Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-12-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-12-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested either last week or this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Limited offerings of feeders sold on light to moderate demand. Quality today was mostly plain to average and similar to last week. Most calves were offered in small lots or as singles, forcing buyers to piece together loads. Market activity was mostly moderate with a small buyer pool bidding on calves. 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 to moderate offerings. 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 were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on all classes. Short term feeding cows sold mostly steady. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to firm. Quality was most plain to average today and not as attractive as last weeks offering. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady 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 with several packages of tested open 2-3 year old cows off bred offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $280.25/cwt on 21 head.

Average price

$280.25

21 head · 531 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,489

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$242

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

$50.35/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−20.84

vs MT average

−0.05 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	530	290.35	1,540	15thin
Medium and Large 1	518	285.00	1,476	2thin
Medium and Large 2	541	240.00	1,298	4thin

One grade step is worth $50.35/cwt here — about $242 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 sale21 hd

280.25

—

MT average4 barns · 1,076 hd

301.09

−20.84

National average188 barns · 25,726 hd

280.30

−0.05

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	1,702	139.99	2,383	44
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,638	121.19	1,986	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,410	119.79	1,689	279
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,156	111.43	1,288	164

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	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,377	$2,282	19
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,202	$2,254	9
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,415	$2,025	4thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,420	$1,675	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,229	$1,640	23
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,095	$2,446	6
Bred Heifers	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,011	$2,179	7

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
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,122	2,313.25/head	2,250.00–2,375.00	2,313	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	919	228.10/cwt	226.00–230.50	2,096	30
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,155	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	380	350.41/cwt	347.50–355.00	1,332	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,252	1,807.11/head	1,785.00–1,850.00	1,807	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	360	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,530	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	345	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	1,604	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	530	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,537	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	460	339.86/cwt	311.00–360.00	1,563	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,420	1,675.43/head	1,650.00–1,725.00	1,675	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	518	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,476	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	627	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,693	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,133	146.40/cwt	121.00–192.00	1,659	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	506	318.00/cwt	318.00–318.00	1,609	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,415	2,025.00/head	2,025.00–2,025.00	2,025	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	939	204.87/cwt	140.00–234.00	1,924	196
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	775	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,473	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,002	148.03/cwt	137.50–155.00	1,483	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	685	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,558	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	354	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	1,301	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,158	2,286.19/head	2,275.00–2,300.00	2,286	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,390	2,386.60/head	2,375.00–2,400.00	2,387	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	663	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,664	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	422	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	1,376	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	598	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,567	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	423	374.86/cwt	352.00–387.50	1,586	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	946	136.77/cwt	125.50–165.00	1,294	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	709	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,716	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	491	297.00/cwt	297.00–297.00	1,458	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,093	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	2,197	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	381	385.10/cwt	375.00–395.00	1,467	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	394	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	1,566	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	622	287.43/cwt	285.00–295.00	1,788	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,310	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	564	302.31/cwt	301.00–305.00	1,705	9
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,212	114.39/cwt	110.00–125.00	1,386	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,527	135.56/cwt	128.00–146.00	2,070	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,681	117.47/cwt	115.50–119.50	1,975	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,548	122.81/cwt	121.00–123.00	1,901	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,419	120.68/cwt	114.00–126.00	1,712	205
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,709	146.04/cwt	144.00–148.00	2,496	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,614	124.50/cwt	124.50–124.50	2,009	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	2,040	129.50/cwt	129.50–129.50	2,642	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	918	76.87/cwt	73.00–85.00	706	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	750	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	694	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,191	113.55/cwt	110.00–122.00	1,352	73
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,137	102.44/cwt	92.00–109.00	1,165	42
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,152	126.45/cwt	124.00–129.50	1,457	36
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,446	109.25/cwt	101.00–113.50	1,580	34
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,657	115.67/cwt	109.00–119.00	1,917	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,875	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	2,456	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,345	95.67/cwt	95.00–97.00	1,287	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,685	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	1,955	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,470	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,764	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,317	126.97/cwt	126.50–131.50	1,672	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,207	83.02/cwt	77.50–86.00	1,002	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,160	97.22/cwt	93.00–99.00	1,128	4
Bulls	—	—	1,925	148.09/cwt	147.00–150.00	2,851	12
Bulls	—	—	1,764	138.72/cwt	123.00–146.00	2,447	11
Heifers	Large 1	1200–1250	1,223	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	2,311	4
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	780	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,521	1
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,555	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,130	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	2,401	1
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,429	2,023.88/head	2,000.00–2,100.00	2,024	4
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,173	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	2,141	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	632	246.46/cwt	241.00–255.00	1,558	22
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	863	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	3
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	416	367.00/cwt	367.00–367.00	1,527	9
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	995	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	1
Bulls	Large 1	1300–1350	1,332	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	2,478	4
Steers	Large 1	1150–1200	1,165	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	2,575	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,759	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	594	294.33/cwt	294.00–295.00	1,748	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	541	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,298	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	458	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,301	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	250–300	293	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,011	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	520	294.71/cwt	280.00–296.00	1,532	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,023	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	2,240	7
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	2,445.55/head	2,425.00–2,450.00	2,446	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	718	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,738	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	975	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,165	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	855	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,984	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	810	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,936	4

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 →