Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 3, 2025

930 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 $361.23/cwt -38.77 vs last sale · ≈ $1,849/hd at 512 lb · 16 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $353.79/cwt ≈ $2,154/hd at 609 lb · 15 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $325.60/cwt ≈ $2,217/hd at 681 lb · 13 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 930

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 490.00 $490.00 $1,666
452 452 5 465.00 $465.00 $2,102
515 515 1 417.50 $417.50 $2,150
518 value added 518 2 430.00 $430.00 $2,227
575 575 5 377.50 $377.50 $2,171
600 600 11 381.00 $381.00 $2,286 +31.00
656 656 12 363.00 $363.00 $2,381
749 749 4 345.00 $345.00 $2,584
890 890 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,536
1060 1060 1 277.50 $277.50 $2,942
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
595 595 4 352.50 $352.50 $2,097
697 697 11 342.50 $342.50 $2,387
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
316 316 4 420.00 $420.00 $1,327
405 405 2 450.00 $450.00 $1,822
458 458 2 365.00 $365.00 $1,672
520 520 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,872
560–590 575 2 342.50 $342.50 $1,969
760 760 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,128
948 948 2 267.50 $267.50 $2,536

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
511–513 512 16 350.00–370.00 $361.23 $1,849 -38.77
551 551 8 345.00 $345.00 $1,901 +6.98
605–613 608 9 347.00–351.00 $349.65 $2,126
610 fancy 610 6 360.00 $360.00 $2,196
680–685 681 13 322.00–337.50 $325.60 $2,217
725 725 1 312.50 $312.50 $2,266
1030 1030 2 260.00 $260.00 $2,678
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–390 383 2 360.00–380.00 $370.20 $1,418
450 450 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,440
520–525 523 2 330.00–335.00 $332.51 $1,739
575–590 583 2 300.00–320.00 $310.13 $1,808
605 605 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,815
650–690 677 3 310.00–315.00 $311.60 $2,110
715 715 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,002

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Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
758 758 2 270.00 $270.00 $2,047
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935 935 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,618

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Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1330 1211 80-85% 11 141.00–169.00 $150.84 $1,827
1052–1328 1236 80-85% 22 156.00–192.50 $170.80 $2,111
1045–1500 1240 80-85% 63 144.00–157.50 $151.05 $1,873
1035–1470 1249 80-85% 106 142.50–181.00 $161.52 $2,017
1050–1379 1311 80-85% 26 157.50–166.00 $159.78 $2,095 +41.24
1170–1575 1392 80-85% 12 125.00–142.00 $134.18 $1,868 -8.77
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1186–1350 1203 75-80% 13 180.00–232.50 $193.06 $2,323
1135–1547 1412 75-80% 100 153.00–175.00 $163.09 $2,303
1340–1775 1556 75-80% 45 150.00–160.00 $156.68 $2,438
1515–1630 1557 75-80% 3 161.00–165.00 $162.30 $2,527
1345–1985 1589 75-80% 13 122.00–142.00 $133.71 $2,125
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885–1215 1050 85-90% 2 100.00–107.50 $103.16 $1,083
850–1260 1122 85-90% 29 102.50–122.50 $117.15 $1,314 -19.77
905–1300 1148 85-90% 30 126.00–166.00 $140.22 $1,610 +3.30
1000–1263 1164 85-90% 18 80.00–95.00 $88.00 $1,024 -20.58
1123–1445 1187 85-90% 12 128.00–162.00 $146.84 $1,743 -9.01
1243–1430 1337 85-90% 4 129.00–132.50 $130.87 $1,750

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1298 1298 5 137.50 $137.50 $1,785
1213–2180 1628 12 165.00–175.00 $171.06 $2,785
1255–1788 1679 5 142.50–162.00 $152.69 $2,564
1395–1755 1679 6 160.00–162.00 $160.70 $2,698
1625–2126 2005 7 179.00–181.00 $179.42 $3,597

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
755–1049 961 (<2 yrs)Open 94 180.00–310.00 $282.02 $2,710
770–1263 1092 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 61 170.00–267.50 $231.21 $2,525

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1060–1141 1123 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 10 2,100.00–2,800.00 $2,607.45
1117–1216 1164 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 14 2,600.00–3,700.00 $3,370.60
1060–1465 1224 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 16 2,350.00–2,700.00 $2,533.27
1315–1430 1370 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 27 2,000.00–2,450.00 $2,333.83
1240–1535 1380 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,850.00–2,050.00 $1,948.77

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
889 889 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 11 2,550.00 $2,550.00
995–1050 1023 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 2,350.00–2,450.00 $2,398.66

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1255 1255 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,300.00 $3,300.00
1627 1627 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,650.00 $2,650.00

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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.