Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2023-07-13

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Jul 13
● Final51 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
165 head
0 vs last sale 165 71 vs year ago 236 · 30.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
519 head
379 vs last sale 140 7 vs year ago 526 · 1.3%
Replacement Cattle receipts
96 head
340 vs last sale 436 262 vs year ago 358 · 73.2%
Also sold here(Mon)Thu Apr 16, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steers and heifers were too lightly tested this week and last week to develop any market trend. Quality this sale was mostly plain to average. No load lots were seen today. Cattle were mostly offered in small packages or as singles. Demand for limited feeder cattle remains good to very good. Market activity was mostly active this week with several order buyers looking to fill orders for local feedlots. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed very good demand for slaughter cows today. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher. Packers only purchased cows for immediate harvest this week. Many sets of cows which packers would have normally fed were purchased for harvest this week. Order buyers purchased feeding cows on good to very good demand this week as they pushed to buy cows away from packers. Feeding cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher than last week. Slaughter bulls sold unevenly steady. Demand for high quality high dressing bulls was very good as these offerings sold up to 4.00 higher. Average to low dressing bulls sold steady to weak compared to last week. Weigh up conditions were mixed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly teste to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $254.66/cwt on 65 head.
Average price
$254.66
65 head · 683 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,740
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$12
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 1
$1.57/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+1.20
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2680255.241,73541
Medium and Large 1689253.671,74724
One grade step is worth $1.57/cwt here — about −$12 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 sale65 hd
254.66
MT average2 barns · 86 hd
253.46
+1.20
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsAverage1,734129.522,24595
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,538110.631,70138
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,371109.031,495244
CowsLean 85-90%High1,192102.511,22281

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 Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,249$1,3504thin

Every lot, as filed

51 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,023159.69/cwt135.00–178.001,63431
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,149117.27/cwt108.00–134.001,34723
BullsReturn to Feed1,235125.00/cwt125.00–125.001,5441
BullsReturn to Feed1,257107.00/cwt107.00–107.001,3453
BullsHeavy Weight2,510119.00/cwt119.00–119.002,9871
BullsLight Weight1,200103.27/cwt81.00–112.001,2399
Bulls1,840130.42/cwt118.00–140.002,40031
Bulls1,925151.05/cwt141.00–164.002,90831
CowsBoner 80-85%1,389112.40/cwt110.00–117.001,56141
CowsLean 85-90%1,249108.05/cwt107.00–110.001,35011
CowsLean 85-90%1,229101.95/cwt96.00–106.001,25323
CowsBoner 80-85%1,42798.44/cwt96.00–100.001,40515
CowsBoner 80-85%1,372106.79/cwt102.00–109.501,46561
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight910108.00/cwt108.00–108.009831
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight92388.27/cwt87.50–89.008152
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,529109.56/cwt109.00–110.501,67524
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,560111.00/cwt110.00–113.001,7323
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,132109.71/cwt107.00–115.501,24210
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,152105.30/cwt100.00–108.001,21319
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,25393.62/cwt93.00–94.001,1732
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,698103.90/cwt102.00–106.001,7642
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,665116.50/cwt116.50–116.501,9401
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,293107.78/cwt104.00–109.501,39454
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,412112.62/cwt110.00–115.001,59071
CowsLean 85-90%1,24192.48/cwt80.00–95.001,14815
Bulls1,561109.73/cwt104.00–116.001,71319
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,499114.64/cwt114.00–116.001,7188
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2935131.00/cwt131.00–131.001,2251
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2880110.00/cwt110.00–110.009681
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2491,350.00/head1,350.00–1,350.001,3504
HeifersMedium and Large 1759224.96/cwt219.00–227.001,7074
SteersMedium and Large 1-2559277.57/cwt277.50–278.001,5527
SteersMedium and Large 1570286.00/cwt286.00–286.001,6304
SteersMedium and Large 1686250.58/cwt247.00–257.001,71912
HeifersMedium and Large 1911210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,9138
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2718216.20/cwt215.00–217.001,5525
SteersMedium and Large 1755241.00/cwt241.00–241.001,8205
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2900186.00/cwt186.00–186.001,6745
HeifersLarge 1-21,032187.98/cwt187.00–190.001,9403
SteersMedium and Large 1747244.00/cwt244.00–244.001,8233
HeifersMedium and Large 2565232.00/cwt232.00–232.001,3112
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2780204.00/cwt204.00–204.001,5912
SteersMedium and Large 1-2635268.00/cwt268.00–268.001,70216
SteersMedium and Large 1-2696232.50/cwt232.50–232.501,6183
SteersMedium and Large 1-2781235.75/cwt231.00–239.001,84115
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2690232.50/cwt232.50–232.501,6043
HeifersMedium and Large 1836215.03/cwt208.00–217.001,79811
BullsLarge 1-21,080159.00/cwt159.00–159.001,7175
BullsMedium and Large 1-2783219.00/cwt219.00–219.001,7152
BullsLarge 11,111156.00/cwt156.00–156.001,7335
BullsMedium and Large 1853192.00/cwt192.00–192.001,6385

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.