Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-08-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-08-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: The last sale held at Billings Livestock commission was a month ago, thus no comparisons can be made. Feeder cattle sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Quality today was mostly plain to average with a limited selection of attractive quality offerings seen. Most feeders were offered in small groups. Demand for cutting bulls remains very good with several buyers looking for this class of cattle. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with several buyers actively bidding on limited offerings. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. With limited offerings to start the sale buyers were very aggressive as they pushed to fill loads early in the sale. However, demand for cows and bulls both softened as buyers filled loads. The majority of offerings were purchased to feed this week. Cow and bull quality was mostly average to very attractive this week. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. All cows were pushing light to moderate amounts of fill this week. Bull quality this sale was mostly average to attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were very lightly tested this sale. Quality was mostly average this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 600–700 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

600–700 lb heifers averaged $254.14/cwt on 7 head. That ranks 1 of 22 comparable sales and sits −135.26 against this barn's trailing median of $389.40.

Average price

$254.14

7 head · 636 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,616

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$36

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1

$19.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

+16.49 vs national

What quality paid 600–700 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	617	265.00	1,635	3thin
Medium 1	650	246.00	1,599	4thin

One grade step is worth $19.00/cwt here — about $36 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 600–700 lb

22 sales

Heifers 600–700 lb: high $415.58, low $332.69, median $389.40 across 22 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 600–700 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale7 hd

254.14

—

MT average1 barns · 7 hd

254.14

+0.00

National average149 barns · 5,317 hd

237.65

+16.49

This barn, trailing median22 sales

389.40

−135.26

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	1,720	162.61	2,797	166
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,444	143.66	2,074	189
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,685	143.30	2,415	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,160	127.26	1,476	60
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	960	100.00	960	1thin

Every lot, as filed

58 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	Large 1	1100–1150	1,114	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	2,105	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	747	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	1,965	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	780	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,919	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,015	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,533	1
Bulls	Medium 1	750–800	750	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,733	15
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	650	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,599	4
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	618	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,653	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	342	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,180	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	350	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,068	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,063	221.41/cwt	220.00–225.00	2,354	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	617	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,635	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,055	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	2,310	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	768	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,782	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	968	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,275	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	525	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,444	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,008	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	2,298	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	901	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	2,009	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	963	218.32/cwt	213.00–219.00	2,102	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,153	164.13/cwt	150.00–174.00	1,892	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	916	245.99/cwt	243.00–248.00	2,253	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,060	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,717	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,050	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	2,163	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	879	250.52/cwt	249.00–252.00	2,202	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,582	165.09/cwt	155.00–174.00	2,612	41
Bulls	—	—	1,918	164.63/cwt	155.00–173.50	3,158	62
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,251	126.07/cwt	120.00–150.00	1,577	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,530	152.64/cwt	130.00–173.00	2,335	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,508	178.72/cwt	177.00–182.00	2,695	21
Bulls	—	—	1,746	146.71/cwt	130.00–154.00	2,562	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,658	136.27/cwt	135.00–137.00	2,259	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,444	148.23/cwt	147.50–148.50	2,140	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,696	143.41/cwt	140.00–147.00	2,432	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,568	135.14/cwt	132.00–142.00	2,119	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,055	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,361	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,132	144.29/cwt	143.00–146.00	1,633	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,130	116.30/cwt	102.00–123.00	1,314	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,182	132.15/cwt	126.00–138.00	1,562	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,576	146.50/cwt	146.50–146.50	2,309	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,533	152.69/cwt	148.00–154.50	2,341	48
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,424	122.98/cwt	117.00–129.00	1,751	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,172	120.89/cwt	107.00–125.00	1,417	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,418	143.93/cwt	135.00–147.00	2,041	103
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,330	131.16/cwt	121.00–135.00	1,744	22
Bulls	—	—	2,130	180.04/cwt	175.00–183.00	3,835	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,353	144.50/cwt	144.50–144.50	3,400	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,708	136.97/cwt	135.00–138.00	2,339	3
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	960	1
Heifers	Large 1	400–450	417	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,001	3
Heifers	Large 1	950–1000	998	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,046	6
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,215	180.95/cwt	173.00–185.00	2,199	3
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,185	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	2,400	1
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,332	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,065	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,450	146.22/cwt	145.50–147.00	2,120	2
Heifers	Medium 1Spayed	750–800	790	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,706	7
Bulls	Large 1	900–950	920	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,042	2
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,109	215.67/cwt	215.00–217.00	2,392	3
Steers	Large 1	1150–1200	1,160	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,436	2
Bulls	Large 1	1000–1050	1,042	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,313	19

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 →