Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-06-27
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-06-27

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 good for light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Most feeders were offered in small groups or as singles. Buyers showed very good demand for limited feeders as they tried to fill loads to end out the week. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with several buyers actively bidding on limited offerings. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for moderate offerings. Additional packer buyers were in the market this week trying to secure enough offerings for harvest both this week and next. Slaughter cows sold sharply higher as a result. Breaking and boning cows sold mostly 6.00-9.00 higher. Lean cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Buyers searching for feeding cows were forced to pay significantly higher money for offerings as they tried to buy cows away from packers. Feeding cows sold mostly 6.00-8.00 higher. Several sets of thin fleshed cows were purchased to hold for the upcoming 4th of July holiday these cows were included in slaughter cows as the holiday is next week. Quality was mostly average to attractive this sale. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-6.00 higher. Bull quality this sale was average to attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 5.00-10.00 lower. Quality was mostly average to attractive, however fewer takers were seen for this class of cow. Fewer buyers looking for rebreed offerings were seen this sale as most of the rebreeds from this point on will be April and later calving.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $301.00/cwt on 9 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −132.86 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$301.00

9 head · 564 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,698

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$30

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

$19.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+9.32

vs MT average

+31.72 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	555	307.50	1,707	6thin
Medium and Large 1-2	582	288.00	1,676	3thin

One grade step is worth $19.50/cwt here — about $30 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 sale9 hd

301.00

—

MT average3 barns · 49 hd

291.68

+9.32

National average153 barns · 8,958 hd

269.28

+31.72

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−132.86

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	—	High	1,807	167.93	3,034	61
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,574	148.81	2,342	45
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,350	147.94	1,997	275
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,051	131.15	1,379	71
Dairy Bulls	—	Low	1,683	132.41	2,228	2thin

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)	1,295	$2,191	6
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,263	$1,965	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,197	$2,925	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,553	$2,685	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,365	$2,507	11
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,555	$3,000	2thin

Every lot, as filed

61 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	750–800	790	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	2,046	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	808	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	2,117	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	868	252.60/cwt	248.00–262.00	2,193	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	715	260.96/cwt	253.00–264.00	1,866	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	712	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	2,001	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	691	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,810	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	868	224.27/cwt	223.00–232.00	1,947	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	755	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,850	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	947	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,027	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,553	2,685.00/head	2,685.00–2,685.00	2,685	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,707	6
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,555	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,435	2,753.27/head	2,675.00–2,800.00	2,753	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,169	153.05/cwt	144.00–172.50	1,789	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,263	1,965.23/head	1,900.00–2,010.00	1,965	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,295	2,191.28/head	2,150.00–2,200.00	2,191	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,024	178.39/cwt	150.00–199.00	1,827	38
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,180	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	830	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,619	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,090	141.80/cwt	138.00–151.00	1,546	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	579	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,552	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	620	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,705	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,560	3,300.00/head	3,300.00–3,300.00	3,300	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	582	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,676	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,536	178.35/cwt	174.00–182.00	2,739	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,507	160.92/cwt	151.00–173.00	2,425	13
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,303	139.97/cwt	137.00–146.00	1,824	3
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,995	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	2,853	1
Bulls	—	—	1,885	162.51/cwt	153.00–174.00	3,063	19
Bulls	—	—	2,098	180.55/cwt	174.00–190.00	3,788	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,154	142.31/cwt	141.00–147.00	1,642	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,634	143.23/cwt	141.00–146.50	2,340	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,104	134.86/cwt	131.00–136.00	1,489	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,093	125.72/cwt	119.00–129.00	1,374	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,520	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	2,333	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,353	135.34/cwt	135.00–136.00	1,831	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,591	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	2,164	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,551	153.48/cwt	149.00–158.50	2,380	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,288	141.58/cwt	135.00–145.00	1,824	54
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,005	102.50/cwt	102.50–102.50	1,030	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,089	120.50/cwt	115.00–123.00	1,312	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	803	117.43/cwt	112.00–125.00	943	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,197	144.60/cwt	143.00–149.00	1,731	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,114	137.60/cwt	133.00–140.00	1,533	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,398	149.72/cwt	146.00–154.50	2,093	101
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,389	142.86/cwt	139.00–145.00	1,984	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,327	151.24/cwt	146.00–158.00	2,007	98
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,373	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,840	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	478	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,494	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,124	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	5
Steers	Medium 2	600–650	623	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	1,240	7
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,060	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	1,776	1
Dairy Bulls	—	—	1,683	132.41/cwt	131.00–134.00	2,228	2
Bulls	—Natural	—	2,010	180.90/cwt	178.00–184.00	3,636	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	658	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,908	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	780	239.56/cwt	235.00–244.00	1,869	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	498	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	1,554	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	268.51/cwt	267.50–269.00	1,947	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	418	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,348	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	639	258.38/cwt	258.00–260.00	1,651	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1100–1150	1,133	197.00/cwt	197.00–197.00	2,232	4

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 →