Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-12-04
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-12-04

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on all offerings. Quality today was plain to average. The best demand continues to be for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings, these offerings sold on moderate demand. All calves over 550 lbs sold on light demand today. Most offerings sold in small groups or as singles today. CME positions sold off sharply again today with triple digit losses seen on all contracts. The January contract closed 3.90 lower to close at 210.525, the March closed 3.65 lower at 213.575. Market activity was mostly slow today, with a small buyer pool on hand. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for mostly moderate offerings. Breaking slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week to develop any market trend. Boning and lean cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. High quality feeding cows sold steady 3.00 lower on a lower quality offering. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 lower. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average, with many full offerings noticed. Weigh up conditions hindered demand for cows slightly as many were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on light demand again this week. Quality was mostly plain to average and most offerings sold to feed. This class was too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $260.15/cwt on 137 head.

Average price

$260.15

137 head · 525 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,367

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$604

per head · Medium 1-2 over Medium and Large 1

$32.84/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.83

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1-2	307	280.00	860	13thin
Medium and Large 1-2	506	268.64	1,358	63
Medium and Large 1	592	247.16	1,464	61

One grade step is worth $32.84/cwt here — about −$604 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 sale137 hd

260.15

—

MT average5 barns · 3,248 hd

268.99

−8.83

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	1,616	107.23	1,732	35
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,603	90.03	1,443	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,394	83.53	1,165	200
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,179	77.55	914	279

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,160	$1,525	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,117	$1,475	13
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,410	$1,357	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,260	$1,312	13
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,275	$1,200	2thin
Bred Heifers	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,007	$1,500	5

Every lot, as filed

71 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	—	620	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,296	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	884	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,591	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	818	189.39/cwt	189.00–190.00	1,549	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	902	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	1,542	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	246	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	531	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	555	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	1,321	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	607	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,305	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	440	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,060	1
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	444	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,079	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	518	241.20/cwt	230.00–245.00	1,249	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	483	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,212	2
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	307	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	860	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	565	229.95/cwt	225.00–231.00	1,299	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	680	209.59/cwt	206.00–211.00	1,425	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	366	342.00/cwt	342.00–342.00	1,252	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	829	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,442	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	456	242.66/cwt	240.00–243.00	1,107	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	714	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,464	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	480	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,392	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	427	300.85/cwt	280.00–305.00	1,285	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	943	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	1,782	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	397	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	854	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	613	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,379	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	330	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,023	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	534	259.55/cwt	255.00–268.00	1,386	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	243.24/cwt	240.00–247.00	1,391	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	489	277.69/cwt	275.00–279.00	1,358	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	359	242.32/cwt	240.00–243.00	870	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	692	210.50/cwt	210.50–210.50	1,457	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,005	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,709	1
Heifers	Large 1	—	885	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	1,571	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	979	163.46/cwt	154.00–172.00	1,600	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,451	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,032	146.63/cwt	144.00–154.00	1,513	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	715	199.93/cwt	195.00–210.00	1,429	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,154	76.17/cwt	65.00–79.00	879	80
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,490	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	1,304	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,605	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	1,461	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,384	78.82/cwt	69.00–82.50	1,091	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,221	81.09/cwt	79.00–87.00	990	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,660	87.86/cwt	86.00–89.50	1,458	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,202	81.74/cwt	78.50–87.50	983	130
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,065	62.65/cwt	62.00–63.00	667	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,450	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	1,392	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,391	87.81/cwt	84.00–93.00	1,221	72
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,404	81.03/cwt	73.00–83.50	1,138	88
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	935	64.89/cwt	62.00–68.00	607	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	945	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	860	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,602	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,474	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,358	88.12/cwt	84.00–89.50	1,197	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,181	59.93/cwt	53.00–62.00	708	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,151	70.98/cwt	64.00–78.00	817	28
Bulls	—	—	1,590	101.98/cwt	81.00–111.00	1,621	13
Bulls	—	—	1,818	115.50/cwt	110.00–119.00	2,100	13
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,410	100.10/cwt	90.00–110.00	1,411	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,188	112.50/cwt	112.50–112.50	1,337	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,002	80.14/cwt	80.00–81.00	803	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,034	131.87/cwt	98.00–149.00	1,364	112
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	965	105.89/cwt	103.00–115.00	1,022	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	965	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	869	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,007	1,500.00/head	1,500.00–1,500.00	1,500	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,117	1,475.00/head	1,475.00–1,475.00	1,475	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,197	1,150.00/head	1,150.00–1,150.00	1,150	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,072	103.87/cwt	84.00–129.00	1,113	122
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,360	1,450.00/head	1,450.00–1,450.00	1,450	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,435	1,310.00/head	1,310.00–1,310.00	1,310	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,160	1,525.00/head	1,525.00–1,525.00	1,525	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,275	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,316	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	1,026	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,279	1,360.00/head	1,360.00–1,360.00	1,360	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	342	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	858	9

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 →