Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-07-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-07-11

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 to very good for light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Most feeders were offered in small groups. Buyers showed very good demand for limited feeders. 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 again this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Packers and feeding buyers both showed very good demand for high quality cows suitable to feed. Quality was mostly average to attractive this sale. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average, however weigh conditions were not as as attractive to buyers this week as very warm temperatures had most cows and bulls tanked up on water. Slaughter bulls sold unevenly steady from 3.00 lower to 4.00 higher. Feeding bull buyers caused average dressing bulls to sell higher while bulls too big to feed sold mostly 3.00. Feeding bulls sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher. Bull quality this sale was average to attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. 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 late April and later calvers.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $273.80/cwt on 17 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −160.06 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$273.80

17 head · 558 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,528

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$263

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

$37.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.80

vs MT average

+4.94 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	553	290.00	1,604	3thin
Medium and Large 1-2	571	277.26	1,583	10thin
Medium and Large 2	530	253.00	1,341	4thin

One grade step is worth $37.00/cwt here — about $263 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 sale17 hd

273.80

—

MT average2 barns · 21 hd

282.60

−8.80

National average164 barns · 12,328 hd

268.86

+4.94

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−160.06

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	1,836	167.18	3,070	136
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,613	149.40	2,411	106
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,373	148.15	2,035	366
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,177	129.95	1,529	66

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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,447	$2,918	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,713	$2,863	10

Every lot, as filed

85 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
Heifers	Medium 2	400–450	445	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,157	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	709	275.30/cwt	271.00–278.00	1,952	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	393	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,336	3
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	565	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,639	2
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,085	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,441	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,160	156.13/cwt	143.00–175.00	1,811	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	650–700	699	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	1,810	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	642	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,721	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	370	370.10/cwt	362.50–377.50	1,369	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	530	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,341	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	494	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,363	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	876	258.40/cwt	258.00–258.50	2,264	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	671	273.44/cwt	270.00–274.00	1,835	21
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	50–100	80	400.00/head	400.00–400.00	400	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	840	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,982	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,108	177.32/cwt	165.00–207.50	1,965	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	956	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	2,380	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,546	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	553	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,604	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,205	139.56/cwt	136.00–143.00	1,682	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,081	160.35/cwt	147.00–174.50	1,733	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,418	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	700	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,848	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,338	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	773	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	2,025	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	425	350.45/cwt	347.50–360.00	1,489	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	620	265.12/cwt	261.00–272.50	1,644	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	874	223.49/cwt	222.50–224.00	1,953	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,713	2,862.98/head	2,800.00–2,900.00	2,863	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	686	272.65/cwt	266.00–277.00	1,870	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	493	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,528	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	571	277.26/cwt	277.00–277.50	1,583	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	415	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,411	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	922	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	2,111	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	950	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,005	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	330	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,188	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,430	153.22/cwt	147.00–156.00	2,191	62
Bulls	—	—	2,420	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	4,211	1
Bulls	—	—	1,717	145.43/cwt	130.00–156.00	2,497	21
Bulls	—	—	1,933	178.21/cwt	173.00–189.00	3,445	39
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,654	168.99/cwt	161.00–176.00	2,795	32
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,643	177.46/cwt	177.00–178.00	2,916	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,396	142.80/cwt	139.00–148.00	1,993	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,029	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	863	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	863	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,019	134.59/cwt	134.00–135.00	1,371	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,625	150.95/cwt	149.00–154.50	2,453	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,673	146.95/cwt	142.00–148.50	2,458	41
Bulls	—	—	2,130	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	3,536	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,065	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	2,912	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,274	132.61/cwt	125.00–139.00	1,689	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,209	144.22/cwt	142.00–146.50	1,744	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,301	144.19/cwt	136.00–147.00	1,876	73
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,382	151.62/cwt	148.00–156.75	2,095	173
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,120	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,602	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,372	132.25/cwt	125.00–136.00	1,814	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,478	154.48/cwt	150.50–155.00	2,283	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	940	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,184	1
Bulls	—	—	2,330	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	3,332	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,161	120.20/cwt	114.00–123.00	1,396	8
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 2	700–750	727	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,636	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,722	133.20/cwt	132.00–138.50	2,294	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,125	102.73/cwt	97.00–105.00	1,156	4
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,423	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,978	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,205	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,542	2
Bulls	—	—	1,942	167.04/cwt	158.50–173.00	3,244	38
Heifers	Large 1Full	1050–1100	1,088	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,328	5
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	850–900	884	245.25/cwt	245.25–245.25	2,168	46
Heifers	Large 1-2	750–800	776	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,746	11
Steers	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,078	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	2,382	13
Bulls	Large 1-2	1250–1300	1,268	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	2,320	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,083	210.99/cwt	209.00–215.00	2,285	3
Steers	Large 1	850–900	880	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	2,147	1
Heifers	Large 1	1150–1200	1,161	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	2,241	5
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,130	215.30/cwt	212.00–217.50	2,433	5
Bulls	Large 1	1000–1050	1,018	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	2,250	2
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,165	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	2,377	1
Heifers	Large 1Full	1100–1150	1,135	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,418	1
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,095	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,245	2
Heifers	Large 1	800–850	842	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,895	12
Cows	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,108	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	2,150	2
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	750–800	764	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,918	7
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 1-2	800–850	819	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	1,867	14
Heifers	Large 1Full	1000–1050	1,045	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,299	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	507	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	1,678	13

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 →