Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2023-10-12

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Oct 12
● Final97 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,812 head
▲ 1,251 vs last sale 561▼ 678 vs year ago 2,490 · −27.2%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
148 head
▼ 128 vs last sale 276▼ 340 vs year ago 488 · −69.7%
Replacement Cattle receipts
118 head
▲ 17 vs last sale 101▼ 44 vs year ago 162 · −27.2%
Also sold here(Mon)Mon Nov 2, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 500 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Steer calves over 500 lbs sold with steady undertones. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop a full market trend however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold with sharply higher undertones, heifer calves over 450 lbs sold mostly 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Most cattle were offered in small packages this sale, with no load lots seen. Selection was limited again this week forcing buyers to piece together loads. Demand was good to very good for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Demand for calves over 500 lbs and yearlings sold on mostly moderate demand. CME positions sold mostly higher throughout the week and buyers showed much stronger demand for all feeder offerings this week compared to last. Cooler and rainy conditions were seen much of the day and some calves showed some stress as a result. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. Weigh up cows were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate trend, however lower undertones were noticed on both feeding and slaughter cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average again today as most cows were pushing fill, as a big change of weather was seen. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on very good demand today as rebreed buyers and feeding buyers both competed over offerings. Young age cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly average.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $291.62/cwt on 787 head.
Average price
$291.62
787 head · 564 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,646
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$88
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2
$75.16/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−5.16
vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2544303.751,652147
Medium and Large 1556297.421,654542
Medium 1652266.001,7347thin
Medium 1-2584256.641,49933
Medium 2597237.001,4155thin
Large 1-2626232.501,4556thin
Medium and Large 2684228.591,56447
One grade step is worth $75.16/cwt here — about $88 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale787 hd
291.62
—
MT average5 barns · 2,459 hd
296.78
−5.16
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Low1,60699.641,60111
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,659104.251,7294thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,40599.671,40122
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,17282.4896773

