Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-11-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-11-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 15.00-25.00 higher in a narrow comparison, steer calves over 500 lbs sold 3.00 to 10.00 higher. Heifer calves under 500 lbs sold generally steady to weak on a lower quality offering; heifer calves over 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00 higher. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly good to very good for all calves on offer. Offerings were mostly moderate. Quality today was mostly plain to attractive, with a very limited offering of very attractive cattle seen. Quality this week was much lower than last weeks offering. Demand for weaned calves was stronger again this week as more weaned offerings were seen. Small packages of calves continue to sell at a discount to large packages. Demand for light weight calves suitable to go to grass was very good today. Market activity was active this sale with buyers rapidly bidding on offerings. A larger buyer pool was noticed this week as up to 16 order buyers and a few farmer feeders were in the seats actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand and light offerings. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend however, steady to higher undertones were noticed. Demand was higher as buyers tried to fill loads for the week. Feeding cows sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding cows sold with higher undertones as feeding buyers also tried to fill loads for the week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly average today.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $280.35/cwt on 279 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −153.51 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$280.35

279 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,551

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$179

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$40.09/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.82

vs MT average

+13.30 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	556	284.09	1,579	212
Medium and Large 1-2	538	272.12	1,465	57
Medium 1	589	252.00	1,484	5thin
Large 1	574	244.00	1,401	5thin

One grade step is worth $40.09/cwt here — about $179 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 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 sale279 hd

280.35

—

MT average5 barns · 972 hd

285.17

−4.82

National average196 barns · 21,141 hd

267.05

+13.30

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−153.51

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	1,631	124.60	2,032	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,480	117.64	1,741	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1,496	111.48	1,667	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,122	101.81	1,142	109

