Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-05-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-05-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle to lightly tested last week to establish a trend. For this week's turn out special a higher undertone was noted. Demand good. Quality average. Slaughter cows and bulls up to 10.00 higher. Thin fleshed cows sold steady. Cows returning to feed sold 7.00-10.00 higher. Packer demand very good. Young cows going back to the country for feeding or breeding sold steady to 4.00 higher.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $348.02/cwt on 84 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −139.76 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$348.02

84 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,891

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$150

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

$28.90/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.07

vs MT average

+42.88 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	543	349.40	1,898	80
Medium and Large 1-2	546	320.50	1,748	4thin

One grade step is worth $28.90/cwt here — about $150 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale84 hd

348.02

—

MT average2 barns · 87 hd

346.95

+1.07

National average125 barns · 5,668 hd

305.14

+42.88

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−139.76

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	—	High	1,920	163.59	3,140	24
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,478	155.29	2,295	57
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,266	145.83	1,846	55
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,114	127.00	1,414	28

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)	1,223	$2,299	5
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,387	$2,207	6
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,190	$1,992	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,276	$1,850	10
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,110	$1,847	4thin
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,075	$1,800	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,280	$2,550	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,220	$2,550	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,230	$2,445	10

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
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	733	269.46/cwt	266.00–273.00	1,975	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	800	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,792	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	630	299.12/cwt	297.00–303.00	1,884	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	580	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,421	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,352	162.21/cwt	162.00–163.00	2,193	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,250	146.74/cwt	137.00–154.50	1,834	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,150	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,449	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,489	153.64/cwt	151.00–159.50	2,288	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,145	136.56/cwt	130.00–140.00	1,564	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,137	123.98/cwt	123.50–125.00	1,410	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,545	144.98/cwt	143.00–148.00	2,240	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,478	160.69/cwt	160.00–162.50	2,375	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,105	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,569	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,039	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,122	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	785	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,609	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	712	218.07/cwt	210.00–222.00	1,553	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	415	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,266	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	737	239.94/cwt	215.00–245.00	1,768	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,253	125.77/cwt	119.00–132.00	1,576	2
Bulls	—	—	2,028	177.36/cwt	174.00–182.00	3,597	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,667	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	970	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,795	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	538	351.66/cwt	344.00–360.00	1,892	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	671	295.07/cwt	284.00–309.00	1,980	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	605	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,543	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	519	216.67/cwt	215.00–225.00	1,125	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	735	252.49/cwt	250.00–263.00	1,856	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	771	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	2,012	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	577	335.21/cwt	323.00–342.50	1,934	11
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,075	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	949	205.83/cwt	190.00–218.50	1,953	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	532	297.77/cwt	295.00–300.00	1,584	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	703	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,898	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	733	286.93/cwt	285.50–288.00	2,103	69
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	895	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,924	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,379	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,387	2,207.33/head	2,000.00–2,400.00	2,207	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	639	276.56/cwt	268.00–286.00	1,767	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	378	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,455	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1100–1150	1,114	198.21/cwt	196.00–201.00	2,208	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	481	343.02/cwt	340.00–355.00	1,650	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	429	286.08/cwt	285.00–300.00	1,227	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	920	206.34/cwt	202.00–213.00	1,898	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	445	373.85/cwt	365.00–375.00	1,664	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	628	321.02/cwt	307.00–326.00	2,016	180
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	705	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,692	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1200–1250	1,205	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,229	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,055	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	1,873	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	772	242.76/cwt	233.00–250.50	1,874	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	973	167.72/cwt	165.00–183.00	1,632	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,110	1,846.97/head	1,800.00–1,900.00	1,847	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,280	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,320	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	900	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,935	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,716	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	986	174.39/cwt	164.00–185.00	1,719	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,220	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	577	294.62/cwt	285.00–298.00	1,700	80
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	878	2,450.00/head	2,450.00–2,450.00	2,450	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	885	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,947	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	430	342.31/cwt	330.00–350.00	1,472	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,223	2,298.51/head	1,900.00–2,400.00	2,299	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,190	1,991.81/head	1,850.00–2,150.00	1,992	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	461	307.67/cwt	300.00–327.00	1,418	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	805	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,852	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	400–450	425	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,084	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,169	142.62/cwt	130.00–155.00	1,667	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	662	280.18/cwt	273.00–284.00	1,855	75
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	563	315.99/cwt	315.00–317.00	1,779	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	635	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,676	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	438	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,183	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	793	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,800	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	836	229.08/cwt	228.00–230.00	1,915	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	483	308.71/cwt	295.00–330.00	1,491	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	723	243.06/cwt	237.50–244.00	1,757	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	853	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	1,510	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	350	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	963	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	581	262.43/cwt	250.00–270.00	1,525	57
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	759	227.42/cwt	221.00–229.00	1,726	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	516	266.37/cwt	250.00–287.50	1,374	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	650	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	1,710	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	895	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,857	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	688	222.25/cwt	222.00–222.50	1,529	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	394	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,162	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,305	2,050.00/head	2,050.00–2,050.00	2,050	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	565	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,158	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Full	650–700	650	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,560	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,105	119.50/cwt	119.50–119.50	1,320	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,171	147.43/cwt	145.00–148.00	1,726	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,269	156.63/cwt	155.00–158.50	1,988	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,476	156.69/cwt	156.00–158.50	2,313	5
Bulls	—	—	1,941	167.57/cwt	163.00–171.00	3,253	12
Bulls	—	—	1,768	141.84/cwt	136.00–147.00	2,508	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,300	140.49/cwt	135.00–149.00	1,826	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	970	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,019	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	680	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,802	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,172	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,649	1

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 →