Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-05-04
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-05-04

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steers and heifers were too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Quality this sale was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last weeks attractive offering for the feeder special. Most lots were offered in small packages or as singles. Demand remains good to very good, despite light offerings. Demand for cattle suitable to run on grass was very good as order buyers and local ranchers competed over limited offerings. Market activity was active to very active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed the best demand for feeding quality cows this week as they purchased much of the cow offering to put away on feed. Slaughter and feeding cows were not well compared as last weeks sale featured mostly feeder cattle. No comparisons are available. Slaughter cows sold on lighter demand this week. As supplies of cows have started to increase around the country due to seasonal culling and pockets of drought. Slaughter bulls sold are not well compared. Demand for bulls remains mostly good. Feeding and slaughter bull buyers both were active bidders today showing mostly good demand. Weigh up conditions were mixed today as both full and empty offerings were seen. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were not well compared. Quality this week was mostly average with a limited offering of attractive cattle noted.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $233.18/cwt on 118 head.

Average price

$233.18

118 head · 544 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,269

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$20

per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 2

$8.64/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.10

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	405	237.50	962	6thin
Medium and Large 1-2	497	234.19	1,164	19thin
Medium and Large 1	581	233.21	1,355	82
Medium and Large 2	429	228.86	982	11thin

One grade step is worth $8.64/cwt here — about −$20 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 sale118 hd

233.18

—

MT average3 barns · 254 hd

234.28

−1.10

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	1,717	112.90	1,939	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,744	100.71	1,756	49
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,451	96.34	1,398	81
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,166	85.57	998	178

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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,184	$2,078	32
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,522	$1,835	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,274	$1,350	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,262	$2,429	24
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,387	$2,300	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,482	$2,050	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,410	$2,033	9

Every lot, as filed

77 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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,173	2,450.00/head	2,450.00–2,450.00	2,450	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,070	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	1,755	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	476	250.63/cwt	247.50–260.00	1,193	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	663	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,445	2
Heifers	Medium 1	—	405	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	962	6
Bulls	Medium 1	—	354	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	974	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	75	200.00/head	200.00–200.00	200	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	542	241.82/cwt	240.00–247.50	1,311	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	475	239.32/cwt	230.00–240.00	1,137	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	593	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,316	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	630	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,449	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	417	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	970	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	483	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	1,026	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	73	200.00/head	200.00–200.00	200	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	535	218.38/cwt	215.00–220.00	1,168	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	474	282.16/cwt	280.00–282.50	1,337	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	568	238.02/cwt	230.00–244.00	1,352	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	434	254.44/cwt	254.00–255.00	1,104	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	897	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,561	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	542	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,285	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	800	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	1,504	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	759	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,617	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	745	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	1,475	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	687	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,470	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	411	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,089	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	710	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,491	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	708	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,635	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	675	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,586	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	619	253.62/cwt	250.50–258.00	1,570	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	857	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,628	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	528	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,452	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	557	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,295	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	472	258.27/cwt	255.00–260.00	1,219	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	617	246.50/cwt	246.50–246.50	1,521	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,060	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,675	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	666	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,459	20
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	466	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,165	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	563	242.07/cwt	240.00–245.00	1,363	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,387	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,387	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,345	2,050.00/head	2,050.00–2,050.00	2,050	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,540	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	3
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	963	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	1,550	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	958	165.02/cwt	130.00–183.00	1,581	50
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	746	153.01/cwt	150.00–163.00	1,141	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,019	121.16/cwt	96.00–161.00	1,235	82
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	800	155.05/cwt	151.00–160.00	1,240	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,274	1,350.00/head	1,350.00–1,350.00	1,350	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,184	2,077.60/head	1,925.00–2,250.00	2,078	32
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,522	1,835.00/head	1,835.00–1,835.00	1,835	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,225	96.34/cwt	92.00–103.00	1,180	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	753	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,069	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	891	105.99/cwt	100.00–111.00	944	13
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,482	2,050.00/head	2,050.00–2,050.00	2,050	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,307	118.62/cwt	111.00–123.00	1,550	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,440	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,526	2
Bulls	—	—	2,003	125.90/cwt	124.00–129.00	2,522	3
Bulls	—	—	1,870	114.07/cwt	111.00–122.00	2,133	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,380	85.58/cwt	84.00–87.00	1,181	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,542	98.20/cwt	97.50–99.00	1,514	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,295	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	1,263	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,689	98.45/cwt	96.00–100.00	1,663	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,145	82.13/cwt	75.00–84.00	940	68
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,810	101.97/cwt	101.00–102.00	1,846	32
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,055	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	733	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,415	92.61/cwt	87.50–96.00	1,310	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,367	102.93/cwt	100.50–107.00	1,407	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,481	97.65/cwt	92.00–100.50	1,446	43
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,485	104.50/cwt	104.50–104.50	1,552	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,473	83.77/cwt	82.00–85.00	1,234	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,202	89.16/cwt	86.50–99.00	1,072	61
Bulls	—	—	1,683	100.28/cwt	89.00–109.00	1,688	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	970	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	825	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	920	73.04/cwt	70.00–79.00	672	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	88.24/cwt	84.50–93.00	1,058	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,260	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	1,197	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	765	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,415	3

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 →