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)	1,235	$2,200	1thin

Every lot, as filed

134 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 1-2Unweaned	400–450	417	306.90/cwt	295.00–312.50	1,280	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	363	412.45/cwt	410.00–415.00	1,497	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	700–750	707	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,690	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	530	326.47/cwt	325.00–328.00	1,730	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	740	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,820	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	462	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,617	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	874	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,888	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,052	152.95/cwt	135.00–180.00	1,609	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	839	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,972	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	664	268.97/cwt	259.00–276.00	1,786	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	486	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,458	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	317	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,110	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	395	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,580	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	534	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,784	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	512	266.59/cwt	262.50–280.00	1,365	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	300	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,440	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,267	134.50/cwt	134.00–135.00	1,704	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,075	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,419	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	620	260.61/cwt	253.00–269.00	1,616	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	775	257.91/cwt	254.00–263.00	1,999	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	404.81/cwt	382.50–435.00	1,720	66
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,039	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,192	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	935	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,010	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	713	271.43/cwt	257.00–275.00	1,935	45
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	426	389.61/cwt	382.00–397.50	1,660	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	619	300.69/cwt	293.00–310.50	1,861	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	598	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,764	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	322	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,513	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	907	200.83/cwt	167.00–220.00	1,822	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	474	366.05/cwt	347.00–381.00	1,735	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	343	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,441	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	428	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,605	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	702	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,727	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	522	284.43/cwt	278.50–286.00	1,485	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	579	265.05/cwt	260.00–266.00	1,535	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	369	325.85/cwt	322.50–335.00	1,202	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	583	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,516	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	598	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,704	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	582	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,731	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	610	275.59/cwt	264.00–280.00	1,681	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	375	334.76/cwt	310.00–347.50	1,255	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	671	266.13/cwt	253.00–273.00	1,786	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	286	361.01/cwt	345.00–368.00	1,032	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	427	317.82/cwt	315.00–320.00	1,357	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	700–750	714	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,828	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,525	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,983	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,668	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,968	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,375	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	1,128	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,488	109.31/cwt	105.00–110.00	1,627	16
Bulls	—	—	2,205	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	3,109	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,455	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,746	3
Heifers	Medium 2	300–350	319	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	917	7
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	500–550	544	320.41/cwt	312.00–323.00	1,743	21
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	450–500	464	286.99/cwt	272.50–297.00	1,332	40
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	499	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,722	4
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	350–400	389	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,206	19
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	643	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,601	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	574	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,401	5
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	658	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,790	6
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,120	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	2,229	5
Heifers	Large 1	600–650	618	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,502	8
Steers	Large 1Full	1100–1150	1,147	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,351	3
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	200–250	204	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	408	5
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	624	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,460	17
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	675	247.47/cwt	247.00–250.00	1,670	13
Steers	Medium 1	700–750	737	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,787	5
Steers	Medium 1	300–350	320	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,456	5
Heifers	Medium 1	300–350	323	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,147	3
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	589	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,484	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	341	358.52/cwt	332.00–365.00	1,223	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	531	320.19/cwt	310.00–328.00	1,700	28
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	596	292.00/cwt	292.00–292.00	1,740	7
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	672	259.31/cwt	246.00–265.00	1,743	12
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	377	310.34/cwt	300.00–320.00	1,170	13
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	472	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,293	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	356	452.59/cwt	435.00–460.00	1,611	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,034	204.38/cwt	204.00–210.00	2,113	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	464	292.21/cwt	275.00–304.00	1,356	31
Steers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	280	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,344	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	521	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,472	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	250–300	255	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,122	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	540	296.10/cwt	292.00–308.00	1,599	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,093	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,333	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	600	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,704	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	285	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,425	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,235	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	413	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,363	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	880	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	2,165	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	285.07/cwt	272.00–288.00	1,608	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	771	250.27/cwt	250.00–251.00	1,930	110
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	472	371.91/cwt	362.00–380.00	1,755	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	863	230.62/cwt	230.00–235.00	1,990	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	672	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,640	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	611	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,613	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	600–650	621	275.70/cwt	270.00–278.50	1,712	100
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	970	221.44/cwt	212.00–222.50	2,148	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	841	240.27/cwt	240.00–244.00	2,021	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	910	227.23/cwt	220.00–230.00	2,068	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	527	298.78/cwt	293.00–308.00	1,575	62
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	424	338.00/cwt	335.00–342.50	1,433	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	311	483.57/cwt	465.00–490.00	1,504	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	968	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,042	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	566	279.34/cwt	278.00–285.00	1,581	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	230	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,173	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	775	255.01/cwt	246.00–259.00	1,976	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	714	267.05/cwt	258.00–272.50	1,907	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	279	494.79/cwt	485.00–512.00	1,380	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	593	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,518	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	745	252.03/cwt	247.00–252.50	1,878	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	661	290.13/cwt	285.00–292.00	1,918	127
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	381	434.25/cwt	424.00–452.50	1,654	83
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	496	295.86/cwt	295.00–296.00	1,467	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	350–400	384	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,267	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	486	305.00/cwt	301.00–312.50	1,482	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	475	315.95/cwt	312.50–325.00	1,501	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	427	402.55/cwt	380.00–426.00	1,719	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	660	243.53/cwt	240.00–247.00	1,607	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	750–800	783	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,895	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	379	356.48/cwt	355.00–365.00	1,351	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	610	299.29/cwt	296.00–305.00	1,826	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	519	338.38/cwt	322.00–347.00	1,756	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	578	316.73/cwt	307.00–324.00	1,831	106
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,147	105.74/cwt	103.00–110.00	1,213	54
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,166	115.91/cwt	112.00–118.00	1,352	24
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 3	650–700	695	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,494	4
Steers	Large 1Full	1150–1200	1,152	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,362	3
Steers	Large 1	550–600	557	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,671	5
Steers	Large 1	650–700	661	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,771	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,427	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	1,655	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,025	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,251	1
Bulls	—	—	1,585	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,934	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,509	115.05/cwt	113.00–118.00	1,736	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	975	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	731	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,047	83.07/cwt	83.00–85.00	870	29

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 →