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

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder calves were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on all calves on offer. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand was mostly good on both yearling and calves. Offerings were moderate. Spring born calves are approaching prices not seen since the July video sale, with a few eclipsing prices seen this summer. CME positions traded mixed higher today with triple digit gains seen on all contracts through May 2025. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Package sizes were mixed today, however many small packages were seen. A couple light loads were seen today. Market activity was mostly active this sale. A large buyer pool was noticed with many bidders seen both ringside as well as over the internet. 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. Packers competed with private feeders as they tried to fill loads for the week. Very few cows were purchased to slaughter this sale. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Cow and bull quality was plain to average. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today as most cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Bull quality this sale was mostly average. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to weak. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00 higher. Demand for rebreed cows was mostly good to very good this sale. Quality on young age cows was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $270.85/cwt on 294 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −163.01 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$270.85

294 head · 546 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,480

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$80

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

$34.56/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.63

vs MT average

+18.17 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	543	275.56	1,495	219
Large 1	553	261.43	1,446	21
Medium and Large 1-2	551	259.68	1,431	33
Medium and Large 2	505	257.50	1,300	1thin
Medium 1	568	253.21	1,438	12thin
Large 1-2	587	241.00	1,415	8thin

One grade step is worth $34.56/cwt here — about $80 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 sale294 hd

270.85

—

MT average4 barns · 544 hd

270.22

+0.63

National average183 barns · 16,319 hd

252.68

+18.17

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−163.01

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	1,848	137.83	2,548	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,708	123.34	2,107	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,424	119.30	1,698	80
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,167	107.40	1,253	42

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)	1,441	$1,844	7
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,234	$1,838	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,187	$1,800	3thin

