Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-10-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder calves were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed on steer calves and steady to firm undertones were noticed on heifer calves. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on steers and steady to higher undertones were noticed on all heifers. Demand was mostly good on both yearling and calves. Offerings were light. CME positions traded mixed today with the front two months trading slightly lower and the differed months trading slightly higher. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Package sizes were mostly small with many very small packages and singles noticed. No load lots were seen this sale. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this sale. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Feeding cow demand was mostly good and most cows sold to feeding buyers this week. More feeding cow buyers were seen this week which helped improve demand for feeding cows compared to last weeks sale. Packers continue to show light demand for cows for immediate harvest. Very few cows were purchased to slaughter this week, however limited offerings sold with steady to higher undertones as feeding cow buyers pushed cow prices way past slaughter cow orders. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Cow and bull quality was mixed this sale. Weigh up conditions were mostly average today. Bull quality this sale was mostly average. Demand for feeding bulls was light again this sale. Feeding bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 4.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to firm. Demand for rebreed cows was mostly good this sale as several young cows were purchased for this purpose. Quality on young age cows was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $300.68/cwt on 28 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −187.10 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$300.68

28 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,633

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$106

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$40.58/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+4.79

vs MT average

+13.86 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	540	303.58	1,639	26
Large 1	583	263.00	1,533	2thin

One grade step is worth $40.58/cwt here — about $106 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

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 sale28 hd

300.68

—

MT average3 barns · 57 hd

295.89

+4.79

National average167 barns · 15,497 hd

286.82

+13.86

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−187.10

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	1,758	145.27	2,553	56
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,646	126.19	2,077	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,393	124.55	1,735	158
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,190	120.23	1,431	110

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	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,224	$1,964	28
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,038	$1,875	4thin
Bred Heifers	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	988	$2,000	4thin

Every lot, as filed

79 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 1Unweaned	500–550	510	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	1,550	17
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	988	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	957	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	2,220	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	915	239.20/cwt	238.00–240.00	2,189	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	377	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,197	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	525	310.24/cwt	302.00–320.00	1,629	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	409	387.50/cwt	387.50–387.50	1,585	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	813	233.50/cwt	233.50–233.50	1,898	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	413	382.05/cwt	380.00–387.50	1,578	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	416	316.75/cwt	316.00–317.50	1,318	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	294	382.53/cwt	375.00–385.00	1,125	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	480	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,548	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	568	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	1,653	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	863	224.74/cwt	224.00–230.00	1,940	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	987	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	2,152	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	638	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,442	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	345	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,363	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	971	180.79/cwt	163.00–191.00	1,755	56
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	467	295.24/cwt	288.00–300.00	1,379	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	328	407.50/cwt	407.50–407.50	1,337	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,885	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	880	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,024	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,038	1,875.00/head	1,875.00–1,875.00	1,875	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	993	157.23/cwt	140.00–172.50	1,561	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,140	1,701.32/head	1,600.00–1,800.00	1,701	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	915	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,995	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	811	219.47/cwt	217.50–227.50	1,780	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	786	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	2,028	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	830	254.18/cwt	254.00–255.00	2,110	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	495	306.00/cwt	306.00–306.00	1,515	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	283	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,005	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	911	213.09/cwt	207.00–217.50	1,941	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	765	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,721	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,235	112.73/cwt	109.00–116.00	1,392	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,553	128.98/cwt	127.00–129.50	2,003	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,398	126.34/cwt	118.00–130.50	1,766	126
Bulls	—	—	1,801	148.72/cwt	144.00–158.00	2,678	18
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,762	146.47/cwt	146.00–148.00	2,581	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,527	135.15/cwt	127.00–141.50	2,064	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,715	125.85/cwt	122.50–129.00	2,158	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,165	101.47/cwt	92.00–106.00	1,182	6
Bulls	—	—	1,829	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	2,762	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,496	117.31/cwt	113.00–121.00	1,755	5
Bulls	—	—	1,720	138.20/cwt	131.00–143.00	2,377	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,208	129.15/cwt	128.00–132.00	1,560	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,150	112.64/cwt	105.00–117.00	1,295	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,212	124.73/cwt	117.00–127.00	1,512	50
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,384	114.15/cwt	109.00–117.00	1,580	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,247	137.77/cwt	137.00–139.00	1,718	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,382	108.87/cwt	105.00–111.00	1,505	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,560	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,794	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	451	317.00/cwt	317.00–317.00	1,430	8
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	300–350	309	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,035	5
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	400–450	402	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,216	11
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	583	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	1,533	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	300–350	324	364.26/cwt	355.00–375.00	1,180	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,305	124.47/cwt	124.00–125.00	1,624	2
Steers	Medium 1	750–800	789	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,957	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	550–600	562	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,405	16
Heifers	Large 1Full	1050–1100	1,073	196.50/cwt	196.50–196.50	2,108	3
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1250–1300	1,260	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,915	3
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,095	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	2,234	2
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,125	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	2,278	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	348	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,105	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	366	369.14/cwt	365.00–372.50	1,351	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	440	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,584	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	500	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,240	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,069	128.68/cwt	127.00–135.00	1,376	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	810	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,968	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	979	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,105	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	998	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,146	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	705	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,748	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	722	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,913	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,230	1,984.58/head	1,950.00–2,200.00	1,985	26
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,055	161.71/cwt	133.50–182.50	1,706	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	915	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	2,004	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	205	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	861	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,009	207.95/cwt	206.00–210.00	2,098	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	852	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	2,104	3

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 →