Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-10-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality today was mostly plain to average. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows comprised most of the market today. Demand for cows was mostly light to moderate for mostly moderate to heavy offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 5.00-8.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold mostly 4.00-6.00 lower. 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 average to below average. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Quality was mostly average. Young age offerings sold generally steady on a light offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $265.64/cwt on 45 head.

Average price

$265.64

45 head · 529 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,405

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$157

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1

$31.41/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.02

vs MT average

+5.18 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	519	281.41	1,460	17thin
Medium and Large 1-2	540	258.10	1,393	21
Medium 1	521	250.00	1,303	7thin

One grade step is worth $31.41/cwt here — about $157 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale45 hd

265.64

—

MT average5 barns · 1,199 hd

273.67

−8.02

National average194 barns · 26,693 hd

260.46

+5.18

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	1,708	140.15	2,393	25
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,608	122.46	1,969	31
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,392	118.08	1,644	396
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,168	108.10	1,263	218

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,359	$2,331	7
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,277	$2,130	18
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,248	$1,950	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,430	$1,950	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,464	$1,675	4thin

Every lot, as filed

81 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%Return to Feed	—	1,636	131.52/cwt	130.00–135.00	2,152	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,200	104.89/cwt	99.00–111.00	1,259	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,134	94.95/cwt	87.00–98.00	1,077	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,030	82.50/cwt	82.50–82.50	850	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,423	108.40/cwt	105.00–113.00	1,543	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,402	122.11/cwt	113.00–127.00	1,712	239
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,442	100.93/cwt	94.00–105.50	1,455	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,366	110.20/cwt	103.00–114.00	1,505	108
Bulls	—	—	1,593	135.76/cwt	122.50–146.00	2,163	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	925	86.91/cwt	80.00–97.00	804	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,172	113.43/cwt	109.00–121.00	1,329	74
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,622	105.70/cwt	105.00–106.00	1,714	3
Bulls	—	—	1,951	149.47/cwt	147.00–153.50	2,916	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,369	129.47/cwt	128.00–132.00	1,772	24
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,600	120.37/cwt	110.00–123.50	1,926	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,601	125.19/cwt	123.00–128.00	2,004	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,171	123.72/cwt	120.00–128.00	1,449	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,184	101.97/cwt	97.00–112.00	1,207	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	275	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,196	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	497	309.50/cwt	309.50–309.50	1,538	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	384	359.42/cwt	350.00–379.00	1,380	43
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	700–750	740	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,684	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	688	232.49/cwt	231.00–234.00	1,600	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	925	216.80/cwt	214.50–220.00	2,005	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	435	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,392	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	416	338.01/cwt	322.00–347.50	1,406	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	686	244.10/cwt	240.00–247.50	1,675	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	536	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,394	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	575	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,380	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	465	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	1,337	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	313	344.48/cwt	340.00–347.50	1,078	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	890	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	2,109	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	938	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,017	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,295	2,282.05/head	2,000.00–2,400.00	2,282	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,020	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	2,117	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	980	138.01/cwt	131.00–153.00	1,352	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	614	259.91/cwt	255.00–262.50	1,596	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,340	1,775.00/head	1,775.00–1,775.00	1,775	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	971	153.07/cwt	130.00–171.00	1,486	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,077	163.04/cwt	128.00–188.50	1,756	89
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,248	1,950.00/head	1,950.00–1,950.00	1,950	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,430	1,950.00/head	1,950.00–1,950.00	1,950	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	526	298.63/cwt	283.00–311.00	1,571	52
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	968	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	1,379	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,464	1,675.00/head	1,675.00–1,675.00	1,675	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,045	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,724	1
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,150	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	2,300	1
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1050–1100	1,053	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,222	3
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,135	203.63/cwt	198.00–205.50	2,311	4
Steers	Large 1	550–600	596	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,505	4
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,075	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	2,225	1
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,222	1,836.77/head	1,775.00–1,925.00	1,837	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	300–350	328	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,214	2
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	500–550	521	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,303	7
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	965	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,351	1
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	500–550	546	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	1,106	4
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	450–500	467	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	899	6
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,110	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	2,192	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	422	301.00/cwt	301.00–301.00	1,270	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	419	293.19/cwt	281.00–300.00	1,228	68
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	286	366.06/cwt	355.00–370.00	1,047	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	480	270.99/cwt	260.00–280.00	1,301	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	490	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,274	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	815	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,923	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	372	330.59/cwt	327.00–337.50	1,230	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	487	314.88/cwt	309.00–332.50	1,533	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	322	408.14/cwt	400.00–412.50	1,314	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,645	117.48/cwt	111.00–122.00	1,933	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	678	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,559	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	995	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,119	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	619	259.93/cwt	259.00–262.50	1,609	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	511	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,461	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,443	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	362	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,412	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	383	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	1,344	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	953	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	2,068	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	258	450.98/cwt	450.00–455.00	1,164	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,174	175.10/cwt	169.00–178.00	2,056	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,359	2,330.68/head	2,200.00–2,350.00	2,331	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	675	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,688	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	941	189.02/cwt	141.00–205.00	1,779	77

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 →