Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-10-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. Quality today was mostly average. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today with good buyer participation seen both ring side as well as over the internet. Weigh up cows comprised most of the market today. Demand for cows was mostly moderate to good for mostly moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher on breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold generally steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to weak. Good demand was seen for a limited offering of bred cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today. Most cows were pushing moderate amounts of fill. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Quality was mostly average and not as attractive as last weeks offering. Young age offerings sold steady on cows of similar quality quality.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $286.36/cwt on 41 head.

Average price

$286.36

41 head · 563 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,612

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$115

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

$6.86/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−12.64

vs MT average

−12.68 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	569	287.87	1,638	32
Medium and Large 1-2	542	281.01	1,523	9thin

One grade step is worth $6.86/cwt here — about $115 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale41 hd

286.36

—

MT average5 barns · 1,999 hd

299.01

−12.64

National average191 barns · 36,605 hd

299.04

−12.68

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	—	High	1,710	146.70	2,509	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,649	130.94	2,159	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,407	124.07	1,746	229
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,153	113.28	1,307	103

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)	1,459	$2,294	6
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,299	$1,855	9

Every lot, as filed

74 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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,652	131.41/cwt	128.00–135.00	2,171	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,189	110.70/cwt	107.00–117.00	1,316	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,463	133.79/cwt	131.50–135.00	1,957	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,374	108.62/cwt	101.00–112.00	1,492	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,540	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,432	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,141	101.33/cwt	94.00–109.00	1,156	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,441	136.22/cwt	135.00–138.00	1,963	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	936	97.23/cwt	92.00–100.00	910	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,985	124.01/cwt	123.00–125.00	2,462	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	127.09/cwt	121.00–134.00	1,756	138
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,124	112.15/cwt	110.00–115.00	1,261	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,211	133.13/cwt	128.00–137.00	1,612	10
Bulls	—	—	2,160	164.25/cwt	163.50–165.00	3,548	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,009	82.40/cwt	78.00–85.00	831	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,375	139.46/cwt	131.00–147.00	1,918	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,589	127.15/cwt	124.00–128.00	2,020	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,196	120.16/cwt	112.00–127.00	1,437	40
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,486	116.55/cwt	108.00–120.00	1,732	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	348	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,131	2
Heifers	Medium 1	700–750	701	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,612	6
Bulls	—	—	1,835	150.23/cwt	145.00–159.00	2,757	13
Bulls	—	—	1,603	136.76/cwt	127.00–143.00	2,192	5
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,382	143.50/cwt	143.50–143.50	1,983	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,409	117.57/cwt	113.00–123.00	1,657	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,523	125.80/cwt	124.00–126.50	1,916	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,715	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	2,358	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	200–250	205	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	697	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	519	285.51/cwt	277.00–290.00	1,482	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	705	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,674	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	860	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,926	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	418	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,275	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,212	1,642.62/head	1,625.00–1,660.00	1,643	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	778	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,023	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	865	221.44/cwt	218.00–225.00	1,915	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	447	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	1,462	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	475	296.61/cwt	292.50–301.00	1,409	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	550	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,320	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	395	333.76/cwt	315.00–336.00	1,318	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	750–800	768	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,789	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	900–950	933	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,099	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	408	327.48/cwt	325.00–330.00	1,336	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	303	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,091	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,080	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,431	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	952	147.09/cwt	142.00–150.00	1,400	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,086	154.61/cwt	134.00–180.00	1,679	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	550	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,430	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,020	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	2,122	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	310	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,271	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	471	294.22/cwt	292.00–312.00	1,386	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	357	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,285	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	318	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,336	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	569	287.87/cwt	285.00–292.00	1,638	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	800–850	805	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,852	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	615	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,445	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	995	214.31/cwt	213.00–221.00	2,132	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	463	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	1,486	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	905	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,082	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	950	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	2,100	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,368	2,025.00/head	2,025.00–2,025.00	2,025	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	959	187.70/cwt	169.00–200.00	1,800	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	860	230.49/cwt	230.00–231.00	1,982	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	271	441.85/cwt	435.00–450.00	1,197	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	985	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,266	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	386	372.65/cwt	370.00–380.00	1,438	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	588	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,599	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	670	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,695	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	935	216.33/cwt	215.00–217.00	2,023	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,002	136.46/cwt	127.00–145.00	1,367	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	395	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,225	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,459	2,293.83/head	2,000.00–2,350.00	2,294	6
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,147	195.50/cwt	194.00–197.00	2,242	6
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,168	192.99/cwt	192.00–194.00	2,254	2
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,270	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,778	1
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	670	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,755	5

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 →