Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2023-10-19

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Oct 19
● Final99 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
3,906 head
▲ 2,094 vs last sale 1,812▲ 302 vs year ago 3,604 · +8.4%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
221 head
▲ 73 vs last sale 148▼ 82 vs year ago 303 · −27.1%
Replacement Cattle receipts
162 head
▲ 44 vs last sale 118▲ 20 vs year ago 142 · +14.1%
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 sold generally steady in a narrow comparison; steer calves 500-650 lbs sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher; steer calves over 650 lbs not well compared. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested either this sale or last sale to develop a full market trend however lower undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Heifer calves all sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality today was mostly average to attractive, and overall mush higher than last week. Most cattle were offered in small packages this sale, with no load lots seen. Large packages sold on good demand as not load lots were seen. Demand was good to very good for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Demand for calves over 500 lbs and yearlings was mostly moderate. CME positions sold off sharply today with the near-by October contract down 3.55 to settle at 243.575. The November through May contracts all closed over 5.00 lower. Despite this all buyers continued to show strong demand for calves. Market activity was mostly active today with a larger buyer pool noted. Weigh up cows were all too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate trend, however lower undertones were noticed on both feeding and slaughter cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any accurate market trend. Weigh up conditions were mixed. 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 mostly 5.00-8.00 in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $308.94/cwt on 1,612 head.
Average price
$308.94
1,612 head · 526 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,626
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$521
per head · Medium and Large 2 over Large 1
$78.66/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−2.86
vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 2378315.241,19259
Medium and Large 1524315.231,6521,221
Medium and Large 1-2527295.051,554273
Medium 1-2649238.001,5458thin
Large 1724236.581,71251
One grade step is worth $78.66/cwt here — about −$521 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 sale1,612 hd
308.94
—
MT average5 barns · 3,647 hd
311.81
−2.86
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—Low1,46399.391,4548thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,553100.981,5689thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,44296.261,38859
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,17884.79999139

