Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-10-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: The best test for feeder cattle was for 500-599 lbs steers which sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher than last Monday. All other weights of steers and heifers sold with lower undertones. CME positions sold off sharply today on all feeder cattle contracts. The November contract through September 2024 all lost between 6.35-7.40 following the bearish cattle on feed report which was released on Friday. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive and overall much better than last Mondays sale. Demand and offerings were light to moderate. All feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. With a large early winter storm forecasted for later in the week some ranchers opted to sell calves today instead of later in the week. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 5.00-8.00 lower. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white, sold mostly 5.00 lower. Thin short term feeding cows sold 5.00-7.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 lower.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $278.90/cwt on 392 head.

Average price

$278.90

392 head · 515 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,436

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$182

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$22.32/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−25.78

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	516	283.32	1,461	280
Medium and Large 1-2	514	267.91	1,376	111
Large 1	490	261.00	1,279	1thin

One grade step is worth $22.32/cwt here — about $182 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 sale392 hd

278.90

—

MT average5 barns · 4,758 hd

304.68

−25.78

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	1,720	100.47	1,728	51
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,599	101.17	1,618	24
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,423	90.66	1,290	260
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,225	81.46	998	284

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)	1,121	$1,675	4thin

Every lot, as filed

73 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	300	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,050	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	572	244.13/cwt	236.00–252.50	1,396	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	246.77/cwt	240.00–250.00	1,291	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	910	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,911	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	355	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,030	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	574	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,240	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	436	246.37/cwt	230.00–252.50	1,074	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	297	320.58/cwt	320.00–325.00	952	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	420	265.86/cwt	260.00–285.00	1,117	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	461	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,072	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	518	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,347	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	320	297.24/cwt	295.00–302.50	951	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	473	254.25/cwt	252.50–255.00	1,203	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	614	229.56/cwt	221.00–230.00	1,409	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	390	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,082	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	669	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,472	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	263.57/cwt	246.00–274.00	1,508	51
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	490	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,279	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	410	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,312	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	743	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,731	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	415	324.83/cwt	316.00–333.00	1,348	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	424	309.42/cwt	305.00–316.00	1,312	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	680	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,496	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	631	237.17/cwt	236.00–242.50	1,497	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	477	271.08/cwt	270.00–277.50	1,293	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	518	280.15/cwt	270.00–284.00	1,451	65
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	310	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,054	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	655	233.00/cwt	231.00–236.50	1,526	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	709	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,638	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	468	307.97/cwt	300.00–317.50	1,441	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	859	214.55/cwt	212.00–219.00	1,843	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	413	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	991	6
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,110	187.51/cwt	187.00–188.50	2,081	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,070	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	2,012	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,029	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	1,770	5
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,073	164.74/cwt	162.00–180.00	1,768	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,423	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,309	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,437	96.74/cwt	92.00–103.00	1,390	146
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	83.82/cwt	80.00–91.00	1,158	51
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,060	102.50/cwt	102.50–102.50	1,087	1
Bulls	—	—	1,823	100.47/cwt	91.00–105.50	1,832	15
Bulls	—	—	1,882	109.59/cwt	107.00–114.00	2,062	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,259	77.07/cwt	73.00–83.00	970	48
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,283	87.46/cwt	84.00–95.00	1,122	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,596	106.10/cwt	105.00–108.00	1,693	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,413	81.73/cwt	77.00–86.00	1,155	50
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,259	90.17/cwt	84.50–96.00	1,135	83
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,275	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	918	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	945	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	567	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	845	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	625	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,415	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,486	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,193	78.61/cwt	73.50–84.00	938	115
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,473	74.56/cwt	72.00–77.00	1,098	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	68.80/cwt	61.00–72.50	808	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,455	91.72/cwt	87.00–93.00	1,335	5
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,625	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	2,494	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,635	96.96/cwt	90.00–102.00	1,585	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,605	105.13/cwt	105.00–106.00	1,687	8
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,183	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	1,029	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,600	97.94/cwt	94.00–104.00	1,567	18
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,797	104.99/cwt	104.50–106.00	1,887	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	987	94.71/cwt	82.00–110.00	935	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,130	121.67/cwt	102.00–141.00	1,375	69
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	765	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	1,281	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	959	160.51/cwt	131.00–185.00	1,539	122
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,121	1,675.00/head	1,675.00–1,675.00	1,675	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,103	119.69/cwt	114.00–126.00	1,320	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,257	81.00/cwt	81.00–81.00	1,018	3
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,035	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	1,273	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,411	79.38/cwt	76.00–81.00	1,120	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	704	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,514	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	635	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	1,159	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	564	239.58/cwt	231.00–243.50	1,351	45

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 →