Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 2, 2024

609 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $216.55/cwt -2.45 vs last sale · ≈ $2,103/hd at 971 lb · 19 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $278.70/cwt ≈ $1,603/hd at 575 lb · 14 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 609 895 742
Feeder cattle 251 344 374
Slaughter cattle 297 436 216
Replacement cattle 61 115 152

Compared to last week: Feeder calves and yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. CME feeder contract positions posted strong triple digit gains today. Demand was moderate to good for light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed light demand for slaughter cows but moderate to good demand for feeding cows. Private feeding buyers showed good demand for all cows suitable to feed. Very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest this sale. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 1.00-5.00 higher with the biggest price increase seen for low dressing cows. Feeding cows sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Bidding was very active for high quality feeding cows. Cow quality was mostly average to attractive and overall more attractive than last week. Weigh conditions were average to below average with many very full cows noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. Feeding bull demand was light again this sale as packer buyers were the only buyers to purchase bulls to feed. Quality today was mostly average to attractive for bulls and similar to last weeks offering. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed as demand from rebreed buyers was mostly good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406 unweaned 406 8 332.50 $332.50 $1,350
495 unweaned 495 3 307.00 $307.00 $1,520 +15.17
521 unweaned 521 6 299.00 $299.00 $1,558
565–577 unweaned 575 9 270.00–280.00 $271.87 $1,563
575 575 5 291.00 $291.00 $1,673
664 unweaned 664 4 254.00 $254.00 $1,687
950 950 1 229.00 $229.00 $2,176
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382 unweaned 382 6 312.50 $312.50 $1,194
455 unweaned 455 1 301.00 $301.00 $1,370 +32.11
508 unweaned 508 3 276.00 $276.00 $1,402
901 901 5 225.00 $225.00 $2,027
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
634 634 5 240.00 $240.00 $1,522
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140 1140 1 213.00 $213.00 $2,428
1183 1183 2 207.00 $207.00 $2,449

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
235 unweaned 235 1 360.00 $360.00 $846 -85.00
470 unweaned 470 5 287.00 $287.00 $1,349
581 581 6 225.00 $225.00 $1,307
601 unweaned 601 4 249.00 $249.00 $1,496 +8.30
850 850 2 229.00 $229.00 $1,946 -0.44
956–988 971 19 212.00–219.50 $216.55 $2,103 -2.45
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 unweaned 365 2 270.00 $270.00 $986
1055–1091 1063 24 204.00–210.00 $208.72 $2,219
1110 1110 1 197.50 $197.50 $2,192
1208 1208 3 194.00 $194.00 $2,344
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
303 unweaned 303 2 270.00 $270.00 $818
380 unweaned 380 4 245.00 $245.00 $931
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
597 597 5 210.00 $210.00 $1,254
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
475 unweaned 475 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,223 +7.50
713 713 2 230.00 $230.00 $1,640

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
363 unweaned 363 4 330.00 $330.00 $1,198
422 unweaned 422 3 310.00 $310.00 $1,308
454 unweaned 454 4 290.00 $290.00 $1,317
515 unweaned 515 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,390 +30.00
960 960 2 214.00 $214.00 $2,054
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
457 unweaned 457 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,051
540 unweaned 540 3 242.50 $242.50 $1,310
1149 1149 4 207.00 $207.00 $2,378
1180 1180 2 201.00 $201.00 $2,372
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130 1130 1 195.00 $195.00 $2,204
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790 790 1 213.00 $213.00 $1,683

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
940 940 85-90% 1 107.50 $107.50 $1,010 +1.18
1020–1125 1081 85-90% 9 89.00–93.00 $91.27 $987
1050–1250 1211 85-90% 14 127.00–134.00 $129.83 $1,572
1000–1260 1213 85-90% 72 116.00–125.00 $122.00 $1,480
1080–1310 1240 85-90% 12 112.00–115.00 $113.54 $1,408
1220–1350 1268 85-90% 4 105.00–111.00 $108.39 $1,374 -20.87
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–1525 1370 80-85% 4 111.00–115.00 $113.29 $1,552 -10.35
1223–1540 1375 80-85% 12 132.50–139.00 $135.43 $1,862 +11.79
1305–1480 1381 80-85% 4 111.00–114.00 $112.30 $1,551 -11.34
1090–1645 1451 80-85% 60 120.00–132.00 $126.82 $1,840 +7.64
1415–1645 1525 80-85% 4 115.00–120.00 $117.60 $1,793
1560 1560 80-85% 1 139.00 $139.00 $2,168 +47.00
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1133–1700 1322 75-80% 3 114.00–115.00 $114.43 $1,513 -7.57
1567 1567 75-80% 6 132.50 $132.50 $2,076 +3.73
1575–1625 1608 75-80% 3 125.00 $125.00 $2,010
1690 1690 75-80% 1 117.00 $117.00 $1,977 +1.00
1750–1845 1768 75-80% 12 123.50–129.50 $124.48 $2,201

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1359 1340 6 146.00–155.00 $147.39 $1,975
1365 1365 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,706
1487–1700 1556 5 140.00–143.00 $140.66 $2,189
1365–2045 1752 18 131.00–145.00 $137.14 $2,403
1690–2115 1917 7 149.00–156.00 $151.64 $2,907
2010–2115 2045 3 160.00–170.00 $163.45 $3,343 +0.45

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
900–1185 1026 (<2 yrs)Open 16 143.00–194.00 $182.35 $1,871
1003–1535 1152 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 27 125.50–175.00 $146.60 $1,689
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
795 795 (<2 yrs)Open 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,431
1035 1035 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 152.50 $152.50 $1,578

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Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1199–1455 1250 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 5 2,000.00 $2,000.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1148 1148 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 2 1,475.00 $1,475.00

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775 775 85-90% 1 75.00 $75.00 $581
958 958 85-90% 2 98.00 $98.00 $939

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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.