Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2024-12-09

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Mon, Dec 9
● Final83 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1775
Feeder Cattle receipts
363 head
▲ 130 vs last sale 233▲ 175 vs year ago 188 · +93.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
541 head
▲ 155 vs last sale 386▼ 2 vs year ago 543 · −0.4%
Replacement Cattle receipts
335 head
▲ 245 vs last sale 90▲ 200 vs year ago 135 · +148.1%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested either last week or this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Limited offerings of feeders sold on light to moderate demand. Quality today was mostly plain to average and similar to last week. Most calves were offered in small lots or as singles, forcing buyers to piece together loads. Market activity was mostly moderate with a small buyer pool bidding on calves. The best demand continues to be for light weight offerings suitable to run on grass or wheat. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand today for light to moderate offerings. Most cows were purchased to feed. Packers showed good demand for both slaughter and short term feeding cows this week. Very few cows were purchased to send to immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on all classes. Short term feeding cows sold mostly steady. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to firm. Quality was most plain to average today and not as attractive as last weeks offering. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Young age offerings sold mostly 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average to attractive with several packages of tested open 2-3 year old cows off bred offerings.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $280.25/cwt on 21 head. That ranks 1 of 3 comparable sales and sits −79.26 against this barn's trailing median of $359.50.
Average price
$280.25
21 head · 531 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,489
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$242
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2
$50.35/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−20.84
vs MT average
−0.05 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2530290.351,54015thin
Medium and Large 1518285.001,4762thin
Medium and Large 2541240.001,2984thin
One grade step is worth $50.35/cwt here — about $242 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 sale21 hd
280.25
—
MT average4 barns · 1,076 hd
301.09
−20.84
National average188 barns · 25,726 hd
280.30
−0.05
This barn, trailing median3 sales
359.50
−79.26
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
384366348329median 359.5010/1210/1210/1910/2610/26
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $370.05, low $343.45, median $359.50 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—Low1,702139.992,38344
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,638121.191,98632
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,410119.791,689279
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,156111.431,288164

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/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,377$2,28219
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,202$2,2549
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,415$2,0254thin
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,420$1,6753thin
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,229$1,64023
Bred Heifers2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,095$2,4466
Bred Heifers1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)(<2 yrs)1,011$2,1797

Every lot, as filed

83 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 · Steers12 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1345465.00/cwt465.00–465.001,6046
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned360425.00/cwt425.00–425.001,5301
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2381385.10/cwt375.00–395.001,4676
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned394397.50/cwt397.50–397.501,5667
Steers400–450Medium 1416367.00/cwt367.00–367.001,5279
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2423374.86/cwt352.00–387.501,58614
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned506318.00/cwt318.00–318.001,60913
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1525335.00/cwt335.00–335.001,7596
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned564302.31/cwt301.00–305.001,7059
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2594294.33/cwt294.00–295.001,7483
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned622287.43/cwt285.00–295.001,7884
Steers1150–1200Large 11,165221.00/cwt221.00–221.002,5751
Feeder Cattle · Heifers20 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 2Unweaned293345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,0114
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2354367.50/cwt367.50–367.501,3017
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned380350.41/cwt347.50–355.001,3325
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2422326.00/cwt326.00–326.001,3763
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2Unweaned458284.00/cwt284.00–284.001,3013
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1460339.86/cwt311.00–360.001,5635
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2491297.00/cwt297.00–297.001,4584
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned518285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,4762
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned520294.71/cwt280.00–296.001,53213
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2Unweaned541240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,2984
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2598262.00/cwt262.00–262.001,5672
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned627270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,6935
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned632246.46/cwt241.00–255.001,55822
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2663251.00/cwt251.00–251.001,6642
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2709242.00/cwt242.00–242.001,7166
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1810239.00/cwt239.00–239.001,9364
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1919228.10/cwt226.00–230.502,09630
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,023219.00/cwt219.00–219.002,2407
Heifers1050–1100Medium and Large 1-21,093201.00/cwt201.00–201.002,1977
Heifers1200–1250Large 11,223189.00/cwt189.00–189.002,3114
Feeder Cattle · Bulls8 lots · lightest first
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2530290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,5372
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2685227.50/cwt227.50–227.501,5582
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1718242.00/cwt242.00–242.001,7385
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1855232.00/cwt232.00–232.001,9841
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1975222.00/cwt222.00–222.002,1653
Bulls1100–1150Large 11,130212.50/cwt212.50–212.502,4011
Bulls1150–1200Large 1-21,173182.50/cwt182.50–182.502,1412
Bulls1300–1350Large 11,332186.00/cwt186.00–186.002,4784
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,212114.39/cwt110.00–125.001,3863
Bulls——Return to Feed1,527135.56/cwt128.00–146.002,07011
Bulls——Return to Feed1,709146.04/cwt144.00–148.002,4967
Bulls——1,764138.72/cwt123.00–146.002,44711
Bulls——1,925148.09/cwt147.00–150.002,85112
Slaughter Cattle · Cows19 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight75092.50/cwt92.50–92.506942
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight91876.87/cwt73.00–85.007064
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,137102.44/cwt92.00–109.001,16542
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,152126.45/cwt124.00–129.501,45736
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,16097.22/cwt93.00–99.001,1284
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,191113.55/cwt110.00–122.001,35273
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,20783.02/cwt77.50–86.001,0023
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,317126.97/cwt126.50–131.501,67235
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,34595.67/cwt95.00–97.001,2873
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,419120.68/cwt114.00–126.001,712205
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,446109.25/cwt101.00–113.501,58034
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,470120.00/cwt120.00–120.001,7641
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,548122.81/cwt121.00–123.001,90110
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,614124.50/cwt124.50–124.502,0097
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,657115.67/cwt109.00–119.001,9175
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,681117.47/cwt115.50–119.501,9758
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,685116.00/cwt116.00–116.001,9551
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,875131.00/cwt131.00–131.002,4561
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed2,040129.50/cwt129.50–129.502,6421
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers3 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium 18632,000.00/head2,000.00–2,000.002,0003
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 11,0952,445.55/head2,425.00–2,450.002,4466
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 11,1222,313.25/head2,250.00–2,375.002,3134
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows10 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium 19951,850.00/head1,850.00–1,850.001,8501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,1551,200.00/head1,200.00–1,200.001,2006
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1582,286.19/head2,275.00–2,300.002,2868
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,2521,807.11/head1,785.00–1,850.001,80716
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,3101,600.00/head1,600.00–1,600.001,6001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3902,386.60/head2,375.00–2,400.002,38714
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4152,025.00/head2,025.00–2,025.002,0254
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4201,675.43/head1,650.00–1,725.001,6753
Bred Cows—Large 11,4292,023.88/head2,000.00–2,100.002,0244
Bred Cows—Large 11,5552,000.00/head2,000.00–2,000.002,0001
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows6 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed775190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,4731
Stock Cows—Large 1780195.00/cwt195.00–195.001,5211
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1939204.87/cwt140.00–234.001,924196
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2946136.77/cwt125.50–165.001,2945
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,002148.03/cwt137.50–155.001,4834
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,133146.40/cwt121.00–192.001,65940

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.