Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-11-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-11-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week and this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average, however quality was more 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 to weak on boning and lean cows; breaking cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white, sold steady to weak. Thin short term feeding cows sold fully steady in a narrow comparison. Feeding buyers and slaughter cow buyers competed over these offerings keeping this class fully steady. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand for bulls was stronger this week as packer buyers competed over offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand for high quality cows suitable to rebreed was mostly good, while demand for feeding quality cows was light to moderate.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $263.28/cwt on 143 head.

Average price

$263.28

143 head · 542 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,428

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$250

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$52.90/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−19.61

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	561	267.90	1,502	60
Medium and Large 1-2	525	264.58	1,389	67
Medium and Large 2	455	262.60	1,195	5thin
Medium 1	503	236.25	1,188	8thin
Large 1	815	215.00	1,752	3thin

One grade step is worth $52.90/cwt here — about −$250 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

263.28

—

MT average5 barns · 3,801 hd

282.89

−19.61

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	1,777	107.45	1,909	51
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,696	101.22	1,717	26
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,409	92.48	1,303	290
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,210	82.37	997	269

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)	1,183	$1,813	8
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,318	$1,225	3thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,412	$1,225	5

Every lot, as filed

65 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 and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	515	222.17/cwt	210.00–235.00	1,144	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	593	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,263	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	465	268.48/cwt	260.00–270.00	1,248	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	419	280.74/cwt	270.00–290.00	1,176	11
Steers	Large 1	—	815	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,752	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	827	203.52/cwt	202.50–205.00	1,683	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	448	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	941	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	361	277.73/cwt	275.00–285.00	1,003	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	413	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,078	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	289	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	788	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	622	233.97/cwt	215.00–236.00	1,455	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	323	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	872	11
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	513	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,129	6
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	473	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,348	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	577	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,414	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	430	300.25/cwt	285.00–310.00	1,291	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	356	316.89/cwt	310.00–325.00	1,128	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	470	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,175	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	425	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,169	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	575	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,225	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	290.38/cwt	281.00–300.00	1,519	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	657	246.61/cwt	244.00–247.00	1,620	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	523	266.62/cwt	255.00–275.00	1,394	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	458	278.58/cwt	275.00–285.00	1,276	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	561	239.56/cwt	234.00–240.00	1,344	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	665	233.50/cwt	233.50–233.50	1,553	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	778	207.22/cwt	202.00–210.00	1,612	23
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,104	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,987	8
Heifers	Medium 1	—	440	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	968	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	760	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,520	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	543	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,222	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	383	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	1,164	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,400	85.79/cwt	84.50–88.00	1,201	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,148	79.26/cwt	74.50–84.00	910	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,240	88.10/cwt	85.00–92.00	1,092	83
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,694	103.47/cwt	103.00–105.50	1,753	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,423	105.63/cwt	105.00–106.50	1,503	17
Bulls	—	—	1,729	110.74/cwt	109.00–112.00	1,915	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,055	96.50/cwt	96.50–96.50	1,983	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,422	95.79/cwt	89.50–103.50	1,362	173
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,259	85.20/cwt	83.00–88.00	1,073	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,230	79.46/cwt	70.00–83.00	977	81
Bulls	—	—	1,813	110.83/cwt	106.00–115.00	2,009	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,772	94.50/cwt	84.50–102.00	1,675	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	885	60.66/cwt	60.00–61.00	537	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,083	64.20/cwt	62.00–67.00	695	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,370	83.30/cwt	74.00–87.00	1,141	53
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,495	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,346	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,587	98.55/cwt	94.50–100.00	1,564	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	975	77.00/cwt	77.00–77.00	751	2
Bulls	—	—	1,433	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	1,433	3
Bulls	—	—	2,225	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	2,603	1
Bulls	—	—	1,867	101.68/cwt	90.00–107.00	1,898	11
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,250	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	1,156	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,565	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	2,822	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,238	98.01/cwt	95.00–101.00	1,213	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,053	116.21/cwt	87.50–168.00	1,224	51
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	890	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,353	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	999	152.49/cwt	108.50–175.00	1,523	103
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,049	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,469	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,318	1,225.00/head	1,225.00–1,225.00	1,225	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,183	1,812.74/head	1,700.00–1,875.00	1,813	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,412	1,225.00/head	1,225.00–1,225.00	1,225	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	953	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	1,916	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	576	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,204	4

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 →