Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-11-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-11-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were both too lightly tested this week to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 450 lbs sold mostly 10.00-20.00 lower; Steers 450-549 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower; steer calves over 550 lbs sold mostly 4.00-8.00 lower. Heifer calves under 400 lbs sold 10.00-15.00 higher; heifer calves 400-599 lbs sold mostly unevenly steady from 2.00 higher to 5.00 lower; heifer calves over 600 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 lower. Demand was mostly moderate to good this sale. Quality today was mixed from plain to very attractive. Several large consignments of calves were seen this sale and these offerings were met with good demand as buyers were able to buy load lot quantities of very attractive calves. Large price spreads were seen between plain/average quality calves and high quality calves this sale as fewer takers were seen for plain to average quality offerings. CME positions sold off sharply today with triple digit losses seen on all contracts. The nearby November is nearing expiration and sold near steady, however all differed contracts sold from 3.40 to 3.80 lower. The November contract closed at 229.375, while the January contract closed at 227.50. Package sizes were large again this week with several load lots of calves seen. Demand was good for both load lots and packages. Calves with fall preconditioning shots sold with the best demand and sold with strong premiums to calves with only spring shots. A few weaned calves were seen this week. Demand for weaned calves was moderate, however little to no premium was seen for weaned calves this week. Most weaned calves were pushing moderate amounts of fill and many were dirty or muddy. Market activity was mostly active today with a very large crowd on hand of both farmer feeders and order buyers noticed. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for mostly light offerings. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. High quality feeding cows were too lightly tested to trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on light demand today. Quality was mostly plain to average and most offerings sold to feed. This class was too lightly tested to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $299.62/cwt on 2,107 head.

Average price

$299.62

2,107 head · 500 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,497

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$238

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1-2

$74.18/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+5.39

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	357	308.18	1,101	14thin
Medium and Large 1	489	307.26	1,504	1,722
Medium 1-2	461	287.77	1,327	30
Medium and Large 1-2	531	273.70	1,453	232
Large 1	643	236.58	1,522	87
Medium and Large 2	542	235.86	1,279	14thin
Large 1-2	572	234.00	1,338	8thin

One grade step is worth $74.18/cwt here — about −$238 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 sale2,107 hd

299.62

—

MT average5 barns · 6,339 hd

294.23

+5.39

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	1,665	97.14	1,617	8thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,658	91.04	1,509	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,380	81.38	1,123	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,122	73.96	830	66

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)	1,027	$1,835	3thin

Every lot, as filed

107 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	Large 1Unweaned	—	591	246.49/cwt	246.00–248.00	1,457	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	283	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,005	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	685	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,548	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	454	280.50/cwt	280.50–280.50	1,273	8
Steers	Large 1	—	705	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,544	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	595	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,458	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	342	372.60/cwt	370.00–390.00	1,274	136
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	312	254.43/cwt	250.00–260.00	794	11
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	545	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,493	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	482	273.76/cwt	269.00–286.00	1,320	335
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	679	240.55/cwt	232.00–247.00	1,633	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	324	340.37/cwt	314.00–346.00	1,103	86
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	528	233.35/cwt	227.00–245.00	1,232	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	521	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,355	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	422	313.06/cwt	308.00–315.00	1,321	15
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	600	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,332	6
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	688	228.81/cwt	225.00–229.00	1,574	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	808	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	1,717	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	612	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,499	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	375	316.36/cwt	297.50–325.00	1,186	286
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,018	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	1,965	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,055	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	2,036	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	614	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,517	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	464	310.59/cwt	302.00–324.00	1,441	76
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	245	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	686	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	396	348.94/cwt	340.00–375.00	1,382	308
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,027	1,835.00/head	1,835.00–1,835.00	1,835	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,033	107.98/cwt	107.00–109.00	1,115	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,033	99.65/cwt	92.00–103.50	1,029	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,021	123.00/cwt	95.00–125.00	1,256	30
Bulls	—	—	1,753	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,911	2
Bulls	—	—	1,635	93.19/cwt	84.00–104.00	1,524	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	50.00/cwt	50.00–50.00	448	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,195	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	932	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	463	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,377	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	538	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,251	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	585	202.77/cwt	201.00–207.50	1,186	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	460	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,196	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	420	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,334	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	427	281.26/cwt	276.00–297.00	1,201	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	338	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	980	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	538	265.53/cwt	261.00–274.00	1,429	72
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	598	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,429	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	384	316.43/cwt	315.00–317.50	1,215	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	451	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,182	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	591	219.13/cwt	217.50–222.00	1,295	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	625	237.31/cwt	224.00–243.00	1,483	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	343	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	1,170	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	377	281.59/cwt	275.00–286.00	1,062	30
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	555	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,260	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	619	251.37/cwt	245.00–257.00	1,556	207
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	574	244.68/cwt	242.00–250.00	1,404	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	481	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,130	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	527	227.98/cwt	222.50–239.00	1,201	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	648	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,328	3
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	399	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,237	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,009	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	1,947	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	414	272.30/cwt	272.00–272.50	1,127	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	427	291.08/cwt	281.00–302.00	1,243	221
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	631	226.80/cwt	221.00–238.00	1,431	142
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	440	328.80/cwt	325.00–345.00	1,447	313
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	935	212.49/cwt	212.00–214.00	1,987	4
Steers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	572	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,338	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	391	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	880	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	588	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,552	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	464	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,415	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	888	206.50/cwt	206.50–206.50	1,834	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	637	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,624	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	985	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	2,049	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	652	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	1,265	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	593	197.00/cwt	197.00–197.00	1,168	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	458	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,237	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	710	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,512	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	748	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,272	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	507	278.00/cwt	278.00–278.00	1,409	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	510	289.17/cwt	283.50–297.00	1,475	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	714	229.16/cwt	219.00–232.00	1,636	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	894	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	1,725	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	578	256.85/cwt	254.00–265.00	1,485	94
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	483	291.59/cwt	284.00–296.00	1,408	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	293.63/cwt	276.00–301.00	1,536	354
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	576	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,394	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	655	221.29/cwt	221.00–222.00	1,449	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	571	246.10/cwt	240.00–257.00	1,405	68
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	500	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,105	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	715	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,573	1
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	326	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,011	7
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	436	255.38/cwt	250.00–256.00	1,113	9
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	543	244.10/cwt	239.00–245.00	1,325	19
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	306	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	972	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	290	381.00/cwt	381.00–381.00	1,105	40
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	480	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,349	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	521	258.96/cwt	249.00–272.00	1,349	110
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	603	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,290	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	389	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,011	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	591	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	1,176	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	522	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,430	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,186	83.34/cwt	81.00–88.50	988	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,387	79.29/cwt	77.50–83.50	1,100	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,323	90.95/cwt	88.50–95.00	1,203	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,348	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	1,024	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,730	73.00/cwt	73.00–73.00	1,263	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,155	59.98/cwt	55.00–64.00	693	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,056	74.81/cwt	69.00–78.00	790	35
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,275	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	1,109	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,658	91.04/cwt	89.00–92.00	1,509	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,242	71.48/cwt	65.00–73.00	888	13

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 →