Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 5, 2025

380 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 1-2 steers $288.00/cwt -20.39 vs last sale · ≈ $1,881/hd at 653 lb · 16 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $339.75/cwt -23.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,736/hd at 511 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 380 — —

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
396 396 5 395.00 $395.00 $1,564 -36.38
421 421 6 365.00 $365.00 $1,537 -29.26
455 455 5 365.00 $365.00 $1,661 -7.91
505–515 511 10 337.50–340.00 $339.75 $1,736 -23.30
570 570 5 320.00 $320.00 $1,824 -5.18
653 653 16 288.00 $288.00 $1,881 -20.39
850 850 1 251.00 $251.00 $2,134 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 6 305.00 $305.00 $1,586 -2.34
619 619 7 281.00 $281.00 $1,739 +7.21
765–778 772 4 244.00 $244.00 $1,884 —
880 880 1 243.00 $243.00 $2,138 +14.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
338 338 2 327.50 $327.50 $1,107 —
368 unweaned 368 6 315.00 $315.00 $1,159 —
491 491 8 260.00 $260.00 $1,277 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,547 -10.59
863 863 5 250.00 $250.00 $2,158 +9.00
1014 1014 5 243.50 $243.50 $2,469 +16.00
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
633 633 3 242.50 $242.50 $1,535 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075 1075 1 228.00 $228.00 $2,451 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090 1090 1 222.00 $222.00 $2,420 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 6 330.00 $330.00 $1,436 —
584 584 6 287.50 $287.50 $1,679 +2.50
739 739 6 252.00 $252.00 $1,862 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
790–818 810 85-90% 5 80.00–91.00 $88.62 $718 -8.88
915 915 85-90% 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,144 —
987–1290 1044 85-90% 62 111.00–122.00 $115.64 $1,207 —
1033–1130 1081 85-90% 6 100.00–110.00 $104.49 $1,130 -15.78
965–1248 1103 85-90% 27 127.00–134.00 $131.76 $1,453 +12.76
1075–1175 1128 85-90% 3 92.50–95.00 $94.21 $1,063 -24.79
1060–1275 1160 85-90% 11 139.00–145.00 $142.80 $1,656 +14.73
1045–1258 1211 85-90% 13 131.00–137.00 $134.66 $1,631 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1264–1510 1353 80-85% 10 129.00–141.00 $135.44 $1,833 +12.10
1280–1580 1361 80-85% 14 131.00–144.00 $138.59 $1,886 +15.25
1314–1510 1454 80-85% 29 145.00–152.00 $149.91 $2,180 —
1493 1493 80-85% 4 152.50 $152.50 $2,277 —
1520 1520 80-85% 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,809 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1533–1715 1594 75-80% 3 147.00–148.00 $147.36 $2,349 —
1647 1647 75-80% 3 143.00 $143.00 $2,355 -0.42

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1440 1385 2 136.00 $136.00 $1,884 —
1545 1545 2 159.00 $159.00 $2,457 —
1565–2100 1823 5 160.00–163.00 $161.83 $2,950 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
925 thin fleshed 925 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 14 133.00 $133.00 $1,230
919–1105 981 (<2 yrs)Open 8 177.50–215.00 $200.34 $1,965
888–1140 1020 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 22 153.00–192.50 $172.79 $1,762
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
843–1000 922 (<2 yrs)Open 4 180.00–182.00 $181.09 $1,670

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1108 thin fleshed 1108 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,500.00 $1,500.00
1128–1280 thin fleshed 1189 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 1,800.00–1,900.00 $1,843.07
1365 1365 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,850.00 $1,850.00

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1122 1122 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 2,850.00 $2,850.00

↑ Back to top

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.