Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-03-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-03-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(3-14-24): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on both steer and heifers of like quality. Quality this week was mostly plain. Package sizes were small this week with many singles in the offering. Demand for all feeders was moderate to good for light offerings. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. CME Feeder cattle contracts have sold off for much of the week. The March feeder cattle contract closed today at 247.75, while the April closed at 247.125, the May contract closed at 248.70. Market activity was mostly moderate this week. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers pushed to own as much of the cow offering as possible as cow and bull supplies remain tight. Slaughter cows sold 6.00-12.00 higher on all classes this week. High quality cows sold on very good demand as both packers and private feeding buyers pushed these offerings sharply higher in order to secure offerings. Feeding cows sold sharply higher compared to last week with most sales 10.00-12.00 higher. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Weigh up conditions were average this sale. Slaughter bulls sold sharply higher in a narrow comparison, most bulls sold 12.00-16.00 than last week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $333.94/cwt on 34 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −153.84 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$333.94

34 head · 562 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,876

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$126

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

$1.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.88

vs MT average

+23.68 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	564	334.00	1,884	32
Medium and Large 1-2	528	333.00	1,758	2thin

One grade step is worth $1.00/cwt here — about $126 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

21 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $525.97, low $398.08, median $487.78 across 21 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale34 hd

333.94

—

MT average2 barns · 39 hd

331.06

+2.88

National average156 barns · 8,291 hd

310.26

+23.68

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−153.84

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	1,702	140.80	2,396	56
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,592	131.62	2,095	31
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,379	130.49	1,799	100
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,094	117.69	1,288	107

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,215	$2,700	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,304	$2,001	8
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,083	$1,900	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,483	$2,300	3thin

Every lot, as filed

68 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 and Large 1-2	700–750	715	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,916	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	940	166.37/cwt	155.00–180.00	1,564	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,123	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,482	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	1,531	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	691	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,810	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	929	191.00/cwt	155.00–207.50	1,774	35
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,243	2,336.46/head	2,300.00–2,400.00	2,336	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	965	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,075	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,108	154.48/cwt	132.50–177.00	1,712	35
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,083	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,215	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,483	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,983	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,884	32
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	640	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,818	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	510	313.00/cwt	313.00–313.00	1,596	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	845	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,859	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	838	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,886	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,410	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,988	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	778	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,984	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	789	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,815	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	785	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,806	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	1,758	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	596	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,621	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,340	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,007	140.80/cwt	117.00–162.50	1,418	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	623	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,807	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	660	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,795	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,325	128.51/cwt	123.00–132.00	1,703	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	104.00/cwt	103.00–105.00	1,035	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,407	138.39/cwt	136.50–145.00	1,947	37
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,390	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,988	1
Bulls	—	—	2,009	157.62/cwt	156.00–159.50	3,167	6
Bulls	—	—	1,705	120.23/cwt	113.00–125.00	2,050	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,360	116.48/cwt	109.00–119.50	1,584	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	118.67/cwt	118.00–120.00	1,632	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	918	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,074	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,371	128.50/cwt	122.00–133.00	1,762	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,090	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	1,401	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,038	91.07/cwt	91.00–92.00	945	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,240	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,637	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,555	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	2,224	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,354	129.71/cwt	123.00–136.00	1,756	28
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,633	120.14/cwt	114.00–126.00	1,962	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,522	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	2,100	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,590	124.09/cwt	116.00–128.00	1,973	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	839	85.34/cwt	84.00–92.00	716	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,179	120.57/cwt	114.00–124.50	1,422	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,529	133.21/cwt	131.00–140.00	2,037	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,151	108.46/cwt	101.00–112.00	1,248	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,192	127.83/cwt	118.00–131.00	1,524	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,614	132.80/cwt	130.00–134.00	2,143	17
Heifers	Medium 1	300–350	335	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,122	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	660	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,188	1
Steers	Medium 1-2	350–400	383	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,149	3
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,022	171.54/cwt	160.00–178.00	1,753	3
Bulls	—	—	1,751	143.42/cwt	132.00–152.50	2,511	28
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,508	143.27/cwt	135.00–149.00	2,161	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	917	200.50/cwt	200.50–200.50	1,839	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	421	339.69/cwt	337.50–342.00	1,430	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	685	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,661	2
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	403	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,451	2
Steers	Medium 1	350–400	360	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,350	2
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	412	322.29/cwt	321.00–324.00	1,328	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	935	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,057	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	843	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,989	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,645	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	422	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,350	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 →