Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-05-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-05-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for feeders was mostly moderate to good. Quality was mostly plain to average today, however quality today was better than last weeks sale. Most calves were offered in small packages or as singles. CME Feeder and live cattle contracts all closed higher today as strong gains were seen throughout the week for the boxed beef cutout prompting buyers to push contracts higher. Boxed beef values closed 3.38 and 2.20 higher at 310.15 and 296.51, on choice and select respectfully. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for heavy offerings. Packers showed good demand for all cows on offer. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to firm on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher on boning and breaking flesh cows, thin fleshed cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher. Quality was mostly average to very attractive this week. Private feeding cow buyers were very aggressive this week as they showed good demand for thin cows that will flesh up quickly. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week with a mix of both empty and full cows seen. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher. Bull quality was mostly attractive to very attractive today. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 10.00-15.00 higher. Quality was mostly attractive to very attractive this week. Demand was mostly good to very good with the best demand seen for cows which lost calves. Many open 2 and 3 year old cows sold for 1,900-2,100 per head.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $279.62/cwt on 59 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −154.24 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$279.62

59 head · 544 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,522

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$238

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

$26.77/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−9.72

vs MT average

+9.62 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	554	292.24	1,619	24
Medium and Large 1-2	564	279.20	1,575	14thin
Medium and Large 2	520	265.47	1,381	21

One grade step is worth $26.77/cwt here — about $238 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 sale59 hd

279.62

—

MT average3 barns · 564 hd

289.34

−9.72

National average167 barns · 11,471 hd

270.00

+9.62

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−154.24

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	1,767	148.90	2,630	86
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,562	138.52	2,164	63
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,400	133.47	1,868	213
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,155	126.29	1,459	305

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)	1,240	$2,319	11
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,056	$2,177	10
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,459	$2,075	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,235	$1,550	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,775	$2,675	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,416	$2,600	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,530	$2,350	1thin

Every lot, as filed

97 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	960	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,824	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,193	134.16/cwt	131.00–137.00	1,601	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	917	187.91/cwt	167.00–205.00	1,723	14
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,530	2,350.00/head	2,350.00–2,350.00	2,350	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,416	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	963	207.68/cwt	151.00–230.00	2,000	209
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,240	2,319.24/head	2,200.00–2,375.00	2,319	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	885	234.50/cwt	234.50–234.50	2,075	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,494	155.67/cwt	155.50–156.00	2,326	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,031	176.38/cwt	137.00–221.00	1,818	111
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	100–150	130	525.00/head	525.00–525.00	525	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,775	2,675.00/head	2,675.00–2,675.00	2,675	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,235	1,550.00/head	1,550.00–1,550.00	1,550	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,459	2,075.00/head	2,075.00–2,075.00	2,075	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	735	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,793	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	948	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,086	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	782	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,892	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	633	285.54/cwt	285.00–286.50	1,807	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	553	292.85/cwt	290.00–300.00	1,619	21
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	353	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,147	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	503	297.51/cwt	295.00–300.00	1,496	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	661	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,824	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	796	236.33/cwt	235.00–239.00	1,881	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	558	327.53/cwt	327.53–327.53	1,828	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	631	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	1,660	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	507	316.39/cwt	307.00–322.50	1,604	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	492	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,661	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,785	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,056	2,177.34/head	2,175.00–2,200.00	2,177	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	805	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,956	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	510	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,441	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,829	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	573	278.65/cwt	275.00–280.00	1,597	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	461	289.30/cwt	282.50–299.00	1,334	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,057	135.37/cwt	132.50–139.00	1,431	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	617	298.98/cwt	289.00–303.00	1,845	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	846	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,878	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	745	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,758	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,065	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,704	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	625	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	1,703	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,385	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,897	1
Bulls	—	—	1,770	151.17/cwt	144.00–159.00	2,676	35
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Natural	—	1,485	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	2,153	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,407	142.57/cwt	140.00–146.00	2,006	36
Bulls	—	—	2,006	166.75/cwt	162.00–175.00	3,345	21
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,300	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,716	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	743	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,746	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	408	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,387	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,583	144.39/cwt	142.00–147.00	2,286	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	929	110.17/cwt	102.50–117.50	1,023	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,185	134.88/cwt	132.00–141.00	1,598	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,114	112.29/cwt	105.00–120.00	1,251	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,448	117.83/cwt	115.00–123.00	1,706	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,626	143.03/cwt	142.00–145.00	2,326	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,574	133.01/cwt	129.00–135.00	2,094	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,187	130.07/cwt	124.00–133.00	1,544	127
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	883	94.76/cwt	90.00–97.50	837	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,489	141.40/cwt	140.50–143.00	2,105	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,387	133.59/cwt	127.00–139.00	1,853	114
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,191	125.56/cwt	122.00–131.00	1,495	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,425	121.79/cwt	116.00–126.00	1,736	25
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,671	131.39/cwt	125.00–134.00	2,196	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,400	132.34/cwt	127.00–138.00	1,853	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,628	139.16/cwt	135.00–141.50	2,266	6
Bulls	—	—	1,752	137.48/cwt	130.00–144.00	2,409	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,491	138.49/cwt	135.50–142.00	2,065	16
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,351	126.93/cwt	120.50–136.00	1,715	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,208	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,335	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,922	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,081	119.12/cwt	107.00–123.00	1,288	27
Bulls	—	—	2,685	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	3,786	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,208	134.57/cwt	133.00–139.00	1,626	65
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	719	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,618	6
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,185	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	2,222	1
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,060	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,590	2
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,183	143.56/cwt	142.00–145.00	1,698	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,185	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	2,109	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,065	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,108	3
Heifers	Medium 2	400–450	445	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,057	5
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,200	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	2,208	1
Bulls	Large 1Fancy	1200–1250	1,220	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	2,318	4
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,254	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	2,006	4
Bulls	Large 1	1300–1350	1,345	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,085	1
Steers	Large 1	700–750	722	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	1,899	3
Bulls	Medium 1	850–900	897	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,951	3
Bulls	Medium 1	750–800	750	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,706	5
Stock Cows	Medium 1Thin Fleshed	—	790	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,383	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	876	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,358	4
Steers	Medium 1-2	450–500	473	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,443	2
Heifers	Medium 1-2	400–450	436	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,275	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	763	224.59/cwt	218.00–228.00	1,714	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	514	266.31/cwt	261.00–277.00	1,369	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	580	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,494	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	634	230.37/cwt	230.00–231.00	1,461	8
Bulls	Medium 1	800–850	849	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,859	7
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	755	196.02/cwt	191.00–215.00	1,480	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	562	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,619	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 →