Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-10-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and overall not as attractive as last weeks sale. Demand and offerings were light to moderate. All feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold steady fully steady in a narrow comparison. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white, sold fully steady. Thin short term feeding cows sold steady in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $240.80/cwt on 143 head.

Average price

$240.80

143 head · 607 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,462

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$471

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$59.11/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−10.84

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	649	251.11	1,629	80
Medium and Large 1-2	519	250.65	1,302	33
Medium and Large 2	450	230.00	1,035	4thin
Large 1	535	212.40	1,137	5thin
Medium 1	828	212.00	1,755	3thin
Medium 2	603	192.00	1,158	18thin

One grade step is worth $59.11/cwt here — about $471 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 sale143 hd

240.80

—

MT average4 barns · 1,867 hd

251.64

−10.84

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	1,784	101.68	1,814	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,726	95.70	1,651	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,401	89.46	1,254	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,146	82.51	945	25

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)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,389	$1,435	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,323	$1,400	3thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,356	$1,400	11
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,263	$1,285	3thin

Every lot, as filed

63 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	Large 1Unweaned	—	698	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	1,410	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	743	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	1,612	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	894	214.23/cwt	213.00–214.50	1,915	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	805	212.94/cwt	203.00–218.00	1,714	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	503	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,268	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	640	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,488	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	306	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	849	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	385	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	914	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	580	230.50/cwt	230.50–230.50	1,337	1
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	210	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	441	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	565	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,333	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	440	308.38/cwt	300.00–312.50	1,357	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	272	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	959	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	616	227.52/cwt	225.00–230.00	1,402	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	232	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	708	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	506	239.02/cwt	236.00–241.00	1,209	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	474	284.13/cwt	280.00–285.00	1,347	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	597	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,469	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	590	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,351	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	307	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,059	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	677	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,598	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	296.06/cwt	292.50–301.00	1,406	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	619	242.59/cwt	242.00–245.00	1,502	10
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	619	233.96/cwt	228.00–240.00	1,448	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	543	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,303	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	535	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,198	2
Heifers	Medium 1	—	828	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,755	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	890	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,602	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	723	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,446	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	540	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,242	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,123	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,741	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,392	85.87/cwt	84.00–92.50	1,195	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,520	98.51/cwt	97.00–100.00	1,497	2
Bulls	—	—	2,245	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	2,582	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,130	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	667	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,162	82.08/cwt	79.00–84.00	954	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,744	93.82/cwt	87.50–100.50	1,636	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,418	84.20/cwt	77.00–88.00	1,194	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,375	89.66/cwt	87.00–93.00	1,233	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,168	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	1,080	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,970	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	2,108	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	968	72.51/cwt	72.00–73.00	702	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,403	93.44/cwt	91.00–94.50	1,311	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,148	80.66/cwt	80.00–82.00	926	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,166	85.39/cwt	85.00–88.50	996	11
Bulls	—	—	1,842	102.99/cwt	89.00–106.00	1,897	10
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,215	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	996	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,310	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	1,245	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,389	1,435.00/head	1,435.00–1,435.00	1,435	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,263	1,285.00/head	1,285.00–1,285.00	1,285	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	745	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	820	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,200	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,116	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	992	149.33/cwt	142.00–162.00	1,481	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,079	120.48/cwt	89.50–143.00	1,300	19
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,323	1,400.00/head	1,400.00–1,400.00	1,400	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,356	1,400.00/head	1,400.00–1,400.00	1,400	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	303	316.00/cwt	316.00–316.00	957	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	515	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,146	2
Heifers	Medium 2	—	603	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	1,158	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	715	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,587	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	415	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,058	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	943	215.50/cwt	215.50–215.50	2,032	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	510	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,428	1

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 →