Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-11-27
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-11-27

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: No calves were sold last week as last weeks sale featured bred stock and weigh ups. Steer and heifer calves were all lightly tested today. Most offerings sold in small groups or as singles. Demand for feeder cattle was light. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. CME positions sold off sharply again today with triple digit losses seen on all contracts. The January contract closed 6.525 lower to close at 212.80, the March closed 6.425 lower to close at 216.30. Market activity was mostly slow today. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for mostly light offerings. All classes of slaughter cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. High quality feeding cows sold steady to firm. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average, with many full offerings noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on light demand today. Quality was mostly plain to average and most offerings sold to feed. This class was too lightly tested to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $205.35/cwt on 68 head.

Average price

$205.35

68 head · 617 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,266

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$106

per head · Medium 1-2 over Medium 2

$57.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−41.90

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1-2	343	220.00	755	4thin
Medium and Large 1	613	214.00	1,312	3thin
Medium 1	370	210.00	777	1thin
Medium and Large 1-2	656	206.82	1,357	56
Medium 2	399	162.50	648	4thin

One grade step is worth $57.50/cwt here — about $106 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 sale68 hd

205.35

—

MT average3 barns · 768 hd

247.25

−41.90

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	1,759	115.67	2,034	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,730	97.22	1,682	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,418	89.50	1,269	72
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,182	78.67	930	36

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)	1,238	$1,850	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,468	$1,413	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,245	$1,400	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,343	$1,385	3thin

Every lot, as filed

55 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 1-2	—	781	192.83/cwt	189.00–193.50	1,506	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	697	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	1,366	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	527	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,265	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	613	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,312	3
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	370	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	777	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	514	226.42/cwt	222.00–229.00	1,164	8
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	399	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	648	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	395	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,146	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	979	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	1,899	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	556	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,329	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	598	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,274	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	735	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	1,514	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	455	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,206	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	450	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,260	1
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	420	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,166	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	780	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	1,615	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	340	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	901	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	778	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,642	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	683	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,489	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	454	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,317	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	605	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,361	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	827	195.00/cwt	194.00–195.50	1,613	9
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	343	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	755	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	473	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,076	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	601	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,247	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	366	232.10/cwt	230.00–232.50	849	6
Bulls	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	319	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	774	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,150	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	1,116	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,111	77.39/cwt	77.00–78.00	860	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	535	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,730	97.22/cwt	95.00–98.50	1,682	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,543	88.22/cwt	85.00–91.00	1,361	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,481	80.48/cwt	79.00–86.00	1,192	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,395	93.35/cwt	87.00–97.00	1,302	41
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,414	83.78/cwt	74.00–85.50	1,185	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,427	99.50/cwt	99.50–99.50	1,420	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,210	82.11/cwt	79.00–91.00	994	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,225	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	735	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,174	73.26/cwt	65.00–79.00	860	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,040	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	822	1
Bulls	—	—	1,805	116.55/cwt	112.00–118.00	2,104	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,250	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,325	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,050	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	893	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	966	143.36/cwt	117.50–170.00	1,385	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,468	1,412.83/head	1,400.00–1,500.00	1,413	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,343	1,385.00/head	1,385.00–1,385.00	1,385	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,245	1,400.00/head	1,400.00–1,400.00	1,400	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,218	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,096	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,123	113.18/cwt	107.00–115.00	1,271	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,238	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	430	226.42/cwt	212.50–230.00	974	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	610	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	1,263	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	865	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	1,618	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	600	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	1,236	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,033	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	1,777	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 →