Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 22, 2023

1,135 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $231.89/cwt -16.03 vs last sale · ≈ $1,197/hd at 516 lb · 30 head
light 6-weight M&L 2 heifers $192.86/cwt ≈ $1,209/hd at 627 lb · 20 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $227.58/cwt -19.26 vs last sale · ≈ $1,325/hd at 582 lb · 17 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,135 2,661 1,643
Feeder cattle 242 692 706
Slaughter cattle 705 1,567 644
Replacement cattle 188 402 293

Feeder Steers and Heifers sold mostly 20.00-30.00 lower on a lighter run. Slaughter Cows sold 3.00-5.00 lower on a lighter run.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–395 381 5 205.00–260.00 $246.78 $940
425–430 428 2 200.00–210.00 $205.03 $878
450–490 461 6 150.00–230.00 $195.83 $903
555–597 573 12 210.00–216.00 $215.26 $1,233
610–639 633 10 212.50–231.00 $216.06 $1,368
687 687 16 217.00 $217.00 $1,491
730–745 733 11 212.00–225.00 $220.53 $1,616
750 750 5 215.00 $215.00 $1,612
950 950 1 192.50 $192.50 $1,829
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–273 267 4 245.00–300.00 $273.17 $729
325–335 331 5 295.00–320.00 $302.95 $1,003
381–390 385 14 250.00–300.00 $283.04 $1,090
418–435 428 7 240.00–300.00 $284.49 $1,218
465 465 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,302
505–535 527 9 224.00–250.00 $235.42 $1,241
558–595 565 7 224.00–239.00 $235.73 $1,332
620 620 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,426
675 675 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,519
800–813 809 3 210.00–219.00 $212.97 $1,723
1060–1075 1065 3 182.00–190.50 $187.64 $1,998

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–325 315 3 250.00–255.00 $251.72 $793
375–389 387 6 250.00–285.00 $279.34 $1,081
400–440 423 9 222.50–264.00 $256.67 $1,086
455–495 472 8 217.00–245.00 $236.56 $1,117
502–545 516 30 221.00–240.00 $231.89 $1,197
550–594 582 17 216.00–252.50 $227.58 $1,325
605–628 619 11 185.00–223.00 $218.44 $1,352
655–695 682 3 197.50–217.00 $210.75 $1,437
715–732 728 10 202.00–215.00 $210.52 $1,533
813–835 816 9 182.00–198.00 $193.30 $1,577 -24.70
863 863 7 212.00 $212.00 $1,830
903–928 912 9 201.00–207.00 $204.66 $1,866
978–995 982 4 154.00–194.00 $183.87 $1,806 -18.54
1160 1160 1 142.50 $142.50 $1,653
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
318–330 322 3 190.00–265.00 $215.62 $694
395 395 1 210.00 $210.00 $830
443 443 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,041
450–470 460 11 214.00–245.00 $227.61 $1,047
518 518 2 233.00 $233.00 $1,207
570–587 579 10 194.00–209.00 $199.25 $1,154
613–640 627 20 177.50–207.50 $192.86 $1,209
650–677 672 8 155.00–177.00 $172.85 $1,162
720–749 740 7 162.50–190.00 $172.36 $1,275
930 930 1 175.00 $175.00 $1,628

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
468 468 3 245.00 $245.00 $1,147
527 527 3 235.00 $235.00 $1,238
550 550 3 212.00 $212.00 $1,166
620–645 633 2 180.00–185.00 $182.45 $1,155
750 750 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,425
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880 880 4 155.00 $155.00 $1,364

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145–1485 1246 80-85% 17 72.00–81.00 $77.27 $963
1140–1620 1258 80-85% 37 79.00–93.00 $82.76 $1,041
945–1388 1270 80-85% 20 89.50–110.00 $99.84 $1,268
1058–1630 1288 80-85% 252 78.00–96.50 $82.89 $1,068
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840 840 85-90% 2 85.00 $85.00 $714
965–1348 1161 85-90% 97 68.00–81.00 $76.69 $890 -20.36
1090–1290 1190 85-90% 2 65.00–66.00 $65.54 $780 -8.23
950–1428 1202 85-90% 31 68.00–78.00 $72.92 $876 -10.14
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1098–1110 1101 75-80% 4 110.00 $110.00 $1,211
1167 1167 75-80% 9 110.50 $110.50 $1,290
1175–1910 1528 75-80% 19 92.00–103.00 $95.14 $1,454
1285–1892 1570 75-80% 21 91.00–100.50 $95.92 $1,506

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YG1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1185 1162 5 120.00–122.00 $121.63 $1,413
1300–2030 1490 14 79.00–103.00 $90.03 $1,341
1115–2255 1671 33 92.00–112.00 $109.27 $1,826
YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–1930 1401 4 123.00–167.50 $141.92 $1,988
1440–1920 1662 15 102.50–110.00 $106.28 $1,766
1540–1960 1750 2 80.00–89.00 $85.04 $1,488

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
735–1073 942 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 77 125.00–182.50 $154.85 $1,459
952–1185 1037 (<2 yrs)Open 12 160.00–194.50 $183.06 $1,898
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
683–793 762 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 18 130.00–136.00 $131.49 $1,002
890–895 894 (<2 yrs)Open 4 140.00–162.50 $156.90 $1,403
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
848–1213 990 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 14 105.00–132.50 $113.43 $1,123

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Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
875–1259 1111 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 45 1,500.00–2,225.00 $2,070.17
1065–1170 1146 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 9 1,500.00–1,650.00 $1,537.68
1178 1178 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00
1520 1520 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1110–1325 1218 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,100.00–1,275.00 $1,166.79
1228 1228 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 3 1,100.00 $1,100.00

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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.