Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 21, 2024

1,169 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 steers $266.00/cwt -12.00 vs last sale · ≈ $1,790/hd at 673 lb · 17 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $205.78/cwt ≈ $2,015/hd at 979 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $354.72/cwt ≈ $1,657/hd at 467 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,169 771 296
Feeder cattle 315 194 33
Slaughter cattle 580 453 214
Replacement cattle 274 124 49

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were were too lightly tested both this week and last to develop any market trend. Quality today was mostly plain to average. Most cattle were offered in small packages or as singles. Demand was mostly moderate despite a light, plain offering. Market activity today was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows comprised most of the sale this week. Demand was mostly good to very good for light to moderate offerings. Packers continue to buy both feeding and slaughter cows. Packers showed good demand for both feeding and slaughter cows this week as they pushed to own as much of the offering as possible. Quality today was average to very attractive with several sets of high quality cows off reputation ranchers on offer. Slaughter cows sold 5.00-9.00 higher on all classes. Slaughter cow prices around the country spiked this week as supplies of cows available are very tight. Both packers and feeding buyers showed very good demand for cows to feed as the heaviest demand months for ground beef are yet to come. Feeding cows sold mostly 4.00-9.00 higher. Weigh up conditions were mixed today but better than last week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00-7.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, steady to higher undertones were noticed. Demand from feeding and rebreed cow buyers continues to be good.

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
362–391 379 7 350.00–365.00 $356.15 $1,350 —
461–498 473 6 332.50–337.50 $335.75 $1,588 —
510–524 521 5 320.00–322.50 $320.49 $1,670 —
608–612 609 12 285.00–294.00 $290.41 $1,769 —
675 675 2 263.00 $263.00 $1,775 +0.50
710–730 720 2 252.00–256.00 $253.97 $1,829 —
950–985 979 15 197.50–208.00 $205.78 $2,015 —
1005–1033 1022 5 190.50–194.00 $191.88 $1,961 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 2 370.00 $370.00 $1,480 —
450–468 467 14 351.00–355.00 $354.72 $1,657 —
573 573 12 314.00 $314.00 $1,799 +11.00
673 673 17 266.00 $266.00 $1,790 -12.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1037 1037 5 181.00 $181.00 $1,877 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
525 525 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,575 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515–545 535 6 270.00–280.00 $273.21 $1,462 -7.42
565–574 573 9 269.00 $269.00 $1,541 +4.00
653–665 659 4 230.00–243.00 $236.44 $1,558 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
508–519 516 11 292.00–301.00 $297.34 $1,534 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,473 —
1085–1087 1086 7 200.00 $200.00 $2,172 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1158 1158 4 181.00 $181.00 $2,096 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 475 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,520 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1223–1470 1300 80-85% 49 113.25–114.50 $113.73 $1,478 +8.94
1300–1455 1365 80-85% 6 109.00–115.00 $112.79 $1,540 +11.76
1318–1555 1384 80-85% 9 92.00–104.00 $100.69 $1,394 -0.34
1335–1570 1388 80-85% 14 95.00–106.00 $102.26 $1,419 +1.23
1163–1593 1393 80-85% 92 107.00–113.00 $110.44 $1,538 +9.41
1345–1635 1417 80-85% 58 106.00–111.00 $110.31 $1,563 +16.75
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
954 954 85-90% 5 101.00 $101.00 $964 +16.64
1009–1520 1115 85-90% 12 75.00–88.00 $83.60 $932 —
910–1285 1116 85-90% 58 90.00–104.00 $99.47 $1,110 —
1100–1330 1160 85-90% 11 104.00–109.00 $106.08 $1,231 +17.96
1023–1285 1170 85-90% 55 105.00–110.00 $107.41 $1,257 +19.29
1030–1455 1193 85-90% 39 92.50–104.00 $97.08 $1,158 +8.96
1040–1290 1235 85-90% 27 111.00–116.00 $112.66 $1,391 +5.95
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1396–1673 1503 75-80% 35 110.00–114.50 $113.40 $1,704 +1.18
1393–1611 1513 75-80% 12 115.00–117.50 $116.11 $1,757 +3.89
1461–1770 1551 75-80% 9 111.00–114.00 $112.18 $1,740 +3.18
1572–1850 1654 75-80% 7 115.50–118.00 $117.52 $1,944 +11.78
1685 1685 75-80% 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,803 +1.26
2040 2040 75-80% 1 121.50 $121.50 $2,479 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1155 1155 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,190 —
1283 1283 2 124.00 $124.00 $1,591 +24.17
1220–1360 1290 2 97.50–106.00 $101.52 $1,310 +1.69
1320–2165 1625 13 104.00–116.00 $110.35 $1,793 +3.88
1560–2188 1888 27 117.00–128.50 $122.79 $2,318 —
1795–2250 2030 17 129.00–139.00 $132.28 $2,685 —
2500 2500 1 144.00 $144.00 $3,600 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2695 2695 1 121.00 $121.00 $3,261 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
717–1280 985 (<2 yrs)Open 69 151.00–217.50 $180.63 $1,779
850–1465 1024 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 72 110.00–175.00 $142.58 $1,460
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
800–1300 957 (<2 yrs)Open 9 114.00–175.00 $157.37 $1,506
875–1155 958 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 115.50–122.50 $118.95 $1,140

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1357 1357 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 11 2,025.00 $2,025.00
1380–1393 1392 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 13 1,925.00–1,950.00 $1,926.91
1430 1430 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 13 1,900.00 $1,900.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,225.00 $2,225.00

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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
1428 1428 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 9 2,250.00 $2,250.00 —

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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.