Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-09-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-09-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(8/24/23): The best comparison today was for 800-849 lbs steers which sold fully steady and 800-950 lbs heifers which sold steady to 3.00 higher. All other weights of feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality today was mostly average. Most cattle were in light flesh, with the exception of a few consignments of heifers over 900 lbs which offered moderate flesh. Most cattle were coming off grass this week. Several sets of cattle out of Eastern Montana were in very light flesh as grasshoppers and cattle competed over feed in that part of the state. Load lots of cattle saw very good demand this week with small packages and singles selling back slightly. Market activity was mostly active this week with good participation seen from buyers. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed very good demand for feeding cows today; a switch from the past two weeks. Quality today was mostly average to attractive and overall better than the last sale. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold 3.00-5.00 lower. Feeding cows sold steady to 3.00 higher as packer buyers started to purchase feeding cows again after a two week break. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Weigh up conditions were mixed with some cows offering buyers good weigh conditions, while others were pushing fill. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly teste to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly average and most offerings were purchased to feed.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $229.69/cwt on 558 head.

Average price

$229.69

558 head · 806 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,852

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$409

per head · Medium 1 over Medium 2

$58.25/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	661	246.82	1,632	60
Medium 1-2	678	239.81	1,626	10thin
Medium and Large 1	832	229.71	1,912	420
Medium and Large 1-2	781	219.33	1,713	49
Large 1	891	203.00	1,808	10thin
Large 1-2	1,083	192.00	2,079	2thin
Medium 2	648	188.57	1,222	7thin

One grade step is worth $58.25/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 sale558 hd

229.69

—

MT average1 barns · 558 hd

229.69

+0.00

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	1,732	116.37	2,016	85
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,630	113.46	1,849	49
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,461	105.93	1,548	171
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,216	94.39	1,147	92

Every lot, as filed

95 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 1	—	702	250.51/cwt	240.00–251.50	1,759	120
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,070	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	2,215	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	791	231.71/cwt	230.50–233.00	1,833	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	425	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,020	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	527	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,154	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	513	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,272	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	319	315.89/cwt	315.00–317.50	1,008	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	670	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,608	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	593	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,494	2
Steers	Large 1	—	1,129	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	2,281	5
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	726	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,670	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	855	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	2,018	4
Steers	Large 1	—	1,095	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	2,223	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	760	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,946	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	981	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,178	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	721	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,803	6
Steers	Medium 2	—	718	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	1,167	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	804	227.56/cwt	217.50–229.00	1,830	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	909	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,954	7
Steers	Medium 1	—	626	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,734	12
Steers	Large 1	—	1,028	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,200	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	931	235.00/cwt	234.50–238.00	2,188	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	760	260.50/cwt	260.50–260.50	1,980	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	970	229.68/cwt	226.00–232.00	2,228	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	793	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,983	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	705	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,847	2
Steers	Medium 2	—	514	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,105	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	816	252.12/cwt	244.00–254.00	2,057	32
Steers	Large 1	—	1,165	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	2,353	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	439	272.46/cwt	270.00–275.00	1,196	8
Steers	Medium 1	—	669	271.97/cwt	269.00–275.50	1,819	33
Steers	Large 1	—	745	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,810	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	865	243.67/cwt	241.00–245.50	2,108	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	490	273.52/cwt	271.00–290.00	1,340	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	530	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,484	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	591	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,300	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	368	350.78/cwt	345.00–360.00	1,291	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	668	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	1,376	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,016	221.55/cwt	221.00–223.00	2,251	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	584	264.77/cwt	262.50–268.00	1,546	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	332	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,195	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	860	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,858	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	993	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,936	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,090	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	2,006	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,127	177.73/cwt	175.50–187.50	2,003	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	930	213.00/cwt	212.00–214.00	1,981	2
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	—	552	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,275	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,456	116.82/cwt	114.00–118.50	1,701	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,165	106.04/cwt	102.00–108.50	1,235	6
Bulls	—	—	1,961	119.88/cwt	115.00–124.00	2,351	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,594	114.49/cwt	113.50–115.00	1,825	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,532	118.12/cwt	116.50–120.00	1,810	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,390	108.33/cwt	105.00–114.00	1,506	46
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,763	105.60/cwt	104.00–107.50	1,862	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	927	83.44/cwt	80.00–87.50	773	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,416	103.18/cwt	92.00–104.50	1,461	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,704	116.31/cwt	115.50–118.50	1,982	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,504	108.42/cwt	104.00–111.00	1,631	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,511	97.92/cwt	87.00–103.00	1,480	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,258	76.55/cwt	75.50–82.00	963	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,226	102.56/cwt	100.00–105.00	1,257	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,205	111.49/cwt	111.00–112.00	1,343	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,229	91.68/cwt	85.00–98.00	1,127	53
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,571	112.91/cwt	108.50–115.50	1,774	8
Bulls	—	—	1,618	108.03/cwt	102.00–114.00	1,748	12
Bulls	—	—	2,036	128.07/cwt	125.00–131.00	2,608	12
Bulls	—	—	1,885	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	2,205	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,268	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	1,281	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,589	116.35/cwt	114.00–121.00	1,849	23
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,572	111.59/cwt	107.00–113.50	1,754	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,302	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,445	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,139	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,447	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,178	128.95/cwt	121.00–140.00	1,519	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,008	207.99/cwt	201.00–209.50	2,097	108
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	883	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	1,916	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	940	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	1,936	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	813	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,927	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,147	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,950	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,065	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,864	2
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,083	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	2,079	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	867	222.45/cwt	221.50–223.50	1,929	9
Heifers	Medium 2	—	542	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,084	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	799	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,766	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	717	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,663	7
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	678	239.81/cwt	235.00–245.00	1,626	10
Heifers	Medium 2	—	728	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,310	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	960	214.93/cwt	214.50–215.50	2,063	7
Heifers	Medium 1	—	631	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,590	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	836	229.61/cwt	224.50–231.50	1,920	67
Heifers	Medium 1	—	747	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,696	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	881	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	1,872	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	924	213.55/cwt	211.00–217.00	1,973	57
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	439	269.03/cwt	268.00–274.00	1,181	16
Heifers	Large 1	—	846	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	1,709	8
Heifers	Medium 1	—	669	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,679	11

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 →