Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-03-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-03-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to two weeks ago: Steer and heifer calves were all too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Demand was mostly good to very good for heavy offerings. Quality today was mostly average to very attractive. Several load lots of feeders were seen this week, and these offerings were met with good to very good demand. Packages sold with mostly good demand as buyers were able to piece together loads of like quality cattle. Demand for one iron, home-raised cattle was good today for all weight classes. Flesh conditions were mixed this sale as some cattle were out of grow lots while others were weaned in open pastures. Grow lot cattle were mostly in moderate flesh, however a few fleshy offerings were seen. Most grow lot cattle were pushing light to moderate amounts of tag. The best demand seen today was for cattle suitable to run on grass. Buyers offered strong premiums for green cattle which consigners kept in thin flesh. A very large crowd was on hand for todays sale. Market activity was mostly active for todays sale and remained active with strong demand throughout the sale which stretched late into the evening. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Packers opted to feed a few offerings as several packages of cows which had been started on feed were seen. Slaughter cows sold generally steady with last sale on all offerings. Feeding cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Packer buyers continue to buy some young cow offerings away from feeding and replacement buyers as long as they fit their orders.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $212.75/cwt on 1,859 head.

Average price

$212.75

1,859 head · 690 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,469

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$340

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$66.45/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.19

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	485	239.50	1,161	10thin
Medium 1-2	447	226.25	1,011	12thin
Medium and Large 1-2	588	221.95	1,305	154
Medium and Large 1	695	213.46	1,484	1,608
Large 1	867	173.05	1,500	75

One grade step is worth $66.45/cwt here — about −$340 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale1,859 hd

212.75

—

MT average3 barns · 3,080 hd

213.95

−1.19

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,659	99.59	1,653	41
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,503	92.93	1,397	78
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,399	90.73	1,270	108
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,190	78.58	935	131

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,410	$1,310	7
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,343	$1,285	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,138	$1,232	12
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,213	$1,210	4thin

Every lot, as filed

114 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Thu)

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,535	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	1,489	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,579	90.66/cwt	88.00–92.00	1,432	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,376	90.85/cwt	86.00–95.00	1,250	65
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	855	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	718	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	710	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,486	93.25/cwt	93.25–93.25	1,386	64
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,255	86.13/cwt	84.00–92.00	1,081	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	655	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,369	61
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	611	216.64/cwt	214.00–217.50	1,324	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	520	227.22/cwt	217.50–228.50	1,182	42
Heifers	Medium 1	—	539	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	1,121	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	984	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	1,535	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	811	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	1,517	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	376	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	714	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	374	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	842	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	423	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	973	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	486	213.46/cwt	213.00–214.50	1,037	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	809	178.24/cwt	174.50–179.50	1,442	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	584	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,273	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	731	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	1,382	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	693	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	1,296	10
Steers	Large 1	—	1,034	160.03/cwt	159.50–165.00	1,655	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	560	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,226	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	627	210.69/cwt	202.00–214.00	1,321	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	578	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,324	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	466	256.82/cwt	237.50–265.00	1,197	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	538	246.27/cwt	243.00–252.50	1,325	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	906	179.20/cwt	177.00–179.75	1,624	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	431	276.02/cwt	270.00–281.00	1,190	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	529	263.37/cwt	259.00–272.00	1,393	118
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	740	194.51/cwt	193.50–204.00	1,439	297
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	720	185.67/cwt	185.00–186.00	1,337	3
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	459	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,021	6
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	435	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,001	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	681	197.95/cwt	188.00–204.00	1,348	47
Steers	Medium 1	—	466	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,165	7
Steers	Large 1	—	876	169.28/cwt	166.00–172.50	1,483	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	626	219.98/cwt	214.00–232.00	1,377	142
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	770	189.89/cwt	184.00–195.00	1,462	108
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	809	185.53/cwt	180.00–186.50	1,501	193
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	854	182.89/cwt	181.50–183.00	1,562	163
Steers	Large 1	—	781	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,406	15
Steers	Large 1	—	836	171.87/cwt	169.00–174.50	1,437	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	670	206.10/cwt	199.50–219.00	1,381	126
Steers	Large 1	—	408	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,020	3
Steers	Medium 1	—	528	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,135	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	587	242.56/cwt	232.50–255.00	1,424	119
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	559	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	1,448	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	471	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,079	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	521	278.50/cwt	278.50–278.50	1,451	89
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	603	240.50/cwt	240.50–240.50	1,450	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	661	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,481	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	494	273.94/cwt	272.50–274.00	1,353	48
Dairy Steers	Large 4	—	738	50.00/cwt	50.00–50.00	369	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	878	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,256	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,063	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,339	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	720	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,260	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	538	213.09/cwt	205.00–217.00	1,146	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	633	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	1,209	4
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,040	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,352	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,081	67.91/cwt	61.00–69.50	734	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	78.60/cwt	70.00–84.00	943	89
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,260	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	1,147	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,410	81.94/cwt	78.00–85.00	1,155	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,685	95.50/cwt	95.50–95.50	1,609	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,446	96.33/cwt	95.00–97.00	1,393	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,445	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,329	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,456	96.75/cwt	96.75–96.75	1,409	8
Bulls	—	—	1,854	110.05/cwt	107.00–113.00	2,040	12
Bulls	—	—	1,601	95.99/cwt	87.00–105.00	1,537	27
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,265	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	987	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,295	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,204	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,080	102.17/cwt	83.00–112.00	1,103	64
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,095	115.67/cwt	111.00–121.00	1,267	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	972	121.96/cwt	113.00–136.00	1,185	59
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,075	83.30/cwt	82.50–84.00	895	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	1,168	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	1,355	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,138	1,232.24/head	1,150.00–1,350.00	1,232	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,410	1,310.00/head	1,310.00–1,310.00	1,310	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,366	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	1,195	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,343	1,285.00/head	1,285.00–1,285.00	1,285	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,213	1,210.00/head	1,210.00–1,210.00	1,210	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	645	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,045	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	388	230.84/cwt	230.00–232.00	896	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	980	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,509	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	852	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,116	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	488	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,061	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	568	225.83/cwt	224.00–228.00	1,283	47
Heifers	Large 1	—	390	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	868	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	686	188.11/cwt	185.50–189.50	1,290	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	619	199.39/cwt	190.00–212.00	1,234	173
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	579	212.44/cwt	208.00–222.50	1,230	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	786	171.88/cwt	169.50–177.50	1,351	77
Heifers	Medium 1	—	417	215.76/cwt	212.00–220.00	900	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	384	227.86/cwt	227.00–229.00	875	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	391	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	841	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	728	181.47/cwt	175.00–186.50	1,321	278
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	467	230.01/cwt	223.00–234.00	1,074	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	795	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	1,336	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	800	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	1,224	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	623	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	1,171	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	778	170.50/cwt	170.50–170.50	1,326	17
Heifers	Medium 1	—	451	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	952	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	467	213.36/cwt	209.00–221.00	996	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	573	200.34/cwt	190.00–206.00	1,148	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	527	203.11/cwt	199.00–215.50	1,070	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	680	177.03/cwt	172.00–183.00	1,204	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	717	188.50/cwt	188.50–188.50	1,352	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	844	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,215	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	867	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,240	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	775	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,139	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	889	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,253	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	651	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,133	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	562	202.34/cwt	191.00–208.00	1,137	16

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.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →