Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-05-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-05-23

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 despite light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. CME Feeder and live cattle contracts closed slightly lower today. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed good demand for all cows on offer. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on all cows on offer. Feeding cows sold steady boning and breaking flesh cows. Thin fleshed cows sold steady to weak with fewer buyers this week buying thin fleshed cows. Quality was mostly average to very attractive this week. Private feeding cow buyers were very aggressive again this week as the bid against packer buyers over high quality offerings. Packers purchased more cows to feed this week as they are starting to put cows away for the 4th of July holiday. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average as many cows which were out on grass were very empty come sale time. Slaughter bulls sold unevenly steady. Bull quality was mostly attractive today. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. 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.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $230.14/cwt on 21 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −203.72 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$230.14

21 head · 549 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,264

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$721

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

$133.88/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−23.10

vs MT average

−46.32 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	545	283.88	1,547	9thin
Medium and Large 2	553	248.00	1,371	3thin
Medium 1-2	558	242.00	1,350	2thin
Medium 2	551	150.00	827	7thin

One grade step is worth $133.88/cwt here — about $721 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

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 sale21 hd

230.14

—

MT average2 barns · 33 hd

253.24

−23.10

National average163 barns · 12,702 hd

276.46

−46.32

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−203.72

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	1,789	154.12	2,757	65
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,635	139.89	2,287	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,438	137.14	1,971	211
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,202	124.47	1,496	137
Dairy Bulls	—	Low	920	110.00	1,012	1thin

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)	1,350	$2,344	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,360	$2,250	2thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,138	$2,253	2thin

Every lot, as filed

83 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
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,350	2,343.84/head	2,250.00–2,385.00	2,344	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,360	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,076	173.82/cwt	137.00–224.00	1,870	56
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	904	175.66/cwt	171.00–180.00	1,588	29
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	980	216.50/cwt	215.00–218.00	2,122	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	662	286.68/cwt	280.00–300.00	1,898	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	900–950	948	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,896	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	524	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	1,787	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	767	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,971	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	738	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	1,827	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	998	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,246	3
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,138	2,252.69/head	2,150.00–2,325.00	2,253	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	459	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,533	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	996	201.36/cwt	156.00–232.00	2,006	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	586	332.00/cwt	332.00–332.00	1,946	30
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	664	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	1,643	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	566	272.53/cwt	270.00–277.50	1,543	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	813	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,890	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	779	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,955	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	618	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	1,724	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	513	302.92/cwt	291.00–325.00	1,554	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	350	311.00/cwt	311.00–311.00	1,089	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	565	296.41/cwt	292.00–310.00	1,675	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	738	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	1,756	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	817	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,818	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,077	149.89/cwt	132.00–181.00	1,614	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	350	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,190	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,729	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	521	294.57/cwt	287.50–296.00	1,535	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	626	259.97/cwt	259.00–269.00	1,627	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	907	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,959	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	593	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	1,557	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	888	189.73/cwt	182.00–200.00	1,685	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	767	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,833	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	478	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,398	4
Bulls	—	—	1,740	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,506	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,525	141.41/cwt	138.00–143.00	2,157	7
Bulls	—	—	1,568	135.48/cwt	127.00–141.00	2,124	6
Bulls	—	—	2,020	163.60/cwt	160.00–169.00	3,305	22
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,320	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,782	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,323	148.26/cwt	145.00–151.00	1,961	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	935	111.77/cwt	107.50–116.00	1,045	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	980	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,313	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,230	128.80/cwt	124.00–133.00	1,584	62
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,260	136.01/cwt	134.50–142.00	1,714	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,909	135.74/cwt	135.00–136.00	2,591	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,658	143.47/cwt	142.50–145.50	2,379	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,131	115.43/cwt	104.00–121.00	1,306	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,530	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	2,020	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,452	132.97/cwt	127.00–139.00	1,931	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,675	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	2,446	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,248	136.13/cwt	133.00–139.00	1,699	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,211	126.87/cwt	121.00–132.00	1,536	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,454	141.92/cwt	140.00–145.50	2,064	86
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,574	122.61/cwt	117.00–125.00	1,930	4
Bulls	—	—	1,797	156.25/cwt	148.00–160.00	2,808	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,216	119.26/cwt	111.00–123.00	1,450	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,567	139.41/cwt	138.00–141.00	2,185	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,130	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	961	3
Dairy Bulls	—Light Weight	—	920	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,012	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,530	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	2,188	4
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,565	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	4,053	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,572	142.36/cwt	140.00–146.50	2,238	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,349	126.04/cwt	125.00–127.00	1,700	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,413	135.45/cwt	129.00–140.00	1,914	78
Steers	Medium 2	750–800	752	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	1,361	3
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,280	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	2,208	1
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,100	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	2,244	2
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,205	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	2,259	1
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,300	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,846	1
Steers	Large 2	450–500	498	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	909	8
Stock Cows	Medium 1Thin Fleshed	—	793	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,269	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	959	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,247	6
Heifers	Medium 1-2	550–600	558	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,350	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	910	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,411	1
Heifers	Medium 2	450–500	480	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	888	3
Heifers	Medium 2	550–600	551	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	827	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	431	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,282	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	681	250.92/cwt	242.00–260.50	1,709	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	865	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,881	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	553	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,371	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	786	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,737	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	640	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,456	6

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 →