Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-10-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested either this week or last to develop any accurate market trend. Demand was light to moderate demand for light offerings. All feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Quality today was mostly plain. Market activity was slow to moderate with a small buyer pool on hand for todays sale. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to weak on all offerings in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold steady to 1.00 higher. Demand for feeding cows was stronger this week as more buyers were active in buying this class. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $267.77/cwt on 181 head.

Average price

$267.77

181 head · 513 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,374

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$390

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

$80.44/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−30.11

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	480	297.12	1,426	60
Medium and Large 1	553	269.93	1,492	83
Medium and Large 2	478	216.69	1,036	38

One grade step is worth $80.44/cwt here — about $390 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale181 hd

267.77

—

MT average5 barns · 2,076 hd

297.88

−30.11

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	1,778	109.93	1,955	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,615	103.64	1,674	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,411	100.96	1,425	101
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,201	89.42	1,074	54

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)	1,190	$1,525	3thin

Every lot, as filed

66 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Mon)

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 1-2	—	648	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,471	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	740	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,695	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	348	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	940	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	635	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,480	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	664	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,527	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	526	238.74/cwt	230.00–246.00	1,256	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	435	248.49/cwt	244.00–255.00	1,081	12
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	424	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	772	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	463	313.21/cwt	310.00–321.00	1,450	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	680	238.49/cwt	238.00–239.00	1,622	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	704	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,683	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	390	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	1,217	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	285	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	929	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	473	271.90/cwt	270.00–287.00	1,286	17
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	439	207.05/cwt	206.00–209.00	909	23
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	517	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,199	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	481	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,154	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	618	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,421	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	643	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,543	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	536	270.61/cwt	270.00–272.00	1,450	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	403	329.00/cwt	329.00–329.00	1,326	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	565	255.22/cwt	249.00–270.00	1,442	28
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	598	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,286	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	385	338.00/cwt	338.00–338.00	1,301	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	545	258.56/cwt	256.00–260.00	1,409	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	495	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,292	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	626	237.04/cwt	233.50–243.00	1,484	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	896	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	1,828	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	641	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	1,461	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	327	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	974	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	480	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,200	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,269	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,269	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	910	60.77/cwt	60.00–63.00	553	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,225	93.50/cwt	93.00–94.00	1,145	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	855	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	684	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,231	96.02/cwt	94.50–99.00	1,182	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,233	90.67/cwt	85.50–93.00	1,118	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,361	110.75/cwt	110.00–111.00	1,507	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,328	72.87/cwt	70.00–76.00	968	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,605	100.99/cwt	100.00–102.00	1,621	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,624	105.85/cwt	105.00–109.00	1,719	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,221	86.97/cwt	80.00–91.00	1,062	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,481	91.51/cwt	84.00–96.50	1,355	24
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,397	104.90/cwt	98.00–108.50	1,465	63
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,354	94.90/cwt	94.00–98.00	1,285	10
Bulls	—	—	1,826	112.80/cwt	109.00–117.00	2,060	13
Bulls	—	—	1,602	101.14/cwt	96.00–108.00	1,620	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,615	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	1,567	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,845	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	2,066	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,040	105.35/cwt	94.00–117.50	1,096	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,107	119.93/cwt	111.00–135.00	1,328	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	980	170.88/cwt	139.00–184.50	1,675	28
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	811	152.52/cwt	137.50–155.00	1,237	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	1,122	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,728	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,190	1,525.00/head	1,525.00–1,525.00	1,525	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,040	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	1,945	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	1,872	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	405	296.19/cwt	293.00–300.00	1,200	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	918	213.54/cwt	212.50–214.00	1,960	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	854	224.27/cwt	218.00–224.50	1,915	29
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,145	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	2,244	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	431	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,017	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	254.29/cwt	252.00–256.00	1,320	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	948	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,000	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	795	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,773	2

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 →