Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-12-19
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-12-19

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Steers 450-549 lbs sold steady to weak in a narrow comparison; steers over 550 lbs sold 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Heifer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Heifers 450-599 lbs sold steady to 3.00 lower. Heifers over 600 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however weak undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last sale. Many blemished, frozen ears and or tails were seen today as consigners cleaned out pastures and pens. Demand for yearlings was mostly good this sale as buyers continue to show good demand for these offerings. Yearling quality was mostly plain to average. Demand for calves was mostly moderate and slightly lighter than last week; quality hampered demand. Offerings were light to moderate. Package sizes were mostly small to moderate with many singles in the mix. No load lots were seen this sale. Market activity was moderate to active this sale. Notably, a smaller buyer pool was seen this sale. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to weak on all classes in a narrow comparison. All cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill today and most sold higher on a dressed basis as a result. Feeding cows sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding cows sold with steady to 3.00 higher on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Thin short term feeding cows sold generally steady to weak. Fill hindered demand at times as most of the thin cows on offer were very full. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady on a lower quality offering. Again, fill hindered demand for these offerings as well, as most young cows were very full.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $334.55/cwt on 135 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −153.23 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$334.55

135 head · 538 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,801

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$358

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

$53.75/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.84

vs MT average

+7.92 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	536	340.75	1,825	107
Medium and Large 1-2	558	316.04	1,764	23
Medium and Large 2	511	287.00	1,467	5thin

One grade step is worth $53.75/cwt here — about $358 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale135 hd

334.55

—

MT average4 barns · 602 hd

333.72

+0.84

National average173 barns · 17,754 hd

326.63

+7.92

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−153.23

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	1,866	131.31	2,450	43
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,669	119.73	1,999	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,426	114.60	1,635	211
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,174	109.23	1,282	277
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,470	82.00	1,205	2thin

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	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,194	$2,527	10
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,044	$2,352	8
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,105	$2,100	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,348	$2,023	7
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,045	$2,000	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,325	$1,750	15

Every lot, as filed

118 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 1Unweaned	400–450	413	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,425	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	274	417.02/cwt	415.00–430.00	1,143	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	366	357.65/cwt	352.50–360.00	1,309	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	472	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	1,694	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,038	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,180	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	263	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,131	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	748	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,773	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	884	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	2,051	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	719	301.53/cwt	290.00–314.00	2,168	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	819	249.34/cwt	244.00–250.00	2,042	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	401.00/cwt	401.00–401.00	1,684	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	624	263.66/cwt	260.00–268.00	1,645	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	316	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,209	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	277	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	1,440	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	307	506.74/cwt	500.00–510.00	1,556	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	742	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,781	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	405	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,600	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	672	292.58/cwt	291.00–295.00	1,966	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	667	254.80/cwt	253.00–256.00	1,700	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	523	345.86/cwt	340.00–350.00	1,809	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	378	427.16/cwt	420.00–440.00	1,615	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	609	315.28/cwt	307.00–318.00	1,920	53
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	320	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,504	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	562	327.61/cwt	318.00–334.00	1,841	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,078	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,426	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	511	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	1,467	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	372	352.46/cwt	350.00–355.00	1,311	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	424	325.53/cwt	310.00–339.00	1,380	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	928	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,995	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	928	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	2,107	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,194	2,527.35/head	2,400.00–2,575.00	2,527	10
Bulls	Medium 1	450–500	494	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,655	10
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	421	315.62/cwt	307.00–325.00	1,329	10
Bulls	Medium 1	400–450	426	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,555	4
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	545	303.00/cwt	303.00–303.00	1,651	31
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	490	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	1,529	11
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	408	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,530	17
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,116	203.38/cwt	193.00–208.00	2,270	10
Heifers	Large 1	550–600	594	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,604	16
Steers	Large 1	650–700	650	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,794	4
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1100–1150	1,120	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	2,106	3
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1250–1300	1,298	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	2,323	5
Heifers	Medium 2	300–350	334	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	785	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,395	105.01/cwt	104.00–106.00	1,465	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,385	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	1,108	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,136	77.37/cwt	65.00–83.00	879	21
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,226	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	2,170	5
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	710	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,697	2
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,085	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,279	2
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,470	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	1,205	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,220	129.61/cwt	128.00–130.00	1,581	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	985	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	857	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,518	96.13/cwt	91.00–102.00	1,459	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,538	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,861	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,150	104.30/cwt	90.00–115.00	1,199	120
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	865	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	623	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,118	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,185	4
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,291	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	1,517	3
Bulls	—	—	2,349	141.66/cwt	141.00–142.00	3,328	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,535	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,842	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,788	112.59/cwt	110.00–115.00	2,013	2
Bulls	—	—	1,873	131.59/cwt	122.00–140.00	2,465	37
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,810	122.69/cwt	121.00–124.00	2,221	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	597	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,463	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	474	304.76/cwt	292.50–310.00	1,445	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	838	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,961	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,044	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	2,109	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	647	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,643	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	633	287.48/cwt	280.00–300.00	1,820	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	333	467.51/cwt	460.00–485.00	1,557	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	437	365.43/cwt	360.00–387.50	1,597	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	568	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,477	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	422	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,646	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	290	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,131	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	586	314.00/cwt	314.00–314.00	1,840	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	483	340.55/cwt	327.00–351.00	1,645	52
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	526	325.73/cwt	317.50–340.00	1,713	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	580	303.94/cwt	300.00–312.00	1,763	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,325	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	740	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,035	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	421	404.60/cwt	392.50–405.00	1,703	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	400–450	434	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,411	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,433	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	674	281.49/cwt	278.50–296.00	1,897	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	536	291.33/cwt	285.00–300.00	1,562	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,126	130.17/cwt	120.00–145.00	1,466	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	310	507.34/cwt	497.50–512.50	1,573	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,044	2,352.37/head	2,300.00–2,400.00	2,352	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,284	2,153.27/head	2,000.00–2,200.00	2,153	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	395	413.21/cwt	410.00–415.00	1,632	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	791	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,970	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,060	158.17/cwt	132.00–180.00	1,677	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	296	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	1,495	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	774	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,509	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	358	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	1,665	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	907	179.98/cwt	160.00–195.00	1,632	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,045	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	343	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,252	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	531	344.72/cwt	343.00–347.50	1,830	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	513	318.14/cwt	317.00–320.00	1,632	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	367	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,321	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	993	192.71/cwt	150.00–217.50	1,914	106
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,105	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	773	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,824	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,015	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,253	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	641	271.31/cwt	262.50–275.00	1,739	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	978	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,103	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	590	296.50/cwt	288.00–305.00	1,749	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	483	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,570	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	574	288.95/cwt	279.00–294.00	1,659	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	413	344.57/cwt	340.00–352.50	1,423	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	530	314.18/cwt	308.00–321.00	1,665	89
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	471	335.84/cwt	317.00–352.00	1,582	101
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,097	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,315	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	87.76/cwt	87.00–92.00	1,052	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,213	121.79/cwt	115.00–127.00	1,477	116
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,433	119.58/cwt	116.00–127.50	1,714	110
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,417	109.98/cwt	95.00–116.00	1,558	95

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 →