Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-12-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-12-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested last week as last weeks sale featured bred cows. Limited offerings of feeders sold on light to moderate demand as quality hampered demand. Quality today was mostly plain to average. Market activity was mostly moderate. The best demand continues to be for light weight offerings suitable to run on grass or wheat. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand today for light offerings. Demand for cows was stronger today. Most cows were purchased to feed. Packers showed good demand for both slaughter and short term feeding cows this week. Very few cows were purchased to send to immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to firm on boning and lean cows, breaking cows were all purchased to feed. Short term feeding cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 higher. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold 1.00 to 2.00 higher. Quality was most average to attractive. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00-5.00 higher 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 mostly 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average to attractive. Market activity was mostly moderate to active.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $264.95/cwt on 30 head.

Average price

$264.95

30 head · 564 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,493

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$111

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

$7.34/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−24.02

vs MT average

−18.37 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	574	267.88	1,538	18thin
Medium and Large 1-2	548	260.55	1,428	12thin

One grade step is worth $7.34/cwt here — about $111 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 sale30 hd

264.95

—

MT average3 barns · 276 hd

288.97

−24.02

National average190 barns · 29,311 hd

283.32

−18.37

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	—	Average	1,805	145.08	2,618	31
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,414	116.89	1,653	87
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,885	116.00	2,187	2thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,113	106.95	1,191	96
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,780	95.00	1,691	1thin

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)	920	$2,000	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,285	$1,725	1thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,370	$1,675	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,177	$1,610	5

Every lot, as filed

72 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	628	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,758	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	817	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,043	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	408	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,591	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,065	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	2,194	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	578	267.86/cwt	264.50–273.00	1,548	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	315	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,481	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	472	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,534	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,487	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	483	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,618	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,285	1,725.00/head	1,725.00–1,725.00	1,725	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	435	307.17/cwt	295.00–310.00	1,336	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	583	250.26/cwt	247.50–262.00	1,459	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	828	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,863	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	775	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,802	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	1050–1100	1,086	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	1,868	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	520	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,677	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	511	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,571	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	918	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	2,121	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	925	157.94/cwt	142.00–165.00	1,461	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	375	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,247	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,073	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	2,049	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	378	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,455	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	425	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,573	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	504	272.25/cwt	265.00–283.00	1,372	5
Steers	Small and Medium 2Unweaned	400–450	423	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	698	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	521	319.83/cwt	312.50–327.00	1,666	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	861	219.18/cwt	217.00–227.50	1,887	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	498	289.00/cwt	289.00–289.00	1,439	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,370	1,675.00/head	1,675.00–1,675.00	1,675	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,177	1,610.02/head	1,510.00–1,650.00	1,610	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,754	147.85/cwt	145.00–150.00	2,593	9
Bulls	—	—	1,770	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	2,283	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,180	83.99/cwt	80.00–85.00	991	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,730	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	2,093	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,413	125.77/cwt	124.00–129.00	1,777	17
Bulls	—	—	2,585	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	3,826	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,125	113.12/cwt	109.00–120.00	1,273	46
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,040	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	2,264	1
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,780	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	1,691	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,595	112.05/cwt	110.50–113.50	1,787	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,138	93.75/cwt	89.00–100.00	1,067	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	880	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	572	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,408	118.86/cwt	110.00–124.50	1,674	45
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,411	106.91/cwt	99.00–110.00	1,509	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,093	105.22/cwt	91.00–109.00	1,150	37
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,075	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	1,322	1
Bulls	—	—	1,980	148.56/cwt	145.00–150.50	2,941	8
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,664	141.79/cwt	132.00–145.50	2,359	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	670	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,675	3
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	650–700	689	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,671	6
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	920	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	500–550	526	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,578	6
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	550–600	578	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,676	4
Heifers	Medium 2	600–650	630	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,493	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	875	232.37/cwt	232.00–232.50	2,033	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	875	132.49/cwt	125.00–140.00	1,159	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	570	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,465	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	898	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	2,029	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	495	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,559	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	452	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,198	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	365	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,570	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	329	467.34/cwt	450.00–480.00	1,538	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,103	149.80/cwt	147.50–152.50	1,652	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,009	189.34/cwt	172.00–215.00	1,910	22
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,456	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,025	227.54/cwt	227.00–229.00	2,332	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	295	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	1,460	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,701	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,058	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	2,354	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	708	240.50/cwt	240.50–240.50	1,703	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	730	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,789	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	410	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,579	2

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 →