Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-04-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-04-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were to light to develop a trend. Slaughter cows and bulls steady. Lean slaughter cows and lean cows returning to feed 4.00 lower. Demand good for fleshy type cows.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $285.95/cwt on 29 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −147.91 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$285.95

29 head · 521 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,491

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$212

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

$44.09/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.42

vs MT average

+21.43 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	518	291.57	1,511	24
Medium and Large 1-2	543	266.63	1,449	3thin
Medium and Large 2	525	247.48	1,299	2thin

One grade step is worth $44.09/cwt here — about $212 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

21 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.35, low $332.50, median $433.86 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 sale29 hd

285.95

—

MT average3 barns · 696 hd

291.37

−5.42

National average180 barns · 13,997 hd

264.52

+21.43

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−147.91

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	1,850	142.05	2,629	60
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,514	131.53	1,991	84
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,240	127.02	1,575	242
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,169	115.58	1,352	33

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)	1,300	$2,742	16
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,374	$2,400	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,355	$2,300	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,431	$1,935	9
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,142	$1,833	3thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,057	$2,438	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,250	$2,475	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,167	$1,650	3thin

Every lot, as filed

65 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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,150	1,525.00/head	1,525.00–1,525.00	1,525	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	484	218.65/cwt	215.00–230.00	1,058	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,200	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,585	118.11/cwt	114.00–123.00	1,872	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,496	133.06/cwt	124.50–143.00	1,991	65
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,363	115.00/cwt	108.00–116.00	1,567	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,267	127.19/cwt	122.00–134.00	1,611	31
Bulls	—	—	1,887	145.79/cwt	135.00–158.00	2,751	47
Bulls	—	—	2,430	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	3,912	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,230	127.59/cwt	122.00–142.00	1,569	201
Bulls	—	—	1,659	125.83/cwt	115.00–133.00	2,088	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,186	112.98/cwt	109.00–120.00	1,340	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,157	117.50/cwt	113.00–121.50	1,359	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,518	119.60/cwt	117.00–122.00	1,816	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,584	131.82/cwt	126.00–141.00	2,088	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	525	273.70/cwt	272.50–275.00	1,437	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	465	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,302	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	635	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,413	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	441	230.67/cwt	225.00–232.50	1,017	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	525	247.48/cwt	245.00–250.00	1,299	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	538	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,211	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	640	270.51/cwt	269.00–272.00	1,731	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	880	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	1,870	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	775	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,860	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	645	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,806	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,609	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,551	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,801	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	390	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	1,336	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	362.45/cwt	357.50–367.50	1,649	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	778	227.60/cwt	221.00–234.00	1,771	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	654	280.40/cwt	280.00–281.00	1,834	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	800	243.00/cwt	240.00–246.00	1,944	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	737	238.99/cwt	238.00–240.00	1,761	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,706	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	926	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	1,926	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,074	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	2,180	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	512	293.08/cwt	287.00–297.50	1,501	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	662	256.16/cwt	249.00–258.50	1,696	40
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,078	171.14/cwt	158.50–185.00	1,845	58
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	448	362.05/cwt	360.00–372.50	1,622	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,303	2,791.47/head	2,200.00–2,975.00	2,791	15
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,355	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	410	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,302	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	315	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,032	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	494	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,423	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	588	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,617	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,863	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	417	266.64/cwt	260.00–270.00	1,112	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,431	1,935.01/head	1,800.00–2,000.00	1,935	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,250	2,475.00/head	2,475.00–2,475.00	2,475	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,374	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,142	1,832.55/head	1,700.00–1,900.00	1,833	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	588	302.48/cwt	290.00–306.00	1,779	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	640	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,606	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	355	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	1,269	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	580	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,465	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,260	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,580	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	805	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,670	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	875	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	1,859	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,057	2,438.17/head	2,000.00–2,700.00	2,438	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	923	191.28/cwt	174.00–210.00	1,766	126
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	740	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,924	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	457	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,360	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 →