Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-12-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-12-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Mondays sale: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested either last week or this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Limited offerings of feeders sold on moderate demand. Quality today was mostly plain to average and similar to last week. Most calves were offered in small packages, forcing buyers to piece together loads. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with moderate size 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. This is the last sale to feature weigh ups sale prior to the holiday break. Most cows were purchased to feed again this week. Packers showed good demand for both slaughter and 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 to firm undertones were noticed on all classes. Short term feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold 1.00-4.00 higher. Quality was most average to attractive today. Weigh up conditions were below average today with many very full cows on offer. Despite fill conditions demand for all feeding cows was good to very good. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady to 2.00 higher. Weigh up conditions for bulls was similar to cows as most bulls were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Young age offerings sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly plain to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $307.54/cwt on 100 head.

Average price

$307.54

100 head · 536 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,647

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$86

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

$19.55/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.88

vs MT average

+22.59 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	535	309.88	1,657	88
Medium and Large 1-2	541	290.33	1,572	12thin

One grade step is worth $19.55/cwt here — about $86 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale100 hd

307.54

—

MT average4 barns · 1,053 hd

306.66

+0.88

National average180 barns · 17,940 hd

284.95

+22.59

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	1,840	146.56	2,697	48
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,576	119.34	1,881	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,385	117.79	1,632	134
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,141	108.02	1,233	104

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)	1,152	$2,309	12
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,288	$2,143	7
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	943	$2,100	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,349	$2,022	19
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,170	$2,000	1thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,170	$1,925	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,319	$1,781	26
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	897	$2,030	5

Every lot, as filed

87 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	—	1,048	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	559	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	1,627	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	311	392.50/cwt	392.50–392.50	1,221	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,010	222.51/cwt	221.00–224.00	2,247	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,170	1,925.00/head	1,925.00–1,925.00	1,925	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,107	2,261.57/head	2,075.00–2,375.00	2,262	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	965	128.71/cwt	116.00–155.00	1,242	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,420	1,872.22/head	1,850.00–1,900.00	1,872	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	497	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	1,794	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	658	301.68/cwt	291.00–302.00	1,985	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	440	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,452	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	768	236.90/cwt	236.00–237.50	1,819	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	465	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,407	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,331	2,050.00/head	2,050.00–2,050.00	2,050	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	461	319.29/cwt	319.00–320.00	1,472	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	579	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,795	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	835	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,862	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	298	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,147	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	580	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,595	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	700	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,750	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,285	2,450.00/head	2,450.00–2,450.00	2,450	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,031	187.40/cwt	141.00–208.00	1,932	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	626	257.76/cwt	257.50–258.00	1,614	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	407	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	1,536	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	634	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,870	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	715	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,716	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,245	1,714.46/head	1,500.00–1,750.00	1,714	15
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,357	2,008.77/head	1,900.00–2,025.00	2,009	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	522	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,556	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	440	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,452	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	938	167.31/cwt	165.00–170.00	1,569	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	528	329.32/cwt	317.50–337.50	1,739	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	929	216.96/cwt	213.00–229.00	2,016	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	744	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,009	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	360	364.97/cwt	360.00–367.50	1,314	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	487	304.63/cwt	301.00–314.00	1,484	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	485	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,673	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,830	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	2,269	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,548	119.13/cwt	115.00–121.00	1,844	11
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,565	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	3,694	1
Bulls	—	—	2,160	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	3,326	1
Bulls	—	—	1,877	149.06/cwt	147.00–151.00	2,798	34
Bulls	—	—	1,798	137.53/cwt	118.00–146.00	2,473	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,623	116.18/cwt	112.00–119.00	1,886	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,146	108.00/cwt	98.00–114.00	1,238	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,192	117.44/cwt	114.00–124.00	1,400	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,118	90.51/cwt	90.00–91.00	1,012	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	797	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	662	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,379	110.60/cwt	96.00–116.50	1,525	56
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,127	92.59/cwt	91.00–95.00	1,043	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,125	83.94/cwt	76.00–87.00	944	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,500	140.57/cwt	131.00–144.00	2,109	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,394	121.58/cwt	116.00–129.00	1,695	66
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,533	122.93/cwt	122.00–124.00	1,885	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,365	130.53/cwt	129.00–134.50	1,782	12
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,065	210.34/cwt	208.00–214.00	2,240	3
Heifers	Large 1	850–900	880	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	2,059	1
Steers	Large 1	600–650	620	288.92/cwt	285.00–291.00	1,791	3
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,120	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	2,374	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	858	77.70/cwt	75.00–80.00	667	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,247	127.90/cwt	127.50–128.00	1,595	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	350	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,313	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	378	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,455	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	498	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,718	4
Bred Heifers	Medium 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	797	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	943	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	529	313.50/cwt	313.50–313.50	1,658	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	825	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,955	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	885	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	2,097	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	603	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,824	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	495	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,658	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	284	512.95/cwt	512.50–515.00	1,457	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	531	340.33/cwt	338.00–350.00	1,807	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	565	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,850	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	462	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,594	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	570	319.00/cwt	319.00–319.00	1,818	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	311.87/cwt	310.00–312.00	1,637	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	361	435.63/cwt	420.00–460.00	1,573	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	552	309.33/cwt	296.00–312.50	1,708	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	300	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,425	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,288	2,143.45/head	2,025.00–2,250.00	2,143	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,170	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,147	149.51/cwt	124.00–180.00	1,715	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	405	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,701	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	463	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	1,533	15
Bulls	Large 1Fleshy	1250–1300	1,280	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,946	1
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1250–1300	1,287	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	2,394	3

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 →