Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-09-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-09-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Receipts were too light last week to make any market comparisons on calves or yearlings. Demand for all feeder offerings was mostly moderate to good. Quality this week was mixed. Load lots sold on very good demand along with large packages. Small packages and singles sold with lighter demand this week. Most calves were offered in small packages this sale. Several sets of home raised yearlings were seen this week. CME positions rebounded slightly today after being down sharply earlier in the week. The October traded 2.475 higher and the November 2.875 higher to close at 254.725 and 257.675 respectfully. Demand for light weight yearlings is very good as buyers look to late spring to market these as fed cattle. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to 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 all offerings. Cow quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mixed with some cows and bulls 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

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $243.78/cwt on 996 head.

Average price

$243.78

996 head · 740 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,803

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$1,209

per head · Medium and Large 2 over Large 1

$27.91/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.28

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	298	251.41	750	22
Medium and Large 1	762	246.61	1,878	680
Medium 1	735	242.65	1,783	34
Medium 1-2	678	241.30	1,636	20
Medium and Large 1-2	701	237.17	1,664	209
Large 1	877	223.50	1,959	31

One grade step is worth $27.91/cwt here — about −$1,209 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 sale996 hd

243.78

—

MT average3 barns · 1,558 hd

246.05

−2.28

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	1,715	112.61	1,931	63
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,750	109.65	1,919	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,397	102.87	1,437	94
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,152	94.07	1,084	72

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	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,324	$1,900	5
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,276	$1,300	6

Every lot, as filed

113 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
Steers	Medium 1	—	678	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,729	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,383	94.54/cwt	92.00–97.00	1,307	2
Steers	Medium 1	—	749	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	1,940	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	550	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,276	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	625	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,725	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	781	252.17/cwt	248.00–253.00	1,969	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	876	240.68/cwt	237.00–247.00	2,108	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	909	238.48/cwt	238.00–239.00	2,168	29
Steers	Medium 1	—	630	269.75/cwt	260.00–276.00	1,699	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	673	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,632	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	778	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,844	4
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	647	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,559	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,065	218.50/cwt	218.50–218.50	2,327	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	983	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	2,290	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	832	245.75/cwt	239.00–249.50	2,045	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	387	259.67/cwt	246.00–262.00	1,005	25
Steers	Medium 1	—	753	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,807	8
Steers	Medium 1	—	570	270.67/cwt	267.50–282.50	1,543	14
Steers	Large 1	—	1,143	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,343	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	741	243.50/cwt	243.50–243.50	1,804	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	914	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	2,120	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	787	248.91/cwt	238.50–253.00	1,959	95
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	518	264.56/cwt	259.00–272.00	1,370	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	473	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,135	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	377	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,131	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	254.71/cwt	250.00–258.00	1,467	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	410	281.75/cwt	275.00–300.00	1,155	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	975	220.12/cwt	217.00–222.50	2,146	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	621	247.83/cwt	245.00–257.00	1,539	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	658	278.00/cwt	278.00–278.00	1,829	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	806	252.22/cwt	250.00–257.00	2,033	77
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	770	265.76/cwt	259.50–268.00	2,046	72
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	734	256.35/cwt	255.50–258.00	1,882	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	633	267.40/cwt	254.00–277.00	1,693	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	421	328.09/cwt	325.00–335.00	1,381	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	478	319.40/cwt	298.00–327.00	1,527	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	589	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,655	44
Steers	Medium 1Thin Fleshed	—	548	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,518	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,068	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	2,360	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	655	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,565	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	590	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,569	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	298.76/cwt	294.00–306.00	1,551	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	379	332.00/cwt	332.00–332.00	1,258	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	477	293.89/cwt	282.50–297.50	1,402	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	710	273.68/cwt	273.00–275.00	1,943	54
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	552	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,325	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	434	316.50/cwt	316.50–316.50	1,374	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	325	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	1,141	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	683	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,810	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	537	278.02/cwt	262.50–290.00	1,493	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	565	284.86/cwt	276.00–289.00	1,609	22
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,155	194.88/cwt	193.00–196.00	2,251	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	925	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,952	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	430	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,075	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	367	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,073	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	251	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	659	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	653	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,469	3
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,200	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	1,044	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,408	104.08/cwt	100.50–108.00	1,465	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,410	104.10/cwt	100.00–114.00	1,468	48
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,218	101.60/cwt	99.00–102.00	1,237	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,079	93.87/cwt	92.50–96.00	1,013	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,629	115.33/cwt	114.00–116.00	1,879	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,720	115.74/cwt	115.50–116.00	1,991	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	600	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	898	84.02/cwt	80.00–88.00	754	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,786	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,911	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,350	95.68/cwt	93.00–99.50	1,292	28
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,820	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,911	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,490	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	1,699	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,275	98.84/cwt	97.50–102.50	1,260	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,131	92.13/cwt	77.00–96.50	1,042	26
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,452	115.83/cwt	113.00–118.00	1,682	11
Bulls	—	—	1,675	108.02/cwt	105.00–110.00	1,809	8
Bulls	—	—	2,018	124.71/cwt	123.50–126.00	2,517	2
Bulls	—	—	1,865	114.51/cwt	111.00–121.00	2,136	26
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,602	115.36/cwt	113.00–119.00	1,848	13
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,546	108.97/cwt	103.50–111.00	1,685	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,025	158.94/cwt	109.00–182.00	1,629	59
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,040	114.50/cwt	114.50–114.50	1,191	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,130	124.84/cwt	112.00–153.00	1,411	30
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,050	120.70/cwt	112.00–129.00	1,267	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	915	154.96/cwt	146.00–160.00	1,418	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,276	1,300.00/head	1,300.00–1,300.00	1,300	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	483	284.84/cwt	282.00–286.00	1,376	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	523	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,276	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	323	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	969	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	305	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	976	1
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	678	241.30/cwt	239.00–247.00	1,636	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	760	258.50/cwt	258.50–258.50	1,965	18
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	573	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,404	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	272	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	683	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	336	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	847	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	433	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,134	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	919	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	2,013	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	875	230.80/cwt	223.50–232.50	2,020	88
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	686	269.50/cwt	269.50–269.50	1,849	40
Heifers	Medium 1	—	756	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,814	28
Heifers	Large 1	—	843	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,897	10
Heifers	Medium 1	—	623	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,564	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	995	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	2,149	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,050	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	2,231	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	921	224.29/cwt	220.50–226.00	2,066	86
Heifers	Large 1	—	886	226.00/cwt	225.00–228.50	2,002	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	828	234.73/cwt	233.50–235.00	1,944	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,024	218.30/cwt	216.50–219.50	2,235	35
Heifers	Medium 1	—	665	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	1,749	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	729	252.92/cwt	249.50–260.00	1,844	119
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	741	243.89/cwt	242.50–245.00	1,807	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	884	224.39/cwt	224.00–226.00	1,984	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	793	229.17/cwt	225.00–238.00	1,817	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	803	227.29/cwt	227.00–232.00	1,825	36
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,324	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	5

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 →