Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-10-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-05

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Receipts were too light either this week or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on all offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most offerings sold in small packages this sale. Buyers showed mostly light to moderate demand for feeders today. Not enough calves were seen for multiple buyers to start loads. Most buyers were not willing to start loads unless they could get calves on the road today. CME positions sold off in recent days which also put a damper on demand for feeder offerings. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed lighter demand for all cows this week. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to weak on breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold 3.00-4.00 lower. Demand for feeding cows was lighter this week as packers and private buyers both showed light demand for wet bagged cows which had just weaned calves. Additionally several sets of cows were in very thin flesh as a dry end to summer and competition with grasshoppers over feed weighed on body condition. Overall, feeding cow quality was not as attractive this week as last. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today as most cows were pushing some 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 sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. 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 $272.69/cwt on 265 head.

Average price

$272.69

265 head · 633 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,727

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$638

per head · Medium and Large 2 over Large 1

$74.85/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.16

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	380	316.00	1,201	5thin
Medium and Large 1-2	452	297.54	1,344	44
Medium and Large 1	667	269.22	1,797	196
Large 1	763	241.15	1,839	20

One grade step is worth $74.85/cwt here — about −$638 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 sale265 hd

272.69

—

MT average3 barns · 584 hd

273.85

−1.16

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	1,620	103.81	1,682	50
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,737	107.50	1,868	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,393	100.45	1,400	80
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,109	89.11	988	106

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/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,332	$1,725	3thin

Every lot, as filed

77 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 1Unweaned	—	386	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	1,135	6
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	400	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	1,150	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	881	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,885	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,120	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	1,932	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	989	210.25/cwt	210.00–211.00	2,079	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	473	270.37/cwt	266.00–273.00	1,279	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	514	252.85/cwt	248.00–256.00	1,300	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	798	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,780	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	845	239.50/cwt	239.50–239.50	2,024	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	779	254.92/cwt	249.00–259.50	1,986	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	573	250.43/cwt	247.00–253.50	1,435	11
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	371	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	872	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	447	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,185	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	242.63/cwt	240.50–246.00	1,529	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	525	278.02/cwt	270.50–282.00	1,460	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	583	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,423	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	570	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,368	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,038	216.50/cwt	216.50–216.50	2,247	2
Steers	Large 1	—	1,289	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	2,282	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	893	238.50/cwt	238.50–238.50	2,130	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	524	288.34/cwt	283.00–294.00	1,511	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	680	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,802	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	378	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,126	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	614	266.55/cwt	254.00–271.00	1,637	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	581	275.97/cwt	265.00–279.00	1,603	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	381	320.60/cwt	320.00–322.50	1,221	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	408	317.00/cwt	317.00–317.00	1,293	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	338	324.49/cwt	322.50–325.00	1,097	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	956	233.32/cwt	226.00–233.50	2,231	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	486	293.26/cwt	287.50–294.00	1,425	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	610	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,421	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	380	316.00/cwt	316.00–316.00	1,201	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	474	303.70/cwt	296.00–318.00	1,440	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	431	309.36/cwt	300.00–315.00	1,333	9
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	418	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,244	6
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	641	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,590	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	356	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,068	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	471	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,272	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	458	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	1,278	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	408	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,183	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	977	201.21/cwt	199.00–208.00	1,966	4
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,098	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,031	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,385	112.09/cwt	112.00–113.00	1,552	11
Bulls	—	—	1,842	111.68/cwt	106.50–115.00	2,057	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,051	87.78/cwt	80.00–93.50	923	54
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,620	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,701	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	93.83/cwt	90.00–96.50	1,297	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,362	106.47/cwt	99.00–111.50	1,450	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,096	100.60/cwt	95.50–107.50	1,103	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,506	101.02/cwt	96.00–108.00	1,521	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,188	87.56/cwt	79.00–90.50	1,040	34
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,748	107.73/cwt	106.00–109.50	1,883	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,408	89.44/cwt	85.00–93.00	1,259	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	980	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	823	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,192	95.10/cwt	92.50–101.50	1,134	9
Bulls	—	—	1,763	96.48/cwt	94.00–98.50	1,701	5
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,300	94.00/cwt	94.00–94.00	1,222	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,530	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	2,884	1
Bulls	—	—	1,959	120.84/cwt	120.50–121.00	2,367	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,424	99.11/cwt	90.00–103.50	1,411	26
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,738	110.70/cwt	108.00–116.00	1,924	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,133	127.87/cwt	108.00–151.00	1,449	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	988	137.09/cwt	130.00–144.00	1,354	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,035	158.82/cwt	146.00–182.50	1,644	30
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,233	103.50/cwt	103.50–103.50	1,276	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	784	157.86/cwt	149.50–167.50	1,238	16
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,332	1,725.00/head	1,725.00–1,725.00	1,725	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,092	195.50/cwt	195.50–195.50	2,135	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	705	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,755	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	910	210.40/cwt	210.00–212.00	1,915	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,025	210.20/cwt	209.00–210.50	2,155	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	276.40/cwt	275.00–280.00	1,189	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	832	226.34/cwt	225.00–230.00	1,883	15
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,100	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	2,123	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	201.50/cwt	201.50–201.50	2,015	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	526	259.27/cwt	257.50–269.00	1,364	19
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	422	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	730	3

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 →