Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-11-04
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-11-04

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality today was mostly average, but overall more attractive than last weeks sale. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. The best demand continues to be for calves under 500 lbs which buyers can develop into yearlings. Calves over 500 lbs sold on light to moderate demand. Demand for steers was better than demand for heifers today as more takers were seen for steers. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows comprised most of the market today. Demand for cows was mostly moderate for mostly moderate to heavy offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher on all classes. Quality was most average to attractive and more attractive than last weeks sale. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher. Many feeding cow buyers were in the seats today, which, along with higher quality cows, helped improve feeding cow prices. Good demand was seen for a limited offering of bred cows. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. 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 $263.33/cwt on 38 head.

Average price

$263.33

38 head · 533 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,405

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$55

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

$38.30/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.85

vs MT average

+4.94 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	524	269.30	1,411	32
Medium 1	580	232.00	1,346	3thin
Medium and Large 1-2	587	231.00	1,356	3thin

One grade step is worth $38.30/cwt here — about $55 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale38 hd

263.33

—

MT average5 barns · 944 hd

269.19

−5.85

National average194 barns · 18,518 hd

258.39

+4.94

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	1,833	147.20	2,699	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,663	120.94	2,011	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,406	120.94	1,700	362
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,193	107.98	1,288	94

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)	1,155	$2,057	2thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,355	$1,700	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,187	$1,700	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,275	$1,600	3thin

Every lot, as filed

77 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 1Unweaned	500–550	524	269.30/cwt	248.00–280.00	1,411	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	564	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,489	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	503	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,522	3
Bulls	—	—	1,791	139.82/cwt	125.00–146.00	2,504	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,387	113.77/cwt	104.00–119.00	1,578	43
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,416	110.03/cwt	108.00–112.00	1,558	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,339	104.15/cwt	95.00–107.00	1,395	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	935	98.00/cwt	98.00–98.00	916	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	92.01/cwt	91.00–94.00	888	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	378	368.28/cwt	358.00–375.00	1,392	44
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	523	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,449	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	300	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,050	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	374	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,187	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,275	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	422	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,203	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	587	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,356	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	810	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,701	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	578	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,537	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,355	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	855	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,804	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	531	272.69/cwt	255.00–282.00	1,448	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,079	139.72/cwt	126.00–157.00	1,508	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,238	127.34/cwt	120.00–136.00	1,576	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	327	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,210	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,135	148.10/cwt	121.00–174.00	1,681	40
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,155	2,056.82/head	1,825.00–2,250.00	2,057	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	707	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,760	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	385	366.47/cwt	365.00–380.00	1,411	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	946	192.62/cwt	130.00–206.00	1,822	103
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,426	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	477	290.69/cwt	283.00–291.00	1,387	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	604	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,643	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	311	437.00/cwt	437.00–437.00	1,359	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	980	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,254	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	310	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	1,248	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	620	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,550	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	471	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,401	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	437	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,333	5
Bulls	—	—	1,790	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	2,954	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,221	99.78/cwt	92.00–105.00	1,218	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,158	69.24/cwt	62.00–75.00	802	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,411	123.65/cwt	117.00–129.00	1,745	287
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,642	117.12/cwt	115.50–119.00	1,923	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,672	122.12/cwt	120.00–126.00	2,042	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,582	112.63/cwt	107.00–119.00	1,782	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,800	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	2,340	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,560	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	1,123	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,780	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	2,278	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,540	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	2,002	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,149	109.40/cwt	106.00–111.00	1,257	6
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,062	214.75/cwt	214.75–214.75	2,281	9
Heifers	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,080	203.50/cwt	203.50–203.50	2,198	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,315	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,973	1
Bulls	—	—	1,951	152.93/cwt	147.00–159.00	2,984	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,203	106.80/cwt	100.00–115.00	1,285	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,212	116.95/cwt	110.50–125.00	1,417	38
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	500–550	510	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	1,339	3
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	550–600	580	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,346	3
Bulls	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	440	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,364	3
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	450	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,215	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	750–800	764	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,795	6
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	675	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,505	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	509	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,514	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	550–600	550	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,334	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	481	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,159	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	292	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	964	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	783	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,871	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	945	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,013	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,080	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	2,225	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,000	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	2,170	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	780	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,810	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	277	442.01/cwt	440.00–445.00	1,224	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	369	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,292	35
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,187	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	667	252.70/cwt	250.00–253.00	1,686	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	278	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,043	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	634	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	1,509	17

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 →