Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2024-11-11

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Mon, Nov 11
● Final89 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1775
Feeder Cattle receipts
848 head
▲ 379 vs last sale 469▲ 270 vs year ago 578 · +46.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
1,209 head
▲ 369 vs last sale 840▲ 140 vs year ago 1,069 · +13.1%
Replacement Cattle receipts
535 head
▲ 305 vs last sale 230▲ 234 vs year ago 301 · +77.7%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality today was mostly average to attractive, but overall more attractive than last weeks sale. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. The best demand continues to be for calves under 500 lbs which buyers can develop into yearlings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows comprised most of the market today. Demand for cows was mostly light to moderate to start the sale and demand improved to mostly moderate to end the sale. Offerings were heavy. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower on boning and lean cows in a very narrow comparison. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality was most average to attractive and more attractive than last weeks sale. The majority of cows this sale were purchased to go to feed. Even lame or blemished cows ended up on feeding orders again this week. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 lower. Good demand was seen for a limited offering of bred cows. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Young age offerings sold generally steady to weak.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $296.88/cwt on 95 head. That ranks 1 of 3 comparable sales and sits −94.45 against this barn's trailing median of $391.33.
Average price
$296.88
95 head · 540 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,603
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$76
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$20.70/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−6.81
vs MT average
−8.56 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1538300.141,61580
Large 1550280.001,5402thin
Medium and Large 1-2551279.441,53913thin
One grade step is worth $20.70/cwt here — about $76 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale95 hd
296.88
—
MT average5 barns · 1,850 hd
303.70
−6.81
National average190 barns · 31,255 hd
305.44
−8.56
This barn, trailing median3 sales
391.33
−94.45
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

3 sales
445417388359median 391.3310/1210/1210/1910/2610/26
Steers 500–600 lb: high $431.25, low $373.42, median $391.33 across 3 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,666142.092,36778
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,539117.131,80263
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,362114.871,564467
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,175104.981,234315

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age
Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,455$2,1001thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,408$1,9753thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,465$1,8253thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,304$1,6509
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,207$1,6003thin

Every lot, as filed

89 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Mon)
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers22 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned247430.00/cwt430.00–430.001,0623
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned268477.67/cwt465.00–480.001,2806
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned315420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,3232
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned344403.00/cwt403.00–403.001,38617
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned367387.33/cwt387.00–390.001,4229
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned375368.20/cwt355.00–380.001,38123
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned417364.05/cwt340.00–370.001,51865
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned425331.19/cwt327.50–340.001,4084
Steers450–500Medium 1Unweaned453305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,3825
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned455330.64/cwt312.00–336.001,50417
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned479307.12/cwt295.00–309.001,47115
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned517287.78/cwt285.00–295.001,4887
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned538300.14/cwt294.00–307.001,61580
Steers550–600Large 1Unweaned550280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,5402
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned590269.71/cwt265.00–272.001,5916
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned615273.74/cwt267.00–279.001,68416
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned636263.21/cwt259.00–266.001,67418
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1Unweaned711244.00/cwt244.00–244.001,73511
Steers700–750Large 1Unweaned718243.00/cwt243.00–243.001,7453
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned732240.49/cwt240.00–241.001,7604
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2893237.00/cwt237.00–237.002,1162
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2924234.00/cwt234.00–234.002,1624
Feeder Cattle · Heifers19 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned249330.00/cwt330.00–330.008228
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned331357.28/cwt356.00–370.001,18320
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned331349.09/cwt344.00–352.001,15522
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned380327.77/cwt325.00–328.001,24625
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned386341.13/cwt336.00–345.001,31712
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned413326.00/cwt326.00–326.001,34618
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned480274.15/cwt270.00–285.001,3166
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned485292.25/cwt282.50–297.501,41748
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2Unweaned514230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,1825
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned543263.00/cwt263.00–263.001,42815
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned575245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,4093
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned588256.85/cwt247.00–258.501,51048
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned617242.49/cwt241.00–243.001,49616
Heifers600–650Medium 2625233.00/cwt233.00–233.001,4564
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned651234.00/cwt234.00–234.001,5235
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned662235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,55619
Heifers700–750Medium 1748221.00/cwt221.00–221.001,6537
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2861223.00/cwt223.00–223.001,92010
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1Full894216.00/cwt216.00–216.001,9317
Feeder Cattle · Bulls7 lots · lightest first
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned400345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,3803
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned462302.50/cwt302.50–302.501,3985
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned492295.00/cwt295.00–295.001,4515
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned525257.50/cwt257.50–257.501,3522
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned533290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,5463
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1805220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,7711
Bulls1100–1150Large 11,112182.00/cwt182.00–182.002,0245
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,554144.89/cwt144.00–147.002,25222
Bulls——Return to Feed1,600138.78/cwt121.00–143.502,22037
Bulls——1,920141.00/cwt133.00–143.002,7077
Bulls——1,924147.80/cwt145.50–153.002,84412
Slaughter Cattle · Cows20 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight89376.67/cwt76.00–78.006853
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight93088.00/cwt88.00–88.008181
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,05692.78/cwt92.00–93.0098014
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,11876.57/cwt65.00–88.0085615
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,163103.04/cwt94.00–108.001,198114
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,19091.91/cwt90.00–94.501,0944
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,197120.00/cwt120.00–120.001,4363
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,205110.86/cwt107.00–117.501,336159
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,238101.65/cwt98.00–105.001,2582
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,349117.31/cwt112.00–121.001,583323
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,359106.63/cwt99.50–110.501,44994
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,39494.08/cwt92.00–101.001,3114
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,438122.70/cwt122.50–125.001,76430
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,443113.97/cwt106.00–115.001,64521
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,47085.00/cwt85.00–85.001,2501
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,483105.88/cwt103.00–115.001,57015
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,569118.98/cwt117.00–123.001,86739
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,705117.00/cwt117.00–117.001,9951
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,725107.00/cwt107.00–107.001,8461
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,015121.50/cwt121.50–121.502,4481
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows12 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,186110.00/cwt110.00–110.001,30510
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2071,600.00/head1,600.00–1,600.001,6003
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,217117.30/cwt109.00–121.501,42831
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,277110.00/cwt110.00–110.001,4059
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,288118.50/cwt118.50–118.501,52624
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3041,650.00/head1,650.00–1,650.001,6509
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,333115.50/cwt115.50–115.501,54019
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,370118.00/cwt118.00–118.001,6173
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4081,975.00/head1,975.00–1,975.001,9753
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4552,100.00/head2,100.00–2,100.002,1001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4651,825.00/head1,825.00–1,825.001,8253
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,638116.00/cwt116.00–116.001,9003
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows5 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2912125.00/cwt125.00–125.001,14017
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1973186.01/cwt154.00–204.001,810132
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2994142.53/cwt123.00–162.001,41722
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,001123.40/cwt112.00–132.501,23511
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,026162.87/cwt125.00–196.001,671168

How this sale compares

Montana weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Montana auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.