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,140$1,86216

Every lot

97 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Thu)
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers36 lots · lightest first
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned339393.56/cwt387.50–402.501,33422
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned342372.96/cwt372.00–375.001,2763
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned376394.13/cwt390.00–405.001,48226
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned397379.00/cwt379.00–379.001,50525
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned410371.70/cwt266.00–384.001,52441
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned434345.90/cwt330.00–355.001,50132
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned461336.31/cwt306.00–362.001,55032
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned474302.92/cwt290.00–308.001,43620
Steers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned477230.61/cwt224.00–250.001,1008
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned523286.79/cwt278.00–296.001,500164
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned529258.00/cwt258.00–258.001,3657
Steers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned533221.99/cwt220.00–225.001,18310
Steers—Medium and Large 1556279.00/cwt279.00–279.001,55114
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned569277.25/cwt274.00–280.501,57849
Steers—Medium 1-2570256.00/cwt256.00–256.001,45927
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned576263.79/cwt255.00–270.001,51927
Steers—Medium 2597237.00/cwt237.00–237.001,4155
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned607250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,5187
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fancy618280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,73034
Steers—Large 1-2Unweaned626232.50/cwt232.50–232.501,4556
Steers—Medium and Large 1629276.00/cwt276.00–276.001,73628
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned634264.71/cwt255.50–271.001,67864
Steers—Medium 1-2648259.50/cwt259.50–259.501,6826
Steers—Medium 1652266.00/cwt266.00–266.001,7347
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned660257.50/cwt257.50–257.501,7004
Steers—Medium and Large 1705274.00/cwt274.00–274.001,93216
Steers—Medium and Large 2741231.00/cwt231.00–231.001,7129
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2744260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,9345
Steers—Medium and Large 1759262.00/cwt262.00–262.001,98934
Steers—Medium and Large 2787234.15/cwt224.50–247.501,84312
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fleshy830234.00/cwt234.00–234.001,9425
Steers—Medium and Large 2830220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,8263
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2873236.88/cwt230.00–239.502,06820
Steers—Medium and Large 2883226.00/cwt226.00–226.001,9965
Steers—Medium and Large 1910232.00/cwt232.00–232.002,1119
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2955214.00/cwt214.00–214.002,0441
Feeder Cattle · Heifers32 lots · lightest first
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned309313.74/cwt312.50–320.0096916
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned332330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,0963
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned372297.92/cwt280.00–308.501,10828
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned380319.21/cwt310.00–330.001,21332
Heifers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned394222.50/cwt222.50–222.5087713
Heifers—Medium 1Unweaned399300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,1975
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned424294.68/cwt285.00–315.001,24937
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned438271.63/cwt250.00–273.001,19053
Heifers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned447220.00/cwt220.00–220.009833
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned465276.51/cwt273.00–280.001,28670
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Replacement472290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,36916
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned476267.81/cwt267.50–268.001,2755
Heifers—Large 1Unweaned501253.00/cwt253.00–253.001,2685
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned515266.79/cwt254.00–274.001,37427
Heifers—Medium and Large 1516286.00/cwt286.00–286.001,47614
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Replacement538281.00/cwt281.00–281.001,51226
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned541251.00/cwt251.00–251.001,3587
Heifers—Large 1Unweaned550234.00/cwt234.00–234.001,2873
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Fancy567271.00/cwt271.00–271.001,53725
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned568255.41/cwt252.00–262.001,45129
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned643248.95/cwt246.00–251.001,60112
Heifers—Medium 1697246.00/cwt246.00–246.001,71513
Heifers—Medium and Large 1734245.50/cwt245.50–245.501,80214
Heifers—Medium and Large 1757241.78/cwt239.50–242.501,83014
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2781236.60/cwt235.50–238.001,84824
Heifers—Medium and Large 2798203.00/cwt203.00–203.001,6203
Heifers—Medium and Large 1832237.21/cwt237.00–237.251,97435
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2834225.21/cwt225.00–226.001,87819
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2873221.50/cwt221.50–221.501,9342
Heifers—Medium and Large 1879226.19/cwt224.50–227.501,98830
Heifers—Medium and Large 1940224.50/cwt224.50–224.502,11031
Heifers—Large 11,105196.00/cwt196.00–196.002,1662
Feeder Cattle · Bulls8 lots · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned380375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,4251
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned474290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,3754
Bulls—Medium and Large 2Unweaned565205.00/cwt205.00–205.001,1586
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned585255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,4923
Bulls—Medium and Large 1691241.00/cwt241.00–241.001,6656
Bulls—Medium and Large 1791234.50/cwt234.50–234.501,85512
Bulls—Medium and Large 1965215.50/cwt215.50–215.502,08011
Bulls—Large 11,070195.00/cwt195.00–195.002,0873
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,37595.95/cwt92.00–100.001,3195
Bulls——Return to Feed1,760112.00/cwt112.00–112.001,9711
Bulls——1,807100.86/cwt95.00–106.001,8235
Slaughter Cattle · Cows13 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,11269.11/cwt60.00–70.0076923
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,18485.26/cwt79.00–93.001,00931
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,20084.52/cwt80.00–89.001,0142
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,20595.00/cwt95.00–95.001,1451
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,21295.51/cwt92.00–98.001,15814
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,30394.00/cwt94.00–94.001,2253
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,33789.32/cwt88.00–92.001,1943
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,40396.50/cwt95.00–97.001,3544
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,435103.13/cwt97.50–108.001,48014
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,460110.00/cwt110.00–110.001,6061
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,53593.00/cwt93.00–93.001,4281
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,805105.50/cwt105.50–105.501,9041
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,835108.50/cwt108.50–108.501,9911
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1964156.57/cwt147.00–171.001,50926
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,033135.91/cwt130.00–140.001,4043
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,062125.12/cwt111.00–147.501,32933
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,077110.38/cwt107.00–112.501,1893
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1401,862.13/head1,825.00–1,960.001,86216

This sale against other markets

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.