Cattle Market Pulse

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

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 30, 2026

955 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 steers $440.90/cwt ≈ $2,319/hd at 526 lb · 68 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $488.46/cwt ≈ $2,135/hd at 437 lb · 49 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $397.20/cwt +5.20 vs last sale · ≈ $2,097/hd at 528 lb · 35 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 955 842 791
Feeder cattle 468 233 255
Slaughter cattle 365 388 418
Replacement cattle 122 221 118

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale (9-23-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain to average with most offerings seen in small packages or as singles. Demand was light to moderate as both quality and quantity limited demand. CME feeder cattle positions showed strong gains today as grain crops showed significant weakness. Market activity was mostly moderate today with a small to moderate crowd of buyers on hand for todays sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for light to moderate offerings. Canadian buyers showed moderate demand for cows to feed but were met with little resistance as American packers showed mostly light demand for all feeding cows. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. Private feeders were more active this week and were willing to take blemished cows to feed. Much more of the offering was purchased to feed this week compared to last week. Slaughter cows continue to be met with light demand. American packers continue to buy slaughter cows lower and allowed many cows to be sold to feeding buyers as they pushed these cows above slaughter buyers orders. Slaughter cows sold 1.00-2.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold steady to 5.00 lower on a poorer quality lower yielding offering. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00 to 5.00 higher as feeding buyers and slaughter buyers both showed moderate to good demand for offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate to good demand today with several more buyers purchasing this class of cow this week. Young age offerings sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison.

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
298 unweaned 298 2 605.00 $605.00 $1,803 —
305 unweaned 305 1 610.00 $610.00 $1,860 —
370–399 unweaned 393 5 510.00–520.00 $511.88 $2,012 -11.41
400–442 unweaned 437 49 480.00–500.00 $488.46 $2,135 —
458–497 unweaned 482 23 459.00–480.00 $465.74 $2,245 +3.24
510–542 unweaned 526 68 436.00–447.00 $440.90 $2,319 —
565–577 unweaned 574 20 402.50–428.00 $414.45 $2,379 —
623 unweaned 623 3 387.00 $387.00 $2,411 —
658 unweaned 658 3 379.00 $379.00 $2,494 —
705 unweaned 705 2 373.00 $373.00 $2,630 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
399 unweaned 399 4 497.50 $497.50 $1,985 —
480 unweaned 480 2 457.00 $457.00 $2,194 —
878 878 3 331.00 $331.00 $2,906 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510 unweaned 510 2 447.50 $447.50 $2,282 —
655 unweaned 655 2 375.00 $375.00 $2,456 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 unweaned 250 1 570.00 $570.00 $1,425 —
406–438 unweaned 417 19 440.00–452.00 $444.20 $1,852 —
483–485 unweaned 485 22 422.50–424.00 $423.84 $2,056 —
504–545 unweaned 528 35 385.00–412.00 $397.20 $2,097 +5.20
628–644 unweaned 635 11 357.00–359.00 $357.92 $2,273 —
835–848 846 11 315.00–317.00 $315.36 $2,668 -9.64
930–942 933 21 299.00–306.00 $303.47 $2,831 -3.57
963–990 978 16 295.00–299.00 $296.77 $2,902 -1.23
1029–1043 1034 6 289.00–299.00 $292.36 $3,023 -5.34
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 unweaned 380 3 460.00 $460.00 $1,748 —
473 unweaned 473 2 410.00 $410.00 $1,939 +50.00
513 unweaned 513 2 384.00 $384.00 $1,970 —
752 752 3 334.00 $334.00 $2,512 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1051 1051 4 291.00 $291.00 $3,058 —

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Feeder Bulls

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
568 unweaned 568 6 405.00 $405.00 $2,300 —
1155 1155 1 260.00 $260.00 $3,003 —
1200–1227 1220 4 235.00–240.00 $236.23 $2,882 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
555 unweaned 555 1 405.00 $405.00 $2,248 —
655 unweaned 655 2 370.00 $370.00 $2,424 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1268 1268 2 222.50 $222.50 $2,821 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045 1045 1 252.50 $252.50 $2,639 —
1125 1125 1 235.00 $235.00 $2,644 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995 995 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,388 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1690 1368 80-85% 55 119.00–141.00 $135.60 $1,855 +11.30
1315–1480 1388 80-85% 6 128.00–138.00 $133.42 $1,852 -25.19
1290–1595 1419 80-85% 41 140.00–150.00 $145.10 $2,059 -4.50
1300–1525 1434 80-85% 7 152.00–154.00 $152.54 $2,187 +2.94
1335–1962 1542 80-85% 6 109.00–125.00 $115.77 $1,785 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930 930 85-90% 1 85.00 $85.00 $790 -35.83
930 930 85-90% 1 90.00 $90.00 $837 -30.83
940–945 943 85-90% 2 120.00–122.50 $121.25 $1,143 +0.42
1060–1210 1158 85-90% 3 124.00–133.00 $129.73 $1,502 +0.74
1015–1270 1171 85-90% 10 100.00–120.00 $110.13 $1,290 -18.86
955–1396 1199 85-90% 58 117.50–134.00 $129.49 $1,553 +0.02
1138–1300 1221 85-90% 36 134.00–145.00 $137.90 $1,684 -12.54
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1485–1635 1586 75-80% 4 140.00–147.00 $143.40 $2,274 -5.05
1490–1685 1600 75-80% 11 134.00–139.00 $135.69 $2,171 +1.14
1570–1606 1601 75-80% 7 148.00–153.00 $148.70 $2,381 +14.15
1415–1718 1653 75-80% 7 132.00–136.00 $132.71 $2,194 -14.29
1380–1910 1676 75-80% 11 124.00–132.00 $129.29 $2,167 -17.71
2085 2085 75-80% 1 117.50 $117.50 $2,450 —
2100 2100 75-80% 1 130.00 $130.00 $2,730 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1410 1410 1 169.00 $169.00 $2,383 —
1548–1695 1604 4 159.00–173.00 $167.52 $2,687 —
1525–2155 1781 8 160.00–170.00 $167.12 $2,976 —
1650–1893 1791 16 172.00–183.00 $178.50 $3,197 —
1645–2215 1943 29 174.00–181.00 $177.52 $3,449 +3.11
2015–2060 2030 3 184.00–184.50 $184.33 $3,742 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
875–1300 997 (<2 yrs)Open 33 215.00–287.50 $264.10 $2,633
915–1465 1128 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 25 165.00–285.00 $230.18 $2,596
1150 1150 (<2 yrs)Open 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,530
1323–1350 1328 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 154.00–157.00 $156.49 $2,078
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
880–1135 1010 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 164.00–225.00 $186.77 $1,886

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1136 1136 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 4 3,050.00 $3,050.00

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Open Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930–1215 1030 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 19 246.00–295.00 $279.19 $2,876 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950 950 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,280 —

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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.