Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2023-08-10

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Aug 10
● Final62 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
316 head
18 vs last sale 334 17 vs year ago 299 · +5.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
494 head
265 vs last sale 229 73 vs year ago 567 · 12.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
42 head
24 vs last sale 66 20 vs year ago 62 · 32.3%
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 sale to develop an market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this sale was mostly plain to average. Several sets of grass cattle were seen this week. Demand for green light fleshed cattle was mostly good. Cattle were mostly offered in small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly active this week with a large crowd on hand actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed very good demand for slaughter cows today and opted to send all cows purchased to immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-5.00 higher on breaking and boing cows, lean cows sold mostly steady. Feeding cows sold on very good demand this sale as several order buyers were very competitive as they bid on attractive offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher on a very high quality and mostly high yielding offering. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 1.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly teste to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed as several buyers were looking for high quality cows suitable to rebreed. 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 $214.67/cwt on 160 head.
Average price
$214.67
160 head · 859 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,845
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$270
per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 1
$34.17/cwt at this weight
vs the market
5.09
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium 1656245.001,60713thin
Medium 1-2654218.751,4306thin
Large 1866217.321,88319thin
Medium and Large 1890210.831,877122
One grade step is worth $34.17/cwt here — about −$270 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 sale160 hd
214.67
MT average2 barns · 225 hd
219.76
−5.09
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
BullsHigh1,768120.132,123139
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,654114.351,89148
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,417113.261,605162
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,210100.011,21069

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 Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,381$1,9509
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,473$1,5506

Every lot, as filed

62 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
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,597115.20/cwt115.00–116.001,8406
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,677106.38/cwt105.00–111.001,7849
CowsBoner 80-85%1,392100.38/cwt97.00–102.001,3976
BullsHeavy Weight2,670130.00/cwt130.00–130.003,4711
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,681122.60/cwt121.00–127.502,0617
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,376111.29/cwt105.50–114.501,53122
CowsLean 85-90%1,22093.62/cwt85.00–98.001,14219
CowsLean 85-90%1,229103.26/cwt100.00–108.001,26934
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,592118.87/cwt118.50–120.001,8924
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,478119.71/cwt115.00–125.001,76960
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight88570.00/cwt70.00–70.006202
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,145112.55/cwt110.00–115.001,2896
CowsBoner 80-85%1,352118.47/cwt114.00–122.001,60216
CowsBreaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,065106.50/cwt106.50–106.502,1991
CowsBreaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,120123.00/cwt123.00–123.002,6081
CowsBoner 80-85%1,389107.23/cwt103.00–113.001,48958
CowsLean 85-90%1,220110.61/cwt110.00–112.001,3495
CowsLean 85-90%1,26881.00/cwt81.00–81.001,0273
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,620113.84/cwt111.00–117.001,84420
Bulls1,855129.00/cwt129.00–129.002,3931
Bulls1,619110.58/cwt102.00–114.001,79025
Bulls1,895129.10/cwt125.00–139.002,44632
Bulls1,793120.43/cwt115.00–125.002,15970
BullsReturn to Feed1,523118.68/cwt117.00–122.001,8074
BullsReturn to Feed1,409106.45/cwt97.50–112.001,5006
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3811,950.00/head1,950.00–1,950.001,9509
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1995179.32/cwt146.00–207.501,7847
Stock CowsLarge 11,305160.00/cwt160.00–160.002,0881
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,271131.12/cwt129.50–140.001,6676
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4731,550.00/head1,550.00–1,550.001,5506
HeifersMedium 1661245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,6199
BullsMedium and Large 1-2743232.50/cwt232.50–232.501,7272
BullsLarge 11,205162.50/cwt162.50–162.501,9581
BullsLarge 11,136178.68/cwt171.00–187.502,0305
BullsLarge 1-21,173167.50/cwt167.50–167.501,9652
BullsMedium and Large 1-2785227.50/cwt227.50–227.501,7863
HeifersLarge 1943197.50/cwt197.50–197.501,8626
HeifersMedium and Large 1877211.92/cwt210.00–213.501,85953
HeifersLarge 1681247.50/cwt247.50–247.501,6858
HeifersLarge 11,083192.00/cwt192.00–192.002,0794
HeifersMedium 1-2557232.50/cwt232.50–232.501,2953
HeifersMedium 1644245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,5784
HeifersMedium and Large 1906210.02/cwt206.50–210.501,90323
HeifersLarge 11,025196.00/cwt196.00–196.002,0091
HeifersMedium and Large 1978206.05/cwt201.50–207.502,01523
SteersMedium 1676268.07/cwt265.00–270.001,81218
SteersMedium 1-2572245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,4015
HeifersMedium 1-2750205.00/cwt205.00–205.001,5383
SteersMedium and Large 1-2793235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,8642
SteersMedium and Large 1-2741252.50/cwt252.50–252.501,8714
SteersMedium 1776237.50/cwt237.50–237.501,8434
SteersLarge 11,018210.00/cwt210.00–210.002,1384
SteersMedium and Large 1963230.00/cwt230.00–230.002,2152
HeifersMedium and Large 1817213.89/cwt212.00–220.001,74723
SteersMedium and Large 1868237.00/cwt237.00–237.002,0578
SteersMedium 1586277.50/cwt277.50–277.501,6268
BullsLarge 1-21,110156.00/cwt156.00–156.001,7321
BullsLarge 11,179168.75/cwt167.50–170.001,9904
BullsLarge 11,063194.98/cwt190.00–197.502,0733
BullsLarge 11,283156.00/cwt156.00–156.002,0012
BullsMedium and Large 1962207.50/cwt207.50–207.501,9963
BullsMedium and Large 1850232.50/cwt232.50–232.501,9762

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.