Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-10-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steer calves sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher, with the exception of 500-549 lbs steers which sold steady to 5.00 lower. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold mostly 5.00 higher, heifer calves over 450 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested either this week or last to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a larger offering. Demand was mostly good on both yearlings and calves. Offerings were moderate. Lots of packages of calves sold today with lots of quality variation seen. Demand did improve as the sale progressed and more buyers started loads. CME positions traded near steady today with the front two months selling firm and the differed months trading weak. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Most load lots on offer today were yearling cattle. Market activity was mostly active this sale. A large buyer pool was noticed again this week with many bidders seen both ringside as well as over the internet. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Most cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill today. Fleshy breaking cows sold with the best demand as both feeding and slaughter buyers competed over these offerings. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on limited offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher. Cow and bull quality was plain to average. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today. Bull quality this sale was mostly average. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly plain to average today.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $297.43/cwt on 766 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −190.35 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$297.43

766 head · 541 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,610

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$340

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

$50.32/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.42

vs MT average

−1.90 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	542	300.32	1,627	652
Medium and Large 1-2	534	286.27	1,529	91
Medium 1	597	270.00	1,612	11thin
Medium and Large 2	515	250.00	1,288	12thin

One grade step is worth $50.32/cwt here — about $340 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 sale766 hd

297.43

—

MT average5 barns · 2,175 hd

298.85

−1.42

National average188 barns · 32,793 hd

299.33

−1.90

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−190.35

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	1,714	139.27	2,387	50
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,716	138.28	2,373	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,354	121.88	1,650	49
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,170	102.27	1,197	45

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 Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,233	$2,100	2thin

Every lot, as filed

101 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 and Large 1	1000–1050	1,043	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,201	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	706	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,934	35
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	451	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,263	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	783	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,973	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	864	234.50/cwt	234.50–234.50	2,026	63
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	425	374.02/cwt	354.00–400.00	1,590	167
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	662	276.06/cwt	266.00–285.00	1,828	110
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	467	331.78/cwt	314.00–356.00	1,549	254
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	327	426.42/cwt	415.00–432.50	1,394	30
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,233	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	423	319.37/cwt	308.00–330.00	1,351	158
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	629	284.09/cwt	275.00–290.00	1,787	118
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	546	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,447	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	662	249.49/cwt	247.00–250.00	1,652	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	377	338.69/cwt	331.00–345.00	1,277	127
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	152.78/cwt	142.00–167.50	1,482	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,447	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,693	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	277	432.86/cwt	432.50–450.00	1,199	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	607	258.25/cwt	252.00–261.00	1,568	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	481	302.03/cwt	293.00–310.50	1,453	216
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	962	156.03/cwt	136.00–171.00	1,501	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	467	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,319	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	965	184.07/cwt	145.00–190.00	1,776	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	570	267.51/cwt	261.00–273.50	1,525	131
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	850–900	857	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	2,091	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	478	278.87/cwt	260.00–286.00	1,333	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	374	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,159	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	534	286.27/cwt	275.00–294.00	1,529	91
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	935	143.73/cwt	140.00–150.00	1,344	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	733	255.76/cwt	247.00–263.00	1,875	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	517	285.51/cwt	270.00–295.00	1,476	253
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	862	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	2,090	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	960	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,160	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	387	362.57/cwt	340.00–387.50	1,403	77
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	763	249.89/cwt	247.00–250.00	1,907	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	200–250	248	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,104	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	410	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,271	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	373	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,399	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	287	421.63/cwt	420.00–425.00	1,210	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	346	330.76/cwt	330.00–335.00	1,144	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	432	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	1,503	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	493	292.45/cwt	285.00–295.00	1,442	94
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	444	294.55/cwt	293.00–305.00	1,308	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	338	384.93/cwt	382.50–410.00	1,301	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,925	146.50/cwt	146.50–146.50	2,820	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,733	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	2,288	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,601	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	2,193	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,370	113.17/cwt	108.00–115.50	1,550	14
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,629	134.80/cwt	132.00–139.00	2,196	23
Bulls	—	—	1,816	141.11/cwt	135.00–144.00	2,563	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,198	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	1,042	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,115	95.21/cwt	93.00–97.00	1,062	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	998	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	868	4
Bulls	—	—	1,679	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	2,519	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,215	109.18/cwt	91.00–116.00	1,327	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,202	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,515	3
Heifers	Large 1	1000–1050	1,045	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	2,174	2
Heifers	Large 1	1250–1300	1,266	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	2,431	5
Heifers	Large 1	900–950	908	235.75/cwt	235.75–235.75	2,141	88
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,890	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	2,457	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,395	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,967	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,346	124.90/cwt	116.00–132.00	1,681	34
Heifers	Large 1Full	1050–1100	1,096	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	2,082	5
Steers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,120	215.25/cwt	215.25–215.25	2,411	24
Steers	Large 1	850–900	862	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	2,103	13
Heifers	Large 1	750–800	764	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,841	5
Heifers	Large 1	950–1000	999	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,218	18
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,051	207.75/cwt	205.00–210.00	2,183	10
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	433	303.89/cwt	300.00–307.50	1,316	34
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	550–600	597	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,612	11
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	450–500	473	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,334	2
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	400–450	449	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,403	10
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	400–450	436	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,134	13
Bulls	Large 1Fleshy	1200–1250	1,210	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,936	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	431	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,250	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	525	305.66/cwt	294.50–313.00	1,605	328
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	850	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	2,159	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	371	403.35/cwt	390.00–417.50	1,496	112
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	259.25/cwt	258.00–264.00	1,620	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	752	243.75/cwt	242.00–246.00	1,833	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	974	240.00/cwt	236.50–240.25	2,338	245
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	643	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,800	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	843	257.06/cwt	253.00–258.00	2,167	106
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	565	293.53/cwt	287.00–298.75	1,658	293
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	310	363.93/cwt	347.50–370.00	1,128	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	321.41/cwt	306.00–343.00	1,511	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,011	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	2,204	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	502	308.00/cwt	308.00–308.00	1,546	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	600–650	633	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,899	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	762	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	1,966	19
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	490	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,274	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	429	283.79/cwt	282.50–285.00	1,217	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	536	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,431	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	633	267.36/cwt	262.00–268.00	1,692	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	692	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,778	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	287	383.15/cwt	381.00–390.00	1,100	23
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	646	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,583	7
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	350–400	372	313.00/cwt	313.00–313.00	1,164	13
Heifers	Medium 1Thin Fleshed	650–700	691	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,762	22
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	688	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,823	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	515	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,288	12

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 →