Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2023-11-20

Billings Livestock Commission

Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Mon, Nov 20
● Final39 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1775
Slaughter Cattle receipts
952 head
117 vs last sale 1,069 331 vs year ago 621 · +53.3%
Replacement Cattle receipts
1,475 head
1,174 vs last sale 301 38 vs year ago 1,437 · +2.6%
Also sold hereRegular saleThu Aug 13, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested this week as todays sale featured bred cows and weigh ups. With a shortened holiday week, weigh up cows mostly 1.00-3.00 lower and feeding cows 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Cow quality today was mostly plain to average. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady with instances up to 2.00 higher. A heavy offering of bred cows walked through the ring as Billings Livestock hosted its annual Thanksgiving week stock cow special. Market activity for bred cows was mostly moderate with an average size crowd on hand.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsAverage1,773111.611,97966
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,65193.651,54634
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,26586.811,098180
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,17676.97905153

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,326$2,027143
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,231$1,842193
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,358$1,67335
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,301$1,587167
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,434$1,57441
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,340$1,51650
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,289$1,4208
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,221$1,41775
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,391$1,3856
Bred Heifers1st Stage (1-3 mo)(<2 yrs)973$2,17670
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,613$2,2315

Every lot, as filed

39 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
CowsLean 85-90%1,17076.58/cwt72.00–79.0089651
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,20481.00/cwt81.00–81.0097510
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,52394.27/cwt90.00–99.001,4363
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,54588.00/cwt88.00–88.001,3601
CowsBoner 80-85%1,33879.00/cwt79.00–79.001,0577
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,07869.00/cwt69.00–69.007446
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,28294.93/cwt90.50–99.001,21747
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,19777.44/cwt72.00–80.5092771
CowsBoner 80-85%1,36990.00/cwt90.00–90.001,2324
CowsBoner 80-85%1,30485.69/cwt80.00–88.001,11740
CowsLean 85-90%1,13280.64/cwt80.00–81.0091311
CowsLean 85-90%1,08565.41/cwt59.00–68.007104
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,66793.78/cwt90.00–98.501,56330
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2211,416.53/head1,325.00–1,510.001,41775
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2131,399.85/head1,300.00–1,525.001,40076
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1582,099.48/head1,825.00–2,310.002,099108
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3351,350.00/head1,350.00–1,350.001,3505
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2891,420.40/head1,385.00–1,475.001,4208
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3401,515.90/head1,475.00–1,575.001,51650
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3231,515.46/head1,300.00–1,775.001,51585
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2982,249.06/head1,960.00–2,550.002,249103
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,112119.00/cwt119.00–119.001,32340
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,38490.00/cwt90.00–90.001,24614
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1976147.70/cwt131.00–163.001,44280
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3621,726.94/head1,700.00–1,850.001,72730
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,6132,231.39/head1,900.00–2,450.002,2315
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,4321,428.12/head1,400.00–1,450.001,42817
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3981,454.70/head1,310.00–1,550.001,45540
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 19732,176.11/head1,810.00–2,550.002,17670
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,48588.47/cwt88.00–89.001,31412
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3741,743.54/head1,700.00–1,850.001,74491
BullsReturn to Feed1,703108.00/cwt108.00–108.001,8393
Bulls2,129124.80/cwt120.00–126.002,6577
Bulls1,756111.36/cwt108.00–118.001,95550
Bulls1,538100.06/cwt92.00–105.001,5396
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,22183.97/cwt80.00–89.001,02570
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,24778.76/cwt76.00–79.0098212
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4361,676.84/head1,575.00–1,800.001,67724
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3911,385.00/head1,385.00–1,385.001,3856

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.