Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-10-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 500 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Steer calves over 500 lbs sold with steady undertones. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop a full market trend however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold with sharply higher undertones, heifer calves over 450 lbs sold mostly 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Most cattle were offered in small packages this sale, with no load lots seen. Selection was limited again this week forcing buyers to piece together loads. Demand was good to very good for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Demand for calves over 500 lbs and yearlings sold on mostly moderate demand. CME positions sold mostly higher throughout the week and buyers showed much stronger demand for all feeder offerings this week compared to last. Cooler and rainy conditions were seen much of the day and some calves showed some stress as a result. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. Weigh up cows were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate trend, however lower undertones were noticed on both feeding and slaughter cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average again today as most cows were pushing fill, as a big change of weather was seen. 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.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $291.62/cwt on 787 head.

Average price

$291.62

787 head · 564 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,646

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$88

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2

$75.16/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.16

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	544	303.75	1,652	147
Medium and Large 1	556	297.42	1,654	542
Medium 1	652	266.00	1,734	7thin
Medium 1-2	584	256.64	1,499	33
Medium 2	597	237.00	1,415	5thin
Large 1-2	626	232.50	1,455	6thin
Medium and Large 2	684	228.59	1,564	47

One grade step is worth $75.16/cwt here — about $88 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 sale787 hd

291.62

—

MT average5 barns · 2,459 hd

296.78

−5.16

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	—	Low	1,606	99.64	1,601	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,659	104.25	1,729	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,405	99.67	1,401	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,172	82.48	967	73

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)	1,140	$1,862	16

Every lot, as filed

97 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 2Unweaned	—	394	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	877	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	372	297.92/cwt	280.00–308.50	1,108	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	515	266.79/cwt	254.00–274.00	1,374	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	332	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,096	3
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	648	259.50/cwt	259.50–259.50	1,682	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	541	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,358	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	438	271.63/cwt	250.00–273.00	1,190	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	380	319.21/cwt	310.00–330.00	1,213	32
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	883	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,996	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	787	234.15/cwt	224.50–247.50	1,843	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	759	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,989	34
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	570	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,459	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	830	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,942	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	618	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,730	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	705	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,932	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	910	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	2,111	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	533	221.99/cwt	220.00–225.00	1,183	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	741	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,712	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	873	236.88/cwt	230.00–239.50	2,068	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	744	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,934	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	556	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	1,551	14
Steers	Medium 1	—	652	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,734	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	342	372.96/cwt	372.00–375.00	1,276	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	629	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,736	28
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	830	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,826	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	955	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,044	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	576	263.79/cwt	255.00–270.00	1,519	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	474	302.92/cwt	290.00–308.00	1,436	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	434	345.90/cwt	330.00–355.00	1,501	32
Steers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	626	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,455	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	477	230.61/cwt	224.00–250.00	1,100	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	634	264.71/cwt	255.50–271.00	1,678	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	569	277.25/cwt	274.00–280.50	1,578	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	410	371.70/cwt	266.00–384.00	1,524	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	376	394.13/cwt	390.00–405.00	1,482	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	529	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	1,365	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	607	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,518	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	397	379.00/cwt	379.00–379.00	1,505	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	339	393.56/cwt	387.50–402.50	1,334	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	660	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,700	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	461	336.31/cwt	306.00–362.00	1,550	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	286.79/cwt	278.00–296.00	1,500	164
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	585	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,492	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	565	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,158	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	474	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,375	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	380	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,425	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	791	234.50/cwt	234.50–234.50	1,855	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	965	215.50/cwt	215.50–215.50	2,080	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,205	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	1,145	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,212	95.51/cwt	92.00–98.00	1,158	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,535	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,428	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,460	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,606	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,435	103.13/cwt	97.50–108.00	1,480	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,403	96.50/cwt	95.00–97.00	1,354	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,303	94.00/cwt	94.00–94.00	1,225	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,835	108.50/cwt	108.50–108.50	1,991	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,805	105.50/cwt	105.50–105.50	1,904	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,337	89.32/cwt	88.00–92.00	1,194	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,112	69.11/cwt	60.00–70.00	769	23
Bulls	—	—	1,807	100.86/cwt	95.00–106.00	1,823	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,184	85.26/cwt	79.00–93.00	1,009	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,200	84.52/cwt	80.00–89.00	1,014	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,375	95.95/cwt	92.00–100.00	1,319	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,760	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,971	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,033	135.91/cwt	130.00–140.00	1,404	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	964	156.57/cwt	147.00–171.00	1,509	26
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,140	1,862.13/head	1,825.00–1,960.00	1,862	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,077	110.38/cwt	107.00–112.50	1,189	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,062	125.12/cwt	111.00–147.50	1,329	33
Heifers	Medium 1	—	697	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,715	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	567	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,537	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	757	241.78/cwt	239.50–242.50	1,830	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	472	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,369	16
Steers	Medium 2	—	597	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,415	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	447	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	983	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	309	313.74/cwt	312.50–320.00	969	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	538	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,512	26
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	501	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,268	5
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	399	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,197	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	465	276.51/cwt	273.00–280.00	1,286	70
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	940	224.50/cwt	224.50–224.50	2,110	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	643	248.95/cwt	246.00–251.00	1,601	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	781	236.60/cwt	235.50–238.00	1,848	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	798	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	1,620	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	734	245.50/cwt	245.50–245.50	1,802	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	476	267.81/cwt	267.50–268.00	1,275	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	879	226.19/cwt	224.50–227.50	1,988	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	516	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,476	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	568	255.41/cwt	252.00–262.00	1,451	29
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	550	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,287	3
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,105	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	2,166	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	424	294.68/cwt	285.00–315.00	1,249	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	873	221.50/cwt	221.50–221.50	1,934	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	834	225.21/cwt	225.00–226.00	1,878	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	691	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,665	6
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,070	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	2,087	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	832	237.21/cwt	237.00–237.25	1,974	35

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 →