Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report, Billings, MT

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 21, 2026

3,738 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $432.04/cwt ≈ $2,498/hd at 578 lb · 386 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $441.24/cwt ≈ $2,760/hd at 626 lb · 308 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $463.03/cwt ≈ $2,428/hd at 524 lb · 302 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 3,738 — —

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
230 230 1 730.00 $730.00 $1,679 —
302–320 304 12 685.00–705.00 $703.24 $2,138 —
368–376 373 13 640.00–670.00 $653.74 $2,438 —
411–426 412 78 590.00–622.50 $598.80 $2,467 —
452–497 467 49 551.00–585.00 $562.40 $2,626 —
502–546 524 171 497.00–544.00 $520.82 $2,729 —
563 unweaned 563 8 475.00 $475.00 $2,674 —
563–595 574 126 457.50–499.00 $479.38 $2,752 —
611 unweaned 611 9 440.00 $440.00 $2,688 —
600–646 626 299 417.00–457.50 $441.28 $2,762 —
656–685 672 175 399.50–421.00 $414.31 $2,784 —
701–744 725 172 385.00–405.00 $394.44 $2,860 —
750–783 757 82 369.00–393.00 $388.95 $2,944 —
808–839 820 72 358.50–370.50 $367.05 $3,010 —
888 888 5 345.00 $345.00 $3,064 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 605.00 $605.00 $1,936 —
360–380 371 6 575.00–620.00 $593.69 $2,203 —
418–440 429 6 560.00–575.00 $567.69 $2,435 —
456–499 480 41 505.00–531.00 $522.23 $2,507 —
521–533 523 30 481.00–495.00 $492.57 $2,576 —
573–588 584 43 427.50–472.50 $438.28 $2,560 —
620–648 639 7 392.00–414.00 $401.27 $2,564 —
665–699 690 71 365.00–395.00 $390.62 $2,695 —
700–741 727 59 375.00–382.00 $380.03 $2,763 —
780–793 789 3 357.00–365.00 $359.64 $2,838 —
805 805 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,818 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
379 379 5 545.00 $545.00 $2,066 —
546 546 12 400.00 $400.00 $2,184 —
650–684 659 18 369.00–386.00 $381.10 $2,511 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362 362 3 620.00 $620.00 $2,244 —
401–447 436 28 557.50–580.00 $562.68 $2,453 —
515 515 3 485.00 $485.00 $2,498 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
696 696 8 391.00 $391.00 $2,721 —
720 720 3 380.00 $380.00 $2,736 —
836 836 10 349.00 $349.00 $2,918 —

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343–348 346 12 540.00–545.00 $542.07 $1,876 —
350–387 371 64 540.00–547.50 $544.77 $2,021 —
402–445 423 29 490.00–525.00 $501.92 $2,123 —
455–499 480 74 470.00–495.00 $478.17 $2,295 —
501–520 fancy 508 29 481.00–494.00 $489.00 $2,484 —
500–547 526 273 440.00–475.00 $460.27 $2,421 —
554 fancy 554 14 456.00 $456.00 $2,526 —
551–599 579 372 422.00–448.00 $431.14 $2,496 —
604 unweaned 604 7 411.00 $411.00 $2,482 —
600–641 628 185 387.00–425.00 $399.11 $2,506 —
652–685 663 92 371.50–392.50 $383.73 $2,544 —
708–738 723 79 365.00–374.00 $367.24 $2,655 —
752–780 761 72 342.50–367.50 $350.34 $2,666 —
815–821 820 8 327.00–335.00 $327.99 $2,690 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
267 267 9 510.00 $510.00 $1,362 —
300–348 332 8 500.00–525.00 $510.88 $1,696 —
410–447 428 33 465.00–495.00 $486.87 $2,084 —
458–498 484 44 430.00–467.50 $451.75 $2,186 —
510–544 524 38 422.50–440.00 $432.14 $2,264 —
559–598 569 13 395.00–420.00 $410.19 $2,334 —
633 633 10 360.00 $360.00 $2,279 —
655–696 673 22 342.50–362.50 $356.21 $2,397 —
763 763 2 325.00 $325.00 $2,480 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
612 612 9 375.00 $375.00 $2,295 —
655 655 26 360.00 $360.00 $2,358 —
753 753 2 330.00 $330.00 $2,485 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 2 420.00 $420.00 $1,617 —
510–545 521 20 390.00–420.00 $410.58 $2,139 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 6 450.00 $450.00 $1,868 —

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381 381 38 630.00 $630.00 $2,400 —
420–430 430 55 570.00–591.00 $590.63 $2,540 —
482 482 3 510.00 $510.00 $2,458 —
504–548 523 20 462.50–515.00 $494.17 $2,585 —
560–590 570 32 420.00–460.00 $446.61 $2,546 —
609–640 635 39 395.00–417.50 $398.32 $2,529 —
693 693 9 384.00 $384.00 $2,661 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 6 550.00 $550.00 $2,420 —
705–745 725 8 320.00–350.00 $334.59 $2,426 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1083 1083 5 270.00 $270.00 $2,924 —

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840–995 918 85-90% 2 105.00–120.00 $111.87 $1,027 -10.72
965–1165 1075 85-90% 4 102.50–121.00 $112.94 $1,214 -31.01
890–1265 1090 85-90% 32 127.00–150.00 $141.73 $1,545 -2.22
1020–1168 1095 85-90% 6 165.00–170.00 $168.21 $1,842 +24.26
1110–1225 1140 85-90% 5 130.00–137.50 $131.68 $1,501 +1.04
780–1280 1169 85-90% 24 150.00–163.00 $158.51 $1,853 +71.59
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1440 1350 80-85% 4 123.00–126.00 $124.95 $1,687 -46.33
1275–1440 1389 80-85% 8 130.00–148.00 $138.66 $1,926 —
1300–1555 1389 80-85% 18 131.00–152.00 $146.97 $2,041 —
1280–1534 1404 80-85% 37 155.00–164.50 $159.08 $2,233 +18.46
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1530 1530 75-80% 4 152.00 $152.00 $2,326 -19.80
1556–1605 1568 75-80% 8 162.00–166.00 $163.02 $2,556 +38.02
1520–1690 1638 75-80% 6 149.00–158.00 $151.51 $2,482 —
1475–1970 1732 75-80% 10 160.00–167.00 $164.13 $2,843 —
2000–2225 2113 75-80% 2 155.00–160.00 $157.37 $3,325 —

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1155 1083 2 150.00–151.00 $150.47 $1,630 —
1135–2000 1665 15 152.00–171.00 $161.91 $2,696 —
1710–2395 1978 13 177.00–188.00 $180.73 $3,575 -5.27
2300–2365 2333 2 190.00–197.00 $193.45 $4,513 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2625 2625 1 167.00 $167.00 $4,384 —

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
963–1147 1009 (<2 yrs)Open 38 237.00–290.00 $274.13 $2,766
910–1380 1075 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 55 200.00–282.50 $229.27 $2,465
1265–1485 1357 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 184.00–199.00 $190.11 $2,580
1330–1390 1360 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 163.00–173.00 $167.89 $2,283
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
810–1198 962 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 33 171.00–250.00 $217.68 $2,094
1015–1120 1068 (<2 yrs)Open 2 215.00–227.50 $220.94 $2,360
1065–1250 1158 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 171.00 $171.00 $1,980

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N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185 1185 85-90% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,363 —

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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.