Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-01-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-01-11

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last report: The last feeder special was one month ago so no comparisons can be made, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed on steer calves under 550 lbs and higher undertones were noticed on all steers over 550 lbs. All weights of heifers sold with higher undertones. Quality this week was mixed from average to very attractive. Package sizes this week were mostly moderate with several partial loads on offer. Buyers showed very good demand for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. Buyers purchased heavier weight cattle this week to send to grass this week. Steers up to 660 lbs and heifers up to 625 lbs were purchased for this purpose. Flesh conditions were mixed this week. Some backgrounded cattle out of grow yards were carrying more flesh, and consequently more tag. Calves that were hay fed and weaned on pasture were very green and in light flesh, these offerings were met with very good demand. Quality today was mixed from plain to very attractive. Most of the offering was comprised of weaned calves this week. Most calves were weaned 50-100 days. CME positions improved throughout the day, helping spur buyer demand. The January contract closed at 226.275, 1.65 higher than yesterdays close. The March contract closed at 227.40, up 1.275 than yesterdays close. Market activity was mostly active to very active today with a large crowd on hand. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for mostly light offerings. All cows were last tested over a month ago so no comparisons can be made, however higher undertones were noticed on both slaughter and feeding cows. Packers, in a surprising move, purchased several packages of thin cows to feed. These offerings are usually only purchased in November and December, however packers opted to put this class of cows away on feed in the event supplies tighten. Slaughter bulls sold with higher undertones as well. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on light to moderate demand, no comparisons are available.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $282.72/cwt on 1,507 head.

Average price

$282.72

1,507 head · 611 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,727

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$756

per head · Medium 1-2 over Large 1

$73.96/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.37

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1-2	324	312.00	1,011	21
Medium and Large 1	605	289.65	1,752	1,134
Medium 1	591	273.08	1,615	38
Medium and Large 1-2	622	263.38	1,639	234
Large 1	742	238.04	1,767	80

One grade step is worth $73.96/cwt here — about −$756 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 sale1,507 hd

282.72

—

MT average3 barns · 2,823 hd

284.10

−1.37

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	1,898	108.62	2,061	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,458	90.45	1,318	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,822	89.83	1,636	3thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,144	76.74	878	43

Every lot, as filed

98 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	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,661	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	356	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,371	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	668	260.19/cwt	250.00–266.50	1,738	231
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	922	214.50/cwt	214.50–214.50	1,978	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	629	256.14/cwt	240.00–264.00	1,611	105
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	702	233.28/cwt	231.00–236.00	1,638	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	425	366.07/cwt	349.00–387.00	1,556	108
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	875	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,934	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	549	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,636	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	892	213.50/cwt	213.50–213.50	1,904	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	423	328.71/cwt	320.00–346.00	1,390	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	476	309.23/cwt	300.00–312.50	1,472	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	803	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,799	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	246.28/cwt	243.00–252.00	1,781	140
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	536	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,447	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	639	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,540	8
Steers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,147	174.50/cwt	174.50–174.50	2,002	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	660	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,630	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	566	274.03/cwt	267.00–282.00	1,551	18
Steers	Large 1	—	699	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,692	43
Heifers	Medium 1	—	456	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,231	6
Heifers	Large 1	—	565	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,413	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	523	281.92/cwt	271.00–289.00	1,474	113
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	556	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,601	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	531	312.25/cwt	302.00–325.00	1,658	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	822	222.64/cwt	221.00–224.00	1,830	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	534	290.40/cwt	286.00–298.00	1,551	22
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	324	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	1,011	21
Steers	Large 1	—	820	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,853	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	559	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,761	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	475	340.44/cwt	325.00–355.00	1,617	92
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	582	299.05/cwt	286.00–313.00	1,740	238
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	339	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,237	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	688	238.70/cwt	235.00–246.50	1,642	21
Steers	Large 1	—	746	236.50/cwt	236.50–236.50	1,764	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,600	7
Steers	Medium 1	—	408	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,387	2
Steers	Medium 1	—	628	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,608	7
Steers	Large 1	—	586	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,582	17
Steers	Medium 1	—	582	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,612	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	753	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	1,864	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	456	362.00/cwt	362.00–362.00	1,651	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	684	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,710	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	664	235.50/cwt	235.50–235.50	1,564	73
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	805	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	1,642	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	487	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,485	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	640	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,472	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	344	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	1,242	44
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	426	349.00/cwt	349.00–349.00	1,487	53
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,795	85.50/cwt	85.50–85.50	1,535	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	945	64.00/cwt	64.00–64.00	605	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,138	78.02/cwt	75.50–82.00	888	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,526	92.33/cwt	88.50–95.50	1,409	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,338	91.22/cwt	86.00–93.50	1,221	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,161	75.89/cwt	68.00–81.00	881	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	80.52/cwt	78.00–82.00	1,143	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,075	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	677	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,201	85.21/cwt	85.00–86.00	1,023	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,875	98.50/cwt	98.50–98.50	1,847	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,365	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	1,133	1
Bulls	—	—	1,788	101.98/cwt	88.00–106.00	1,823	8
Bulls	—	—	2,330	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	2,493	1
Bulls	—	—	1,868	114.84/cwt	110.50–121.00	2,145	6
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,520	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	3,175	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,035	120.16/cwt	92.00–135.00	1,244	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	828	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	994	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	946	146.93/cwt	110.00–187.00	1,390	74
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	716	210.78/cwt	210.00–212.00	1,509	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	600	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,596	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	517	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	1,546	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	594	251.44/cwt	250.00–255.00	1,494	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	681	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,491	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	617	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,518	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	754	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,651	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	629	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,491	6
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,095	181.50/cwt	181.50–181.50	1,987	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	730	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,599	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	520	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,157	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,005	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	1,799	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	987	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	1,964	13
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	425	234.95/cwt	230.00–245.00	999	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	472	266.41/cwt	241.00–276.00	1,257	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	533	260.20/cwt	248.00–268.00	1,387	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	624	242.12/cwt	236.00–246.00	1,511	15
Heifers	Medium 1	—	364	278.86/cwt	261.00–280.00	1,015	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	609	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,620	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	680	242.17/cwt	236.00–251.75	1,647	124
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	862	188.87/cwt	186.00–194.00	1,628	26
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	335	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	774	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	680	227.31/cwt	222.00–231.00	1,546	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	584	264.78/cwt	258.00–276.00	1,546	138
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	788	227.25/cwt	227.25–227.25	1,791	26
Heifers	Medium 1	—	538	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,410	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	713	232.72/cwt	229.00–238.50	1,659	128
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	618	254.62/cwt	247.00–261.00	1,574	256
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	480	285.18/cwt	276.00–292.00	1,369	80
Heifers	Large 1	—	723	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,526	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	620	273.70/cwt	267.00–276.00	1,697	85

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 →