Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-06-13
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-06-13

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 for light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Most feeders were offered in small groups or as singles. Light offerings limited demand. Fewer feeder cattle buyers were seen this week as light offerings and todays quality limited buyer participation. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed moderate to good demand for both slaughter and feeding cows this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking and boning cows. Lean cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher as demand for feeding type cows helped push this class higher. The majority of the cow offering was purchased to feed again this week. Feeding cows sold mostly steady on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Several sets of thin fleshed cows were purchased to hold for the upcoming 4th of July holiday. This pushed thin feeding cows 1.00 higher than last week. Quality was mostly average to attractive this sale. Weigh up conditions were mostly average. Many sets of cows were pushing moderate to heavy amounts of fill as temperatures heated into the 80s for todays sale and many cows were tanked up on water as a result. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher. Bull quality this sale was very good with many high dressing bulls in the offering. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold unevenly steady with higher prices seen on light weight offerings under 1100 lbs and lower prices seen on cows over 1100. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Demand was mostly good to very good with the best demand seen for cows which lost calves. A large crowd was on hand in the afternoon for the pair and bred portion of the sale. Demand was mostly good for all pairs on offer. Quality was average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $292.10/cwt on 75 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −141.76 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$292.10

75 head · 557 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,626

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$240

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

$28.20/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+5.34

vs MT average

+26.73 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	542	295.85	1,603	36
Medium and Large 1	586	294.06	1,723	31
Medium and Large 2	509	267.65	1,362	8thin

One grade step is worth $28.20/cwt here — about $240 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

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 sale75 hd

292.10

—

MT average3 barns · 80 hd

286.76

+5.34

National average154 barns · 8,969 hd

265.37

+26.73

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−141.76

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	—	Low	1,783	164.21	2,928	78
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,626	140.37	2,282	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,419	135.27	1,919	195
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,162	128.64	1,495	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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,380	$2,550	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,425	$2,300	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,116	$2,010	6
Bulls	N/A	(<2 yrs)	1,293	$3,476	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,240	$3,326	114
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,487	$3,238	21
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,598	$3,091	22
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,450	$2,592	36
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,059	$3,458	63
Heifer Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,262	$3,100	5

Every lot, as filed

89 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	150–200	155	500.00/head	500.00–500.00	500	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	830	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,930	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	805	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,843	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	586	294.06/cwt	294.00–295.00	1,723	31
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,433	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	508	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,753	6
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,262	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,090	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,322	1
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,059	3,458.06/head	3,425.00–3,550.00	3,458	63
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,199	2,875.00/head	2,875.00–2,875.00	2,875	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,260	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,293	3,476.21/head	3,450.00–3,500.00	3,476	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,425	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,647	3,246.74/head	2,800.00–3,425.00	3,247	17
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,243	3,355.87/head	3,250.00–3,525.00	3,356	107
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	521	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	1,558	24
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,022	194.80/cwt	149.00–224.00	1,991	59
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	762	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	1,585	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,309	140.65/cwt	137.00–146.00	1,841	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,173	159.31/cwt	136.00–210.00	1,869	35
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,503	2,673.09/head	2,475.00–2,900.00	2,673	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	474	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,469	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,037	168.20/cwt	150.00–175.00	1,744	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,142	135.06/cwt	134.00–137.00	1,542	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,593	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	2,230	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	655	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,729	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	634	297.75/cwt	290.00–301.00	1,888	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,362	2,795.47/head	2,700.00–2,850.00	2,795	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	720	241.97/cwt	240.00–243.00	1,742	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	645	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,619	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,433	2,559.87/head	2,500.00–2,650.00	2,560	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	669	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,806	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	583	289.55/cwt	287.00–295.00	1,688	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	100–150	130	500.00/head	500.00–500.00	500	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	765	260.17/cwt	257.00–262.00	1,990	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	780	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,794	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	640	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,856	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	823	214.00/cwt	213.00–217.00	1,761	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,370	130.33/cwt	124.00–132.00	1,786	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,133	138.14/cwt	137.00–140.00	1,565	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,371	141.70/cwt	135.00–149.00	1,943	9
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,530	158.85/cwt	153.00–165.00	2,430	13
Bulls	—	—	2,011	174.07/cwt	168.00–185.00	3,501	37
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,415	170.10/cwt	167.50–174.00	2,407	3
Bulls	—	—	1,807	160.78/cwt	152.00–167.00	2,905	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,573	145.50/cwt	142.00–151.00	2,289	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,168	119.71/cwt	109.00–125.00	1,398	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,675	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	2,203	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	1,096	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,046	119.69/cwt	111.00–125.00	1,252	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,520	134.12/cwt	129.00–138.00	2,039	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,411	136.27/cwt	132.00–140.00	1,923	147
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,430	126.63/cwt	125.00–128.00	1,811	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,192	130.89/cwt	128.00–135.00	1,560	24
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,373	141.94/cwt	141.00–143.00	1,949	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,777	137.18/cwt	136.00–138.50	2,438	4
Bulls	Large 1-2	1200–1250	1,225	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,838	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,590	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	2,226	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,545	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,148	1
Bulls	—	—	1,620	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,252	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	131.23/cwt	128.00–136.00	1,573	11
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,270	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,613	1
Bulls	Large 1	1000–1050	1,020	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	2,219	2
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,110	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	2,359	1
Steers	Large 1	750–800	775	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,938	5
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,090	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,398	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	481	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,684	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	850	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,879	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,526	3,376.40/head	3,075.00–3,500.00	3,376	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	990	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,198	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	445	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,602	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	150–200	190	700.00/head	700.00–700.00	700	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,380	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,116	2,009.53/head	1,800.00–2,300.00	2,010	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	200	600.00/head	600.00–600.00	600	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	668	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,603	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	341	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,159	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,354	2,248.13/head	2,175.00–2,375.00	2,248	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	658	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,757	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Full	750–800	753	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,732	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	702	253.51/cwt	250.00–257.00	1,780	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	600	278.00/cwt	278.00–278.00	1,668	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2	350–400	370	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,184	3
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	755	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	1,453	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	279.91/cwt	275.00–285.00	1,637	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	472	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,392	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	509	267.65/cwt	265.00–285.00	1,362	8
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,128	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	2,059	2
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,075	156.17/cwt	150.00–163.00	1,679	2

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 →