Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-05-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-05-11

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 higher undertones were noticed. Quality this sale was mostly plain. Most lots were offered in small packages or as singles. Demand remains good to very good. With only one feeder sale in billings this week several buyers were looking for cattle to finish filling loads and were aggressive as they did so. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to run on grass. Market activity was active to very active, despite light offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Packers and order buyers both showed the best demand for feeding quality cows this week. Slaughter cows sold generally steady. Feeding cows sold steady to firm. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. Feeding bull buyers continue to push packer buyers as they try to purchase bulls, however packers purchased most of the bulls away from feeding buyers this week despite having to pay higher prices for bulls. Weigh up conditions were average to below average today with many full offerings noted. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 2.00-4.00 higher. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $213.23/cwt on 189 head.

Average price

$213.23

189 head · 635 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,355

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$645

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$66.67/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.56

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	690	216.67	1,494	100
Medium and Large 1-2	569	215.54	1,227	80
Medium 1	800	170.00	1,360	2thin
Medium 2	566	150.00	849	7thin

One grade step is worth $66.67/cwt here — about $645 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 sale189 hd

213.23

—

MT average2 barns · 358 hd

217.79

−4.56

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	—	High	1,845	115.19	2,126	55
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,617	99.52	1,609	31
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,399	91.25	1,277	171
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,161	86.50	1,004	225

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	$2,076	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,550	$1,600	1thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,041	$2,000	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,441	$1,754	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,542	$1,710	3thin

Every lot, as filed

89 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	424	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,187	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	626	239.66/cwt	237.00–243.00	1,500	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	439	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	966	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	727	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	1,258	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	571	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	1,128	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	608	218.76/cwt	210.00–225.00	1,330	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	437	231.65/cwt	230.00–237.50	1,012	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	575	218.62/cwt	195.00–227.50	1,257	22
Heifers	Medium 2	—	566	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	849	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	810	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	1,442	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	622	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,468	13
Heifers	Medium 1	—	800	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,360	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	541	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,185	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	470	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	987	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	480	248.15/cwt	242.50–250.00	1,191	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	857	182.05/cwt	176.00–182.50	1,560	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	197.21/cwt	192.00–207.00	1,426	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	635	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,651	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	579	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,569	5
Steers	Large 1	—	830	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	1,602	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	532	227.18/cwt	222.50–235.00	1,209	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	529	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,256	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	717	182.00/cwt	179.00–183.00	1,305	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	743	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,672	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	716	234.71/cwt	230.00–239.00	1,681	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	742	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,410	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	575	245.09/cwt	240.00–250.00	1,409	2
Steers	Medium 2	—	785	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,413	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	673	224.96/cwt	215.00–230.00	1,514	21
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	671	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	1,329	7
Steers	Medium 2	—	585	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,141	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	479	273.65/cwt	267.50–290.00	1,311	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	546	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,461	4
Steers	Medium 2	—	515	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,107	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	781	175.85/cwt	173.00–177.00	1,373	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	870	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,653	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	650	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,658	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	501	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,478	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	771	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	1,557	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	540	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,215	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	930	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	1,418	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	380	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	760	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	808	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,495	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	733	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,503	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,218	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,754	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,623	105.74/cwt	104.00–107.50	1,716	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,400	100.50/cwt	100.50–100.50	1,407	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,118	84.37/cwt	82.00–86.00	943	4
Bulls	—	—	2,029	125.90/cwt	124.00–128.00	2,555	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,250	100.04/cwt	99.00–100.50	1,251	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,428	106.63/cwt	106.50–107.50	1,523	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,690	103.50/cwt	103.50–103.50	1,749	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,441	91.87/cwt	90.00–96.00	1,324	32
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,214	88.67/cwt	86.00–92.50	1,076	61
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,696	90.35/cwt	85.00–94.00	1,532	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,275	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	1,224	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,148	82.04/cwt	71.00–86.00	942	67
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	955	64.00/cwt	64.00–64.00	611	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	968	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	881	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,381	93.06/cwt	90.00–99.00	1,285	86
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,409	86.47/cwt	84.00–87.00	1,218	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,163	89.33/cwt	86.00–94.00	1,039	75
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,408	86.19/cwt	84.00–89.00	1,214	40
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	949	81.23/cwt	77.00–83.00	771	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,763	97.01/cwt	96.00–98.00	1,710	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,210	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	787	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	895	88.00/cwt	88.00–88.00	788	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	583	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,323	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,325	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,499	1,731.32/head	1,710.00–1,750.00	1,731	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,542	1,710.00/head	1,710.00–1,710.00	1,710	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,550	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,041	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,385	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,690	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	785	138.48/cwt	131.00–140.00	1,087	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,055	125.55/cwt	92.00–173.00	1,325	129
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,184	2,076.39/head	2,050.00–2,100.00	2,076	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	744	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	911	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	965	166.74/cwt	130.50–189.00	1,609	76
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,055	129.27/cwt	120.50–158.00	1,364	26
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	703	124.79/cwt	105.00–145.00	877	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,093	98.66/cwt	91.00–110.00	1,078	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,185	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,090	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,313	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,471	2
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,500	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	3,175	6
Bulls	—	—	1,591	101.84/cwt	96.00–109.00	1,620	14
Bulls	—	—	1,791	115.95/cwt	111.00–124.00	2,077	19
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,195	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	1,004	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,632	99.41/cwt	97.00–101.00	1,622	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 →