Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-06-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-06-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed on all feeder cattle on offer. Quality this sale was mixed from plain to attractive, with lots of variation seen. No load lots were seen today, however demand for packages was mostly good to very good. A few sets of weaned fall calves were seen this week and these were met with very good demand. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to run on grass. Several ranchers were in the stands this week and market activity was mostly active as both ranchers and order buyers bid aggressively over offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Packers showed moderate demand for slaughter cows today, however feeding cows sold on mostly good demand. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-3.00 lower on all classes. Feeding cows sold unevenly steady from 1.00 higher to 2.00 lower. Very attractive cows sold higher, while average quality cows sold lower. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to weak. Weigh up conditions were mixed. Most offerings started the day offering very good weigh conditions, however as the day progressed and warmed many cows tanked up on water and weigh conditions deteriorated. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 3.00-6.00 higher. Several buyers looking for turn out cows showed stronger demand this week and pushed this class 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 $249.34/cwt on 241 head.

Average price

$249.34

241 head · 587 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,462

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$409

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1

$26.77/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+8.92

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	599	251.77	1,507	209
Medium and Large 1-2	533	238.78	1,272	16thin
Medium and Large 2	480	229.64	1,102	11thin
Medium 1	488	225.00	1,098	5thin

One grade step is worth $26.77/cwt here — about $409 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 sale241 hd

249.34

—

MT average3 barns · 300 hd

240.42

+8.92

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	—	Low	1,838	121.20	2,228	52
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,619	104.44	1,690	30
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,423	99.27	1,413	137
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,202	92.00	1,106	134

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)	1,445	$1,750	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,308	$1,675	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,156	$2,598	74
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,449	$2,422	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,583	$2,272	21
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,296	$1,975	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,428	$1,957	29
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	960	$2,218	32

Every lot, as filed

79 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	840	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,781	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	900	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,710	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,100	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,782	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,094	158.50/cwt	158.50–158.50	1,734	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	70	100.00/head	100.00–100.00	100	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	100	275.00/head	275.00–275.00	275	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	527	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,476	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	583	277.50/cwt	262.50–287.50	1,618	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	618	283.00/cwt	283.00–283.00	1,749	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	535	301.88/cwt	300.00–302.00	1,615	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	671	230.25/cwt	226.50–240.00	1,545	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	657	278.28/cwt	265.00–285.00	1,828	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	720	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,404	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	383	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	948	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	530	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,113	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	548	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,381	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	469	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,097	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	523	271.11/cwt	262.00–273.00	1,418	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	591	258.26/cwt	244.50–260.00	1,526	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	211.79/cwt	210.00–213.00	1,531	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	830	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	1,652	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	758	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,592	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	645	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,709	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	800	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	1,460	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	408	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,106	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	198	500.00/head	500.00–500.00	500	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	450	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,103	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	628	244.08/cwt	244.00–245.00	1,533	37
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,051	2,375.00/head	2,375.00–2,375.00	2,375	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,308	1,675.00/head	1,675.00–1,675.00	1,675	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,428	1,957.03/head	1,950.00–1,975.00	1,957	29
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,226	2,739.77/head	2,700.00–2,775.00	2,740	38
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,583	2,271.54/head	2,100.00–2,425.00	2,272	21
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,449	2,422.02/head	2,300.00–2,650.00	2,422	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,028	160.08/cwt	135.00–183.00	1,646	28
Heifer Pairs	Medium 1	—	901	2,150.00/head	2,150.00–2,150.00	2,150	18
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	915	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,235	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,445	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,085	114.87/cwt	110.00–117.00	1,246	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	974	128.04/cwt	113.00–157.00	1,247	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,143	116.63/cwt	92.50–155.00	1,333	70
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,296	1,975.00/head	1,975.00–1,975.00	1,975	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,325	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	1,206	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	775	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,790	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	658	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	1,987	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	625	301.67/cwt	300.00–302.00	1,885	105
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	564	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	1,641	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	587	239.50/cwt	239.50–239.50	1,406	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	816	222.74/cwt	222.00–223.00	1,818	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	493	270.97/cwt	264.00–273.00	1,336	30
Heifers	Medium 1	—	488	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,098	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,518	107.25/cwt	107.00–108.00	1,628	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,397	98.50/cwt	95.00–104.00	1,376	36
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,471	108.76/cwt	104.00–112.50	1,600	42
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,058	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,174	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,660	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,826	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,274	96.86/cwt	92.00–98.00	1,234	10
Bulls	—	—	1,676	109.14/cwt	105.00–115.00	1,829	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	87.45/cwt	80.00–91.00	1,049	44
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,142	103.50/cwt	101.00–106.00	1,182	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,220	93.81/cwt	90.00–97.50	1,144	68
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,661	97.54/cwt	94.00–102.00	1,620	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,557	111.71/cwt	111.00–112.00	1,739	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,665	105.62/cwt	105.00–107.00	1,759	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,365	95.96/cwt	94.00–101.00	1,310	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,418	90.03/cwt	85.00–94.00	1,277	38
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,300	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,196	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	931	78.74/cwt	75.00–84.00	733	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,504	113.89/cwt	108.00–116.50	1,713	3
Bulls	—	—	2,052	131.65/cwt	127.50–138.00	2,701	14
Bulls	—	—	1,850	120.39/cwt	114.00–125.00	2,227	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,103	90.54/cwt	89.00–92.00	999	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,195	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,637	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,212	107.19/cwt	100.00–111.00	1,299	3
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,540	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	3,277	1
Heifer Pairs	Medium 1	—	992	2,275.00/head	2,275.00–2,275.00	2,275	10
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,148	2,385.00/head	2,385.00–2,385.00	2,385	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,368	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,080	2,535.00/head	2,535.00–2,535.00	2,535	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 →