Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2023-09-14

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Sep 14
● Final59 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
517 head
617 vs last sale 1,134 11 vs year ago 506 · +2.2%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
245 head
217 vs last sale 462 25 vs year ago 270 · 9.3%
Replacement Cattle receipts
88 head
73 vs last sale 15 49 vs year ago 39 · +125.6%
Also sold here(Mon)Thu Apr 16, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: The majority of feeder offerings last week were heifers, while this week the majority of feeder offerings were steers. Not enough comparable sales were seen to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Demand for all feeder offerings was mostly good to very good. Quality this week was average to attractive, with several sets of home raised offerings seen. Most offerings were sold in small packages this week however demand was good for all packages sizes as buyers pieced together loads. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers showed very good demand for feeding cows again today. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to firm. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows sold with the best demand today as several buyers bid aggressively over attractive offerings. Breaking cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. Quality today was mostly average to attractive and similar to last week. Slaughter and feeding 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 sold on very good demand today as rebreed buyers and feeding buyers both competed over offerings. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $254.84/cwt on 226 head.
Average price
$254.84
226 head · 813 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,071
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$367
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1
$39.12/cwt at this weight
vs the market
41.52
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2751256.251,9248thin
Medium 1768255.541,96234
Medium and Large 1819255.482,092180
Large 11,055217.132,2914thin
One grade step is worth $39.12/cwt here — about −$367 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 sale226 hd
254.84
MT average3 barns · 819 hd
296.35
−41.52
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
BullsHigh1,747115.382,01637
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,626116.421,89346
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,449107.731,561123
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,22797.241,19331

Every lot, as filed

59 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
HeifersMedium and Large 1716251.64/cwt249.00–254.001,80217
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2988207.00/cwt207.00–207.002,0453
HeifersMedium and Large 1968213.00/cwt213.00–213.002,0622
HeifersMedium and Large 1918220.00/cwt220.00–220.002,02016
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned263325.00/cwt325.00–325.008553
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned526269.00/cwt269.00–269.001,4155
SteersMedium 1783252.01/cwt249.00–253.001,97328
HeifersLarge 11,084190.00/cwt190.00–190.002,0607
SteersMedium and Large 1776256.00/cwt256.00–256.001,9874
SteersMedium and Large 1865249.23/cwt247.50–252.502,156129
SteersMedium and Large 1Full893242.00/cwt242.00–242.002,1612
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned493265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,3065
SteersMedium and Large 1907243.68/cwt240.00–245.502,2106
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned421272.50/cwt272.50–272.501,1475
SteersMedium and Large 1-2768249.98/cwt245.00–255.001,9202
SteersLarge 11,055217.13/cwt210.00–220.002,2914
SteersMedium and Large 1-2911235.00/cwt235.00–235.002,1414
SteersMedium and Large 1723266.74/cwt264.50–267.001,92923
SteersMedium 1696272.00/cwt272.00–272.001,8936
SteersMedium and Large 1827251.50/cwt251.50–251.502,0805
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned517299.00/cwt299.00–299.001,5467
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned413305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,2602
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned268345.00/cwt345.00–345.009254
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2878210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,8444
HeifersMedium 1637257.50/cwt257.50–257.501,64011
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2844228.82/cwt228.00–230.001,93117
HeifersMedium and Large 1Full960211.00/cwt211.00–211.002,0262
BullsLarge 11,268156.00/cwt156.00–156.001,9784
BullsLarge 11,110187.00/cwt187.00–187.002,0761
CowsLean 85-90%1,260101.91/cwt100.00–103.501,28411
CowsBoner 80-85%1,514118.55/cwt116.00–119.501,7954
CowsLean 85-90%1,16688.58/cwt83.00–95.001,0338
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,229101.99/cwt101.00–103.001,2536
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,24495.46/cwt91.00–98.001,1886
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,585116.12/cwt116.00–117.501,84113
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,637114.19/cwt113.00–116.001,86910
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,462115.96/cwt115.50–118.501,69515
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,644117.56/cwt117.00–120.001,93323
Bulls1,915126.56/cwt124.00–129.002,4242
CowsBoner 80-85%1,44999.42/cwt96.00–102.001,44124
CowsBoner 80-85%1,466107.85/cwt106.00–113.501,5819
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,458111.85/cwt105.00–114.001,63147
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,405100.98/cwt97.00–104.001,41924
Bulls1,622108.32/cwt92.50–113.001,7576
Bulls1,912118.88/cwt115.00–123.502,27316
BullsReturn to Feed1,610110.27/cwt106.00–113.501,7758
BullsReturn to Feed1,524116.33/cwt114.00–117.001,7735
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,392118.50/cwt118.50–118.501,65015
Stock CowsLarge 11,137109.92/cwt105.00–113.001,2503
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,223120.27/cwt105.00–126.001,4719
Stock CowsLarge 11,128130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,4662
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,072157.84/cwt128.00–191.001,69229
Stock CowsLarge 1Thin Fleshed980137.00/cwt137.00–137.001,3437
HeifersMedium 1783241.00/cwt241.00–241.001,88713
HeifersMedium and Large 1867230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,99413
HeifersMedium and Large 2718225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,6165
HeifersMedium and Large 11,005212.00/cwt212.00–212.002,1312
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2771243.00/cwt243.00–243.001,8745
HeifersMedium and Large 1767248.13/cwt241.00–252.001,90341

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.