1,762 —
786 786 13 233.00 $233.00 $1,831 -3.00
805–824 818 14 226.00–231.00 $227.85 $1,864 +13.01
850–895 881 29 215.00–224.00 $220.89 $1,946 -0.11
900–930 920 14 212.00–217.00 $215.72 $1,985 —
984 984 34 209.75 $209.75 $2,064 +4.75
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
565–580 571 5 236.00–244.00 $239.23 $1,366 —
618–623 619 15 235.00–236.00 $235.13 $1,455 —
665–675 670 2 230.00–235.00 $232.48 $1,558 —
730 730 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,613 —
800–845 830 3 214.00–222.50 $217.22 $1,803 —
895 895 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,897 —
949 949 27 201.00 $201.00 $1,907 —
990 990 2 201.00 $201.00 $1,990 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
586 586 6 255.00 $255.00 $1,494 —
645 645 1 243.00 $243.00 $1,567 —
694 694 8 235.00 $235.00 $1,631 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1555 1232 80-85% 8 86.00–92.00 $89.48 $1,102 —
1020–1543 1357 80-85% 49 98.00–118.00 $106.57 $1,446 +9.57
1010–1535 1371 80-85% 13 96.00–103.00 $98.41 $1,349 +1.41
1420–1475 1448 80-85% 2 106.00–110.00 $107.96 $1,563 -7.89
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105–1200 1153 85-90% 2 96.00–97.00 $96.52 $1,113 -4.63
1050–1350 1155 85-90% 9 77.00–103.00 $84.28 $973 -16.87
1020–1193 1168 85-90% 7 81.00–88.00 $81.87 $956 -19.28
1045–1790 1272 85-90% 8 85.00–113.00 $92.71 $1,179 +2.38
1560–1855 1757 85-90% 3 107.00–108.50 $107.44 $1,888 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–2000 1564 75-80% 23 100.00–117.00 $111.93 $1,751 +3.93
1585 1585 75-80% 2 105.00 $105.00 $1,664 -3.00
1525–1795 1660 75-80% 2 111.00–112.00 $111.46 $1,850 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1465–1915 1730 13 103.00–118.00 $111.46 $1,928 —
1160–1940 1738 15 109.00–116.00 $113.01 $1,964 —
1860–2120 1985 11 120.00–127.00 $123.05 $2,443 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1010–1345 1143 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 10 120.00–157.00 $134.45 $1,537

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1105–1290 1198 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 2 1,125.00–1,475.00 $1,313.52
1210 fancy 1210 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
856–905 864 (<2 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 6 1,700.00–1,725.00 $1,704.36

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1273 1273 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 1,850.00 $1,850.00 —

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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.