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)1,361$2,0009

Every lot

99 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 · Steers33 lots · lightest first
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned279390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,08815
Steers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned283365.00/cwt365.00–365.001,0334
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned288401.34/cwt400.00–405.001,15615
Steers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned303354.00/cwt354.00–354.001,07322
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned327371.18/cwt370.00–380.001,21416
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned330391.10/cwt385.00–416.001,29172
Steers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned356330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,17515
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned379363.80/cwt349.00–370.001,37938
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned383392.75/cwt384.00–401.001,504107
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned428373.05/cwt357.50–388.001,597132
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned464337.05/cwt320.00–356.001,564162
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned483287.45/cwt278.00–302.501,38868
Steers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned509244.52/cwt240.00–250.001,24518
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned519303.78/cwt290.00–316.001,577232
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned533283.19/cwt270.00–287.001,50960
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned562284.66/cwt271.00–294.001,60099
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned563264.05/cwt259.00–279.001,48729
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned618272.37/cwt260.00–278.501,683215
Steers—Large 1Unweaned619253.21/cwt251.00–257.001,56731
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fleshy633257.70/cwt254.00–258.501,63123
Steers—Medium 1-2649238.00/cwt238.00–238.001,5458
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned653236.01/cwt233.00–241.001,5418
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned663259.13/cwt245.00–266.001,718120
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned725248.00/cwt248.00–248.001,7986
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2747254.00/cwt254.00–254.001,8978
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fancy751258.00/cwt258.00–258.001,93810
Steers—Large 1858220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,88812
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2861220.50/cwt220.50–220.501,89917
Steers—Medium and Large 1866234.12/cwt234.00–235.002,02726
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2910223.50/cwt223.50–223.502,0349
Steers—Large 1928197.00/cwt197.00–197.001,8288
Steers—Medium and Large 1948226.00/cwt226.00–226.002,1422
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2964212.19/cwt210.00–221.002,0465
Feeder Cattle · Heifers34 lots · lightest first
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned270320.00/cwt320.00–320.008646
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned282359.57/cwt355.00–360.001,01412
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned319335.19/cwt325.00–345.001,06988
Heifers—Medium and Large 2Unweaned322255.00/cwt255.00–255.0082110
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned330301.00/cwt301.00–301.009937
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned371306.00/cwt306.00–306.001,1357
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned389319.01/cwt307.50–327.001,241135
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned433295.00/cwt280.00–316.001,277188
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned483271.90/cwt267.00–280.001,313172
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned489260.83/cwt248.00–265.001,275103
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Fancy518278.43/cwt277.50–279.001,44245
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned525256.00/cwt256.00–256.001,3447
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned526265.67/cwt262.00–268.001,39770
Heifers—Medium 1Unweaned554236.00/cwt236.00–236.001,3075
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned569255.66/cwt247.50–262.001,45586
Heifers—Medium 1615224.37/cwt221.00–243.001,38034
Heifers—Large 1Unweaned622240.50/cwt240.50–240.501,49621
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned631249.26/cwt247.50–250.001,57358
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2631244.13/cwt234.00–246.001,54032
Heifers—Medium 1663236.00/cwt236.00–236.001,5654
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2663235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,5582
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned665240.25/cwt240.00–240.501,59814
Heifers—Medium and Large 1681247.16/cwt246.00–247.501,68339
Heifers—Medium and Large 1710242.82/cwt235.00–244.751,72495
Heifers—Large 1753224.00/cwt224.00–224.001,6873
Heifers—Medium 1763221.00/cwt221.00–221.001,6866
Heifers—Medium and Large 2780209.00/cwt209.00–209.001,6302
Heifers—Medium and Large 1789230.37/cwt229.00–232.001,81823
Heifers—Medium and Large 1807224.87/cwt224.50–227.501,81516
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2809220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,7807
Heifers—Medium 1890215.00/cwt215.00–215.001,9144
Heifers—Medium and Large 1892217.18/cwt215.50–222.001,93737
Heifers—Medium and Large 1912218.38/cwt216.50–220.001,99224
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2942201.99/cwt200.00–208.001,9038
Feeder Cattle · Bulls7 lots · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned385380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,4631
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned410337.50/cwt337.50–337.501,3841
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned475287.00/cwt287.00–287.001,36321
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned500275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,3752
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned643225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,4476
Bulls—Large 11,043190.00/cwt190.00–190.001,98217
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-21,195150.50/cwt150.50–150.501,7989
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,21583.00/cwt83.00–83.001,0081
Bulls——1,41590.00/cwt90.00–90.001,2741
Bulls——Return to Feed1,468101.23/cwt98.00–107.501,4865
Bulls——Return to Feed1,730116.00/cwt116.00–116.002,0071
Slaughter Cattle · Cows16 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight99575.00/cwt75.00–75.007461
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,09575.00/cwt75.00–75.008211
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,16297.00/cwt97.00–97.001,1276
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,16391.30/cwt88.00–97.001,06221
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,16483.11/cwt75.00–88.0096774
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,20781.65/cwt77.00–86.0098624
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,24097.00/cwt97.00–97.001,2031
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,24689.64/cwt89.00–91.001,1178
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,31571.00/cwt71.00–71.009343
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,40184.44/cwt82.00–85.001,1836
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,42074.00/cwt74.00–74.001,0511
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,421107.19/cwt107.00–108.001,52310
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,43593.00/cwt93.00–93.001,3357
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,441100.34/cwt94.00–105.001,44615
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,46893.54/cwt90.00–93.751,37320
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,553100.98/cwt100.00–104.001,5689
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2908124.42/cwt120.00–127.501,1305
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1932167.62/cwt144.00–181.001,562109
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,057136.31/cwt125.00–145.001,44121
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,114102.75/cwt100.00–115.001,14510
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3612,000.00/head2,000.00–2,000.002,0009

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.