Cattle Market Pulse

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 28, 2026

1,468 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $478.91/cwt +0.74 vs last sale · ≈ $2,289/hd at 478 lb · 159 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $460.45/cwt -2.58 vs last sale · ≈ $2,445/hd at 531 lb · 149 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $348.68/cwt -7.53 vs last sale · ≈ $2,388/hd at 685 lb · 119 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 1,468 — —

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
370 370 6 640.00–670.00 $645.00 $2,386 -8.74
405–428 423 10 600.00–610.00 $608.09 $2,572 +9.29
453–490 463 15 545.00–595.00 $576.34 $2,668 +13.94
508–545 526 51 499.00–537.00 $522.19 $2,747 +1.37
551–595 582 114 450.00–500.00 $475.79 $2,769 -3.59
615–639 633 53 425.00–446.00 $432.87 $2,740 -8.41
664–678 665 29 414.00–421.00 $420.13 $2,794 +5.82
714 714 29 401.50 $401.50 $2,867 +7.06
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 4 510.00 $510.00 $2,244 -57.69
477 477 3 515.00 $515.00 $2,457 -7.23
523 523 6 485.00 $485.00 $2,537 -7.57
568 568 3 447.50 $447.50 $2,542 +9.22
620–649 632 21 400.00–421.00 $417.23 $2,637 +15.96
730–743 734 6 372.00–379.00 $374.36 $2,748 -5.67
869 869 4 341.00 $341.00 $2,963 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 2 485.00 $485.00 $2,173 —
492 492 5 527.50 $527.50 $2,595 —
515–535 525 2 500.00–510.00 $505.10 $2,652 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423 423 3 405.00 $405.00 $1,713 —
550 550 3 330.00 $330.00 $1,815 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 374 7 540.00 $540.00 $2,020 -4.77
425–438 427 17 492.00–495.00 $492.54 $2,103 -9.38
453–495 478 159 467.50–488.00 $478.91 $2,289 +0.74
502–543 531 149 436.00–468.00 $460.45 $2,445 +0.18
565–593 572 30 420.00–443.00 $433.40 $2,479 +2.26
603–641 626 94 389.00–418.00 $396.80 $2,484 -2.31
655–693 662 46 366.00–395.00 $390.62 $2,586 +6.89
707–749 718 50 361.00–365.50 $364.28 $2,616 -2.96
750–760 756 9 349.00–352.50 $351.33 $2,656 +0.99
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–440 434 12 450.00–500.00 $492.23 $2,136 +5.36
452–499 474 72 405.00–468.00 $453.05 $2,147 +1.30
525–535 533 47 412.50–435.00 $417.75 $2,227 -14.39
555–596 586 8 390.00–394.00 $393.05 $2,303 -17.14
635 635 3 355.00 $355.00 $2,254 -5.00
683–693 685 119 347.00–356.00 $348.68 $2,388 -7.53
710–736 731 5 349.00–353.00 $352.22 $2,575 —
762 762 15 336.00 $336.00 $2,560 +11.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
532 532 6 432.50 $432.50 $2,301 —
598 598 2 396.00 $396.00 $2,368 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 470.00 $470.00 $1,762 +50.00
570 570 5 300.00 $300.00 $1,710 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
449 449 4 476.00 $476.00 $2,137 +26.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 2 295.00 $295.00 $1,416 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–471 470 9 535.00–550.00 $545.57 $2,564 +35.57
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
530 530 2 485.00 $485.00 $2,570 —
949 949 7 290.00 $290.00 $2,752 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1298 1298 80-85% 2 125.00 $125.00 $1,622 —
1225–1505 1351 80-85% 27 160.00–173.00 $167.44 $2,262 +42.49
1390–1430 1420 80-85% 6 135.00–145.00 $141.01 $2,002 -18.07
1460–1570 1515 80-85% 2 130.00–143.00 $136.74 $2,072 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1015 1010 85-90% 2 75.00–97.50 $86.31 $872 —
1025–1205 1115 85-90% 2 120.00–122.50 $121.15 $1,351 -10.53
1115–1161 1155 85-90% 8 159.00–168.00 $160.85 $1,858 +2.34
1175 1175 85-90% 1 171.00 $171.00 $2,009 +12.49
1065–1325 1195 85-90% 2 127.50–148.00 $138.87 $1,659 -19.64
1160–1295 1215 85-90% 5 143.00–163.00 $152.05 $1,847 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565–1605 1578 75-80% 3 165.00–169.00 $167.64 $2,645 +4.62
1545–1750 1648 75-80% 5 142.00–159.00 $152.50 $2,513 +0.99
1983 1983 75-80% 5 164.00 $164.00 $3,252 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1455–1775 1588 3 177.00–180.00 $178.76 $2,839 —
1510–1760 1635 2 156.00–179.00 $168.38 $2,753 —
1820–2270 2040 4 178.00–185.00 $181.43 $3,701 —
YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2375 2375 1 193.00 $193.00 $4,584 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
860 860 (<2 yrs)Open 6 285.00 $285.00 $2,451
934–1305 1086 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 32 210.00–280.00 $236.61 $2,570
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
896–1030 923 (<2 yrs)Open 5 245.00–255.00 $247.23 $2,282
842–1280 973 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 12 180.00–280.00 $241.41 $2,349

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1225 1225 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 2,375.00 $2,375.00
1190–1275 thin fleshed 1230 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 2,000.00 $2,000.00
1495 1495 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,550.00 $2,550.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1765 1765 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 2,850.00 $2,850.00

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Beef/Dairy Heifers

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
723 723 8 335.00 $335.00 $2,422 —
846 846 37 311.00 $311.00 $2,631 —

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Beef/Dairy Steers

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
891 891 24 326.00 $326.00 $2,905 —
1005 1005 6 282.50 $282.50 $2,839 —

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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.