Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 15, 2024

1,953 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 $273.82/cwt ≈ $1,807/hd at 660 lb · 304 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $299.98/cwt ≈ $1,743/hd at 581 lb · 281 head
light 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $270.64/cwt ≈ $1,735/hd at 641 lb · 66 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,953 646 2,886
Feeder cattle 1,673 12 2,547
Slaughter cattle 222 233 140
Replacement cattle 58 401 199

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were too lightly tested the last two sales to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly good to very good for today sale. Most feeders were offered on moderate sized packages with several load lots and partial load lots seen. Quality this sale was mostly plain to average with a few attractive quality consignments seen. Most cattle were backgrounded cattle that were purchased earlier in the year or last fall. Most of these offerings were specifically developed for grass. A large crowd was on hand for todays sale and a good mix of order buyers and ranchers were on hand actively bidding on offerings. Market activity was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers showed very good demand for cows for immediate harvest with cows going to slaughter in several different states. Several packers were present this week with some buying over the internet. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows, boing and lean cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher, in a narrow comparison. Cow quality was average to attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mostly average. Slaughter bulls sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Several very high yielding bulls were seen this sale and these offerings were met with very good demand. Young age cows sold generally steady. Cows which lost calves sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding quality cows sold at a discount to cows suitable to rebreed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

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
460–480 464 55 365.00–370.00 $367.26 $1,704 —
532–540 537 56 334.00–340.00 $335.36 $1,801 —
557–565 557 39 325.00–336.00 $335.71 $1,870 —
606–628 614 33 309.00–321.00 $316.06 $1,941 —
655–695 681 9 277.00–292.50 $278.77 $1,898 —
705 705 2 272.00 $272.00 $1,918 —
777 777 5 253.00 $253.00 $1,966 —
824 824 10 239.00 $239.00 $1,969 —
922 922 10 226.00 $226.00 $2,084 —
925 925 5 234.00 $234.00 $2,164 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
453–497 482 16 335.00–355.00 $341.18 $1,644 —
548 548 5 325.00 $325.00 $1,781 —
573–598 588 12 302.50–310.00 $304.33 $1,789 —
649 649 4 286.00 $286.00 $1,856 —
650–683 671 12 270.00–277.00 $275.02 $1,845 —
700–735 727 16 249.00–263.00 $251.09 $1,825 —
780 780 1 249.00 $249.00 $1,942 —
820 820 12 244.00 $244.00 $2,001 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
413 413 6 269.00 $269.00 $1,111 —
501–509 508 35 242.50–255.00 $243.91 $1,239 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
437 437 8 300.00 $300.00 $1,311 —
548 548 5 305.00 $305.00 $1,671 —
567 567 13 280.00 $280.00 $1,588 —
778 778 5 238.00 $238.00 $1,852 —
910 910 4 212.00 $212.00 $1,929 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 515 10 277.50 $277.50 $1,429 —
585 585 7 250.00 $250.00 $1,462 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
692 692 3 229.00 $229.00 $1,585 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
474 474 4 320.00 $320.00 $1,517 —
519–537 520 38 309.00–311.00 $310.84 $1,616 —
558–594 581 281 293.00–309.00 $299.98 $1,743 —
602–643 617 64 280.00–300.00 $292.39 $1,804 —
655–694 660 304 261.00–279.00 $273.82 $1,807 —
709–730 727 64 249.00–255.00 $250.82 $1,823 —
750–769 767 9 241.00–242.00 $241.89 $1,855 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 6 317.00 $317.00 $1,141 —
558–575 569 12 272.00–288.00 $278.65 $1,586 —
617–645 641 66 251.00–274.00 $270.64 $1,735 —
662–667 664 11 247.50–250.00 $248.86 $1,652 —
783 783 2 239.00 $239.00 $1,871 +6.00
850 850 4 223.00 $223.00 $1,896 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
468–494 480 17 265.00–270.00 $267.58 $1,284 —
607–627 608 48 231.00–245.00 $231.90 $1,410 —
685 685 13 236.00 $236.00 $1,617 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 12 305.00 $305.00 $946 —
361 361 15 290.00 $290.00 $1,047 —
518 518 43 229.00 $229.00 $1,186 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
363 363 5 312.50 $312.50 $1,134 —
500–535 512 49 280.00–299.00 $289.97 $1,485 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
439–443 441 17 225.00–230.00 $227.34 $1,003 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
598 598 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,375 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
748 748 4 240.00 $240.00 $1,795 —
913–940 931 6 210.00–222.50 $214.09 $1,993 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–1514 1363 80-85% 28 131.00–136.00 $135.20 $1,843 +0.51
1250–1523 1378 80-85% 37 130.00–138.00 $134.79 $1,857 +0.10
1413 1413 80-85% 3 142.50 $142.50 $2,014 +9.63
1320–1518 1441 80-85% 5 122.00–125.00 $124.45 $1,793 -15.55
1410–1610 1570 80-85% 5 124.00–126.00 $125.64 $1,973 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995–1005 1002 85-90% 3 75.00–100.00 $83.28 $834 —
995–1230 1118 85-90% 14 114.00–124.00 $118.53 $1,325 —
1000–1255 1152 85-90% 7 100.00–117.00 $110.51 $1,273 —
1165 1165 85-90% 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,573 —
1130–1210 1173 85-90% 12 133.00–135.00 $133.75 $1,569 —
1117–1235 1185 85-90% 34 124.00–132.00 $128.70 $1,525 —
1200 1200 85-90% 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,500 -0.80
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1548 1548 75-80% 2 132.50 $132.50 $2,051 —
1585 1585 75-80% 1 144.50 $144.50 $2,290 +9.00
1565–1655 1610 75-80% 2 132.00–133.00 $132.49 $2,133 +0.51
1555–1690 1623 75-80% 2 137.00–139.00 $138.04 $2,240 -6.04
1735 1735 75-80% 1 138.50 $138.50 $2,403 +11.04

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1350 1313 3 120.00–133.00 $125.47 $1,647 —
1355 1355 1 132.00 $132.00 $1,789 —
1305–1555 1434 4 133.00–136.00 $134.55 $1,929 —
1585–1950 1718 9 140.00–153.00 $143.86 $2,472 —
1820–2368 2102 9 161.00–170.00 $165.41 $3,477 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
865–1310 1010 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 11 141.00–187.00 $170.53 $1,722
850–1385 1067 (<2 yrs)Open 26 158.00–210.00 $184.08 $1,964
1320 1320 (<2 yrs)Open 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,980
1630 1630 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 134.00 $134.00 $2,184
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
880 thin fleshed 880 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,144
1040 1040 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 117.50 $117.50 $1,222
1165 1165 (<2 yrs)Open 1 157.00 $157.00 $1,829

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1123 1123 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,300.00 $2,300.00

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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.