Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-05-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-05-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: The last sale was two weeks ago and too few feeder cattle sold to develop any market trend. Demand for feeders was good to very good for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average, with a few packages of attractive replacement heifers seen. Very few home-raised cattle were seen this sale as many sets were cuts off video sales or sorts out of feedlots. Nevertheless, demand was good for all offerings as feeder supplies continue to tighten. Heifer quality overall was more attractive than steer quality this sale. Package sizes were moderate this week. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. CME Feeder cattle contracts all closed with triple digit gains today. Demand for replacement quality heifers was mostly good as several buyers bid aggressively over attractive quality offerings. Market activity was mostly active this week, with a good crowd on hand actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers and private feeders both showed good demand for all cows on offer. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week to develop a full market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold mostly 4.00-6.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average this week. Weigh up conditions were mixed this sale. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly average this week. Demand was mostly good with the best demand seen for cows which lost calves.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $322.92/cwt on 181 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −164.86 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$322.92

181 head · 561 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,810

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$425

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

$44.58/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.04

vs MT average

+14.31 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	560	334.58	1,875	101
Medium and Large 1-2	561	311.03	1,744	56
Medium 1	566	302.62	1,714	22
Medium and Large 2	500	290.00	1,450	2thin

One grade step is worth $44.58/cwt here — about $425 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale181 hd

322.92

—

MT average3 barns · 187 hd

322.88

+0.04

National average166 barns · 9,614 hd

308.61

+14.31

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−164.86

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	1,833	146.11	2,678	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,374	130.98	1,800	38
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,830	127.16	2,326	6thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,166	121.12	1,412	59

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)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,188	$2,425	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,603	$1,900	2thin

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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,839	124.32/cwt	124.00–125.00	2,286	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,120	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	2,544	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,105	117.67/cwt	112.00–121.00	1,300	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,218	134.26/cwt	132.00–135.00	1,635	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,187	127.37/cwt	123.00–132.00	1,512	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,770	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	2,354	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,090	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,417	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	880	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	858	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,386	121.96/cwt	118.00–124.50	1,690	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,205	96.01/cwt	95.00–98.00	1,157	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	150–200	150	470.00/head	450.00–500.00	470	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	750–800	781	1,960.00/head	1,960.00–1,960.00	1,960	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	510	295.51/cwt	293.00–296.00	1,507	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	409	332.11/cwt	331.00–332.50	1,358	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	609	312.11/cwt	303.00–315.00	1,901	91
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	709	256.61/cwt	248.00–260.00	1,819	40
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,080	162.06/cwt	132.50–183.00	1,750	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	762	242.66/cwt	239.00–249.00	1,849	98
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,967	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	969	164.76/cwt	135.00–187.50	1,597	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	668	269.87/cwt	262.00–273.50	1,803	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	750–800	754	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,877	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	850–900	877	2,010.00/head	2,010.00–2,010.00	2,010	21
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	951	186.70/cwt	160.00–211.00	1,776	63
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	625	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,625	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	715	262.76/cwt	247.50–266.00	1,879	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	227.97/cwt	224.50–231.00	1,876	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	751	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,540	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	687	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,759	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	322	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,063	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	516	287.43/cwt	280.75–296.00	1,483	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	638	258.12/cwt	251.50–269.00	1,647	43
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,188	2,425.00/head	2,425.00–2,425.00	2,425	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,603	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	496	332.32/cwt	330.00–347.50	1,648	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	370	372.54/cwt	367.50–380.00	1,378	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	408	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,306	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	352	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,153	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	770	247.52/cwt	246.00–249.00	1,906	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	902	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	2,007	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	270.17/cwt	250.00–279.00	1,864	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	518	326.74/cwt	316.00–332.50	1,693	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	392	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,147	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	441	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,257	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	572	253.68/cwt	250.50–280.00	1,451	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	347	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,319	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	981	213.01/cwt	212.00–215.00	2,090	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	593	299.25/cwt	293.00–308.00	1,775	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,401	138.66/cwt	138.50–139.00	1,943	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,356	133.54/cwt	130.00–138.00	1,811	19
Bulls	—	—	1,887	148.41/cwt	140.00–154.00	2,800	14
Bulls	—	—	1,825	130.59/cwt	120.00–137.00	2,383	5
Bulls	—	—	1,877	159.64/cwt	157.00–165.00	2,996	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,519	138.73/cwt	138.00–139.00	2,107	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,570	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	2,151	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,410	119.11/cwt	117.00–121.00	1,679	2
Steers	Large 1	850–900	878	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,967	2
Steers	Large 1	700–750	713	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,711	8
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,068	165.73/cwt	147.00–190.00	1,770	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,335	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,869	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,430	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,888	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,171	109.14/cwt	105.00–115.00	1,278	10
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	518	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,645	3
Heifers	Medium 1	750–800	764	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,688	13
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	721	173.74/cwt	162.00–182.50	1,253	8
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	633	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,412	6
Steers	Large 1	650–700	675	283.00/cwt	283.00–283.00	1,910	11
Steers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,051	215.50/cwt	215.50–215.50	2,265	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	622	275.50/cwt	275.50–275.50	1,714	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	500	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,450	2
Steers	Medium 1	750–800	780	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,833	2
Bulls	Medium 1	600–650	624	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,685	10
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	574	300.27/cwt	290.00–315.00	1,724	19
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	606	310.50/cwt	310.50–310.50	1,882	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	942	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,988	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	574	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,779	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	463	258.84/cwt	255.00–262.50	1,198	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	780	234.89/cwt	230.00–236.00	1,832	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	734	245.51/cwt	242.00–247.00	1,802	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	488	298.11/cwt	297.50–300.00	1,455	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	1000–1050	1,026	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,206	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	921	220.76/cwt	219.00–221.50	2,033	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	867	228.80/cwt	226.00–232.00	1,984	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	801	250.50/cwt	250.50–250.50	2,007	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	824	226.50/cwt	226.50–226.50	1,866	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	550–600	565	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,475	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	575	328.86/cwt	310.50–339.00	1,891	80
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	778	254.37/cwt	250.25–265.50	1,979	254
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	664	296.51/cwt	280.00–303.00	1,969	211
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	700–750	749	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,828	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	763	234.00/cwt	229.00–244.00	1,785	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	800–850	813	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,951	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	611	278.70/cwt	270.00–281.50	1,703	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	581	285.85/cwt	279.50–292.50	1,661	179
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	722	270.98/cwt	268.00–279.00	1,956	73
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	505	356.37/cwt	346.00–367.50	1,800	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	695	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,842	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	969	216.26/cwt	214.00–218.00	2,096	7

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 →