Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-11-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-11-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on steers and mostly higher undertones were noticed on heifers. Quality today was mostly average. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. The best demand continues to be for calves under 500 lbs which buyers can develop into yearlings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows comprised most of the market today. Demand for cows was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Most cows were purchased to send to feed in some capacity. Very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, steady to firm undertones were noticed. Quality was most average to attractive. Slightly blemished cows continue to be purchased to feed for the upcoming holidays. Short term feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to firm. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00 to 5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Young age offerings sold generally steady.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $270.95/cwt on 54 head.

Average price

$270.95

54 head · 541 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,466

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$127

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

$20.95/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−11.17

vs MT average

+3.90 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	542	273.66	1,482	47
Medium and Large 1-2	536	252.71	1,355	7thin

One grade step is worth $20.95/cwt here — about $127 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 sale54 hd

270.95

—

MT average5 barns · 1,174 hd

282.12

−11.17

National average196 barns · 21,141 hd

267.05

+3.90

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	—	Low	1,893	143.02	2,707	28
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,705	115.66	1,973	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,383	113.00	1,563	215
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,147	105.85	1,214	158

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/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	944	$1,850	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,327	$1,667	6
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,177	$1,589	18
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,035	$1,500	2thin

Every lot, as filed

83 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	408	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	1,520	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,547	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	924	216.59/cwt	215.00–219.00	2,001	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	504	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,462	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	672	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,606	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	500–550	518	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,658	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	557	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	1,638	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	637	267.27/cwt	264.00–268.00	1,703	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	983	183.44/cwt	139.00–212.00	1,803	127
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,064	144.41/cwt	118.00–195.00	1,537	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	340	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,241	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	400–450	404	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,434	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	633	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,551	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	512	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,562	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	300–350	330	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,188	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	250–300	267	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	854	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	270	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,134	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	468	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,357	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	593	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,637	10
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,113	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	2,159	13
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,055	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	2,173	1
Stock Cows	Medium 2	—	795	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	994	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	711	174.62/cwt	135.00–185.00	1,242	6
Heifers	Medium 1	800–850	840	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,882	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	473	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	1,476	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,315	94.53/cwt	92.00–97.00	1,243	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,710	108.45/cwt	104.00–111.00	1,854	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,657	121.14/cwt	118.50–122.00	2,007	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	93.20/cwt	90.00–96.00	1,304	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	845	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	613	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	599	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	1,551	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,184	82.06/cwt	70.00–88.00	972	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,146	93.85/cwt	87.50–98.00	1,076	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,660	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,544	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,371	116.76/cwt	110.00–121.50	1,601	148
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,665	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	2,065	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	102.33/cwt	102.00–103.00	1,438	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,755	118.07/cwt	115.00–123.00	2,072	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,164	112.62/cwt	107.00–116.00	1,311	73
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,139	124.50/cwt	124.50–124.50	1,418	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,136	101.87/cwt	95.00–107.50	1,157	56
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,085	92.04/cwt	89.00–93.00	999	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	988	99.00/cwt	99.00–99.00	978	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,694	141.50/cwt	141.50–141.50	2,397	4
Bulls	—	—	1,686	135.82/cwt	128.00–140.00	2,290	5
Bulls	—	—	1,935	143.69/cwt	138.00–149.50	2,780	16
Bulls	—	—	2,275	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	3,492	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,350	122.79/cwt	122.00–123.00	1,658	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,420	104.81/cwt	97.00–109.00	1,488	51
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,269	1,625.00/head	1,625.00–1,625.00	1,625	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	725	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,051	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	445	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,469	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	944	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	881	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,965	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	373	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,250	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	980	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	2,019	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	543	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,444	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,370	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,918	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	527	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,238	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,279	1,625.00/head	1,625.00–1,625.00	1,625	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	984	144.95/cwt	130.00–165.00	1,426	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,127	127.58/cwt	117.00–145.00	1,438	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,035	1,500.00/head	1,500.00–1,500.00	1,500	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	579	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,488	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,143	123.50/cwt	123.50–123.50	1,412	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	434	305.22/cwt	302.50–312.50	1,325	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,151	1,578.50/head	1,550.00–1,675.00	1,579	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,037	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,224	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	373	355.49/cwt	355.00–360.00	1,326	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	768	181.63/cwt	175.00–187.50	1,395	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	521	327.58/cwt	325.00–331.00	1,707	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	336	336.07/cwt	310.00–345.00	1,129	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	663	269.00/cwt	257.00–278.00	1,783	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	665	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,543	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	475	304.87/cwt	300.00–305.00	1,448	36
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	567	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,452	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	542	274.19/cwt	272.00–275.00	1,486	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,423	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	390	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,404	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	760	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,801	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	461	303.00/cwt	303.00–303.00	1,397	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	498	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,643	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	979	212.70/cwt	207.00–215.00	2,082	19

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 →