Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 1, 2023

1,644 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 heifers $230.52/cwt ≈ $1,466/hd at 636 lb · 78 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $236.54/cwt +11.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,325/hd at 560 lb · 37 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $250.43/cwt +12.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,427/hd at 570 lb · 32 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,644 1,282 2,517
Feeder cattle 595 465 831
Slaughter cattle 787 615 1,198
Replacement cattle 262 202 488

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale or this sale to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly plain to average today and mostly offered in very small packages or as singles. Demand for feeders was mostly light. Country and pen conditions are muddy following last weeks snow. Most calves were dirty this week and buyers discounted calves as a result. Market activity was mostly slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand and moderate to heavy offerings. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher on boning cows and 1.00-3.00 higher on lean cows. Breaking slaughter cows were too lightly tested to trend as most were purchased to feed this week. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good. Buyer participation was very good with as many as 8 buyers actively bidding on cows to return to feed throughout the sale. Thin cows purchased to feed or turn out on corn stalks this winter sold 2.00-4.00 higher. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold 1.00-3.00 higher. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this sale, with most cows pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Cow quality today was mostly average to attractive. Young age cows sold mostly 10.00-15.00 lower. Demand for these offerings was mostly moderate from rebreed buyers and light to moderate from feeding buyers.

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
325 unweaned 325 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,089 —
395 unweaned 395 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,274 —
411 unweaned 411 4 327.50 $327.50 $1,346 +37.91
493 unweaned 493 6 272.00 $272.00 $1,341 —
505–528 unweaned 514 8 265.00–274.00 $269.48 $1,385 +13.47
518 518 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,269 —
550–592 unweaned 570 32 245.00–260.00 $250.43 $1,427 +12.43
613 unweaned 613 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,471 +19.00
653 unweaned 653 4 227.50 $227.50 $1,486 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
466–481 unweaned 474 11 298.00–310.00 $303.36 $1,438 +12.86
500–509 unweaned 508 16 290.00–292.50 $290.40 $1,475 +13.40
640 unweaned 640 1 248.00 $248.00 $1,587 —
652–681 unweaned 661 22 237.00–247.00 $242.31 $1,602 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
676 unweaned 676 6 231.00 $231.00 $1,562 —
715 unweaned 715 4 228.00 $228.00 $1,630 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
611 unweaned 611 10 243.00 $243.00 $1,485 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 unweaned 448 4 275.00 $275.00 $1,232 -7.08
461 unweaned 461 4 270.00 $270.00 $1,245 +5.00
516–531 unweaned 520 18 252.00–255.00 $254.15 $1,322 +3.15
553–579 unweaned 560 37 230.00–240.50 $236.54 $1,325 +11.52
601–639 unweaned 636 78 222.00–234.00 $230.52 $1,466 —
710 unweaned 710 2 217.00 $217.00 $1,541 —
873 873 2 212.50 $212.50 $1,855 -3.50
922 922 9 208.50 $208.50 $1,922 -3.50
950 950 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,995 —
984 984 8 197.50 $197.50 $1,943 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
447 unweaned 447 4 252.50 $252.50 $1,129 —
472 472 7 222.50 $222.50 $1,050 —
541 unweaned 541 7 243.00 $243.00 $1,315 +6.17
555 unweaned 555 6 230.00 $230.00 $1,276 —
613 613 3 216.00 $216.00 $1,324 —
780 780 2 212.50 $212.50 $1,658 —
807–812 810 11 205.00–210.00 $209.55 $1,697 —
865 865 1 208.00 $208.00 $1,799 —
940 940 1 203.00 $203.00 $1,908 +1.67
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
689 689 8 215.00 $215.00 $1,481 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
516 unweaned 516 5 233.00 $233.00 $1,202 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640 unweaned 640 3 219.00 $219.00 $1,402 ±0.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155 1155 1 157.50 $157.50 $1,819 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1265–1620 1387 80-85% 60 82.00–94.00 $89.63 $1,243 +2.04
1373–1560 1420 80-85% 8 105.00–109.00 $107.32 $1,524 —
1300–1580 1433 80-85% 90 94.00–104.50 $99.92 $1,432 —
1303–1575 1434 80-85% 52 80.00–91.00 $85.87 $1,231 —
1460–1515 1478 80-85% 3 75.00–77.00 $75.68 $1,119 -29.89
1318–1599 1492 80-85% 16 93.00–95.50 $93.78 $1,399 -11.79
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 85-90% 1 71.00 $71.00 $643 —
1093–1375 1157 85-90% 19 60.00–75.00 $71.82 $831 -27.12
908–1293 1171 85-90% 20 82.00–87.00 $84.42 $989 -14.52
950–1320 1206 85-90% 65 86.00–97.00 $90.46 $1,091 +0.32
1080–1315 1206 85-90% 68 74.00–86.00 $80.04 $965 -10.10
1260 1260 85-90% 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,298 —
1150–1335 1268 85-90% 21 86.50–93.50 $88.36 $1,120 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1503–1880 1571 75-80% 49 95.50–104.00 $100.02 $1,571 —
1470–1713 1597 75-80% 11 94.00–101.50 $99.26 $1,585 —
1560–1995 1758 75-80% 8 105.00–109.00 $106.20 $1,867 —
1818 1818 75-80% 2 106.50 $106.50 $1,936 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1780 1780 2 104.00 $104.00 $1,851 —
1485–2355 1803 26 90.00–106.00 $103.56 $1,867 —
1755–2125 1918 7 107.00–111.50 $109.37 $2,098 —
1995–2230 2135 3 123.50–126.00 $125.13 $2,672 +4.98
2505 2505 1 93.00 $93.00 $2,330 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
883–1345 1004 (<2 yrs)Open 63 112.00–189.00 $153.84 $1,545
1052 thin fleshed 1052 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 106.00 $106.00 $1,115
844–1380 1101 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 76 93.00–145.00 $115.47 $1,271
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
860–930 thin fleshed 895 (<2 yrs)Open 2 110.00–115.00 $112.40 $1,006
945 945 (<2 yrs)Open 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,134
1065 thin fleshed 1065 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 86.00 $86.00 $916
886–1360 1069 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 15 91.00–102.50 $96.38 $1,030

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1052–1100 1087 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 11 1,900.00–1,925.00 $1,906.60
1090 1090 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00
1284 1284 Aged (>8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 16 1,310.00 $1,310.00
1232–1352 1292 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 10 1,225.00–1,250.00 $1,236.92
1168–1377 1314 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 10 1,225.00–1,325.00 $1,298.34
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1278–1508 1439 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 24 90.50–99.00 $91.76 $1,320
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
791 791 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 18 75.00 $75.00 $593

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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.