Every lot, as filed

123 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 1-2Unweaned	300–350	312	397.60/cwt	380.00–405.00	1,241	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	200–250	245	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	858	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,187	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,441	1,843.51/head	1,800.00–1,850.00	1,844	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	278	372.41/cwt	360.00–400.00	1,035	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	423	316.50/cwt	310.00–323.00	1,339	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	800–850	830	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,743	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,145	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,523	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	468	304.69/cwt	287.50–316.00	1,426	208
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	518	311.67/cwt	304.00–321.50	1,614	105
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	663	268.64/cwt	266.00–270.50	1,781	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	315	351.43/cwt	340.00–370.00	1,107	34
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	850	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,615	24
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	965	194.88/cwt	179.00–208.00	1,881	73
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	366	405.30/cwt	390.00–411.00	1,483	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	618	280.02/cwt	271.50–291.00	1,731	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	908	230.73/cwt	224.00–234.50	2,095	110
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	522	281.80/cwt	276.00–294.00	1,471	135
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	574	265.07/cwt	258.50–275.00	1,522	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	617	258.30/cwt	253.00–262.00	1,594	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	780	249.01/cwt	246.50–252.00	1,942	113
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	579	290.60/cwt	284.00–304.00	1,683	186
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	480	328.80/cwt	307.00–335.00	1,578	199
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	724	255.74/cwt	253.00–256.50	1,852	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	419	355.01/cwt	340.00–370.00	1,487	81
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	530	306.00/cwt	306.00–306.00	1,622	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	252.77/cwt	252.00–255.00	1,681	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	243.50/cwt	243.50–243.50	2,004	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	815	256.06/cwt	253.00–257.00	2,087	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	235	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,046	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	461	305.34/cwt	291.00–310.00	1,408	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	383	333.52/cwt	322.50–349.00	1,277	86
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,158	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,621	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,310	1,625.00/head	1,625.00–1,625.00	1,625	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	765	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,943	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	362	371.40/cwt	330.00–390.00	1,344	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	530	265.78/cwt	264.00–274.00	1,409	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,126	144.17/cwt	132.50–180.00	1,623	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	705	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,798	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	949	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	2,192	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	580	251.40/cwt	241.00–258.00	1,458	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,531	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,623	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	328	332.63/cwt	315.00–340.00	1,091	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	440	327.22/cwt	325.00–337.50	1,440	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	662	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,539	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	955	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	2,177	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	505	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,300	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	550–600	595	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,470	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	439	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,185	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	605	269.40/cwt	269.00–270.00	1,630	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	910	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,048	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	756	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,852	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	295	417.50/cwt	417.50–417.50	1,232	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	439	297.56/cwt	280.00–307.00	1,306	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	582	276.07/cwt	272.00–277.00	1,607	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,732	124.60/cwt	122.00–129.00	2,158	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,208	118.51/cwt	116.00–124.00	1,432	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,154	131.87/cwt	127.00–138.00	1,522	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,600	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,984	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,535	117.26/cwt	114.00–118.00	1,800	7
Bulls	—	—	1,810	134.73/cwt	129.00–144.00	2,439	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,427	113.05/cwt	107.00–120.00	1,613	34
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,785	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	2,035	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,570	119.50/cwt	119.50–119.50	1,876	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,203	102.14/cwt	99.00–115.00	1,229	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,120	77.50/cwt	77.50–77.50	868	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,172	93.69/cwt	92.00–95.00	1,098	9
Heifers	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,187	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	2,184	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	970	77.50/cwt	77.50–77.50	752	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,336	137.94/cwt	135.00–143.00	1,843	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,435	96.48/cwt	92.00–103.00	1,384	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,416	128.80/cwt	120.00–135.00	1,824	23
Bulls	—	—	2,015	151.28/cwt	147.00–156.00	3,048	3
Heifers	Large 1	550–600	578	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,468	8
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	750–800	775	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,961	4
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	454	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,308	7
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	590	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,617	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	1250–1300	1,258	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	2,151	3
Heifers	Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	587	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,415	8
Steers	Large 1	600–650	606	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,612	9
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	645	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,554	12
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	690	256.09/cwt	255.00–258.00	1,767	11
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	538	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,431	13
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	604	261.79/cwt	260.00–263.00	1,581	5
Steers	Large 1	1150–1200	1,185	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	2,382	1
Heifers	Medium 1	750–800	760	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,824	7
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	571	253.50/cwt	253.50–253.50	1,447	5
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	350–400	389	324.00/cwt	324.00–324.00	1,260	14
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	550–600	566	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,432	7
Heifers	Medium 1-2	450–500	499	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,277	5
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,095	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,245	1
Steers	Medium 1	700–750	705	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,710	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	337	412.88/cwt	408.00–450.00	1,391	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	881	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	2,053	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	585	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,568	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	993	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	2,155	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	700–750	743	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,932	62
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	725	248.50/cwt	248.50–248.50	1,802	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	370	345.49/cwt	342.50–355.00	1,278	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	413	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	1,388	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	669	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,485	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	800–850	843	230.50/cwt	230.50–230.50	1,943	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	1000–1050	1,043	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	2,044	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,016	220.50/cwt	220.50–220.50	2,240	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	999	229.44/cwt	228.50–231.00	2,292	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	723	270.57/cwt	268.00–277.00	1,956	35
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,157	2,050.00/head	2,050.00–2,050.00	2,050	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	902	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	2,246	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	900–950	904	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,170	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	787	269.72/cwt	269.50–272.00	2,123	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	800–850	837	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	2,076	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	450–500	451	318.00/cwt	318.00–318.00	1,434	31
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	519	258.79/cwt	250.00–266.00	1,343	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	498	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,444	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	487	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,023	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	529	298.60/cwt	295.00–302.50	1,580	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	479	287.95/cwt	277.00–290.00	1,379	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	655	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,611	4
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	580	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	1,618	8
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	621	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,534	10
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	686	246.25/cwt	245.00–247.00	1,689	31
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	645	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,716	6
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	695	273.00/cwt	273.00–273.00	1,897	15

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 →