Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2024-01-18

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Jan 18
● Final42 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
94 head
3,662 vs last sale 3,756 404 vs year ago 498 · 81.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
261 head
163 vs last sale 98 46 vs year ago 307 · 15.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
75 head
9 vs last sale 84 26 vs year ago 101 · 25.7%
Also sold here(Mon)Thu Apr 16, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Extreme cold has been seen over the last week, with actual temperatures well below 0 and wind chills 40-60 below 0. Today and yesterday saw warmer temperatures but some light snowfall across the region. This has slowed the volume of cattle being marketed. Very light receipts were seen today. Not enough feeder cattle sold to develop any market trend. Demand was light to moderate for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and mostly offered in small groups or as singles. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. A small crowd was on hand for todays sale. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers showed very good demand for slaughter cows. Many sales were canceled in the upper planes this past week due to weather and extreme cold. This had packers searching for offerings for immediate harvest as offerings available to the packer have been tight. Slaughter cows sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 10.00-12.00 higher. Feeding cow buyers were aggressive as well. They bit aggressively against packer buyers in a search to fill loads for the week. Feeding cows sold mostly 8.00-10.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on light to moderate demand, no comparisons are available due to light receipts.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $226.70/cwt on 27 head.
Average price
$226.70
27 head · 710 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,609
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$84
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1
$65.00/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+14.06
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1579260.001,5055thin
Medium and Large 2465255.001,1861thin
Medium and Large 1-2742221.161,64118thin
Medium 1815195.001,5893thin
One grade step is worth $65.00/cwt here — about −$84 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 sale27 hd
226.70
MT average2 barns · 69 hd
212.64
+14.06
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsLow1,762115.632,03813
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,576102.661,6187thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,436101.001,45170
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,13490.821,030142

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,102$1,96411
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,393$1,8753thin
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,268$1,43235

Every lot, as filed

42 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
HeifersMedium 1815195.00/cwt195.00–195.001,5893
HeifersMedium and Large 1579260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,5055
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2629249.00/cwt249.00–249.001,5667
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2680216.99/cwt215.00–221.001,4766
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2970184.00/cwt184.00–184.001,7852
HeifersMedium and Large 2465255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,1861
SteersMedium and Large 1-2705235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,6571
SteersMedium and Large 1-2687234.48/cwt230.00–237.001,6117
HeifersMedium and Large 1-21,055180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,8991
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2938194.00/cwt194.00–194.001,8202
SteersMedium and Large 1828225.52/cwt224.00–227.001,8672
SteersMedium and Large 1-2630252.50/cwt252.50–252.501,5912
SteersMedium and Large 1-2910214.00/cwt214.00–214.001,9472
SteersMedium and Large 1-2583283.73/cwt283.00–285.001,6548
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Non-Legible BANGS1,0461,925.00/head1,925.00–1,925.001,9256
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,2951,475.00/head1,475.00–1,475.001,47520
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,2321,375.12/head1,360.00–1,385.001,37515
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3931,875.00/head1,875.00–1,875.001,8753
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,1702,010.00/head2,010.00–2,010.002,0105
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,030158.25/cwt127.50–179.001,6304
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1992110.08/cwt106.00–122.501,0929
BullsLight Weight1,340102.00/cwt102.00–102.001,3671
Bulls2,063128.79/cwt125.00–132.002,6572
Bulls1,645104.02/cwt101.00–106.001,7113
Bulls1,787118.79/cwt113.00–123.002,1237
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,16089.00/cwt89.00–89.001,0321
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,125107.50/cwt107.50–107.501,2091
CowsLean 85-90%1,09885.66/cwt77.00–88.0094146
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,609104.13/cwt103.50–104.501,6755
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,49399.00/cwt99.00–99.001,4782
CowsBoner 80-85%1,487101.92/cwt93.00–104.001,51640
CowsBoner 80-85%1,322105.15/cwt105.00–106.001,3907
CowsBoner 80-85%1,39587.32/cwt79.00–90.001,2188
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight95084.24/cwt84.00–85.008004
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight81061.00/cwt61.00–61.004941
CowsLean 85-90%1,240106.50/cwt106.50–106.501,3211
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,17595.15/cwt93.50–98.001,11871
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,474107.50/cwt107.50–107.501,5855
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,327102.14/cwt94.00–104.751,35510
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight92582.42/cwt80.00–84.007623
CowsLean 85-90%1,20297.50/cwt92.00–100.001,17210
CowsLean 85-90%1,05369.27/cwt62.00–72.007294

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.