Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2024-02-15

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Feb 15
● Final99 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,780 head
▼ 1,595 vs last sale 3,375▲ 1,405 vs year ago 375 · +374.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
235 head
▲ 104 vs last sale 131▲ 34 vs year ago 201 · +16.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
189 head
▲ 30 vs last sale 159▲ 64 vs year ago 125 · +51.2%
Also sold here(Mon)Mon Nov 2, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: 500-599 and 700-749 lbs feeder steers offered the best test this week. These offerings sold fully steady. All other weights of feeder steers were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Feeder heifers under 550 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher, all other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain to average with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. Quality was lower compared to last weeks sale. Most offerings sold in small to moderate size packages. Small lots and singles sold with a discount to larger packages this week. Demand for all feeders was good for light to moderate offerings. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. CME positions continue to see upward momentum. The March feeder cattle contract closed today at 247.10, while the April closed at 250.225, 0.25 higher and 1.70 lower respectfully, than last Thursdays close. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. A smaller buyer pool was noticed this week as well. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Too few cows were seen this week to make an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on slaughter cows, feeding cows and slaughter bulls. Packer buyers continue to be aggressive as they bid for both feeding cows and slaughter cows. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to 10.00 higher on a very attractive offering. Demand for this class was very good as feeding demand continues to improve with higher live cattle contract prices. Demand from rebreed buyers was strong as quality this week was attractive, with several sets offerings off reputation ranches noted.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $302.41/cwt on 757 head.
Average price
$302.41
757 head · 611 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,847
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$230
per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 2
$68.07/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−2.78
vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium 1489313.751,53526
Medium and Large 1619306.641,897535
Medium and Large 1-2596292.701,744182
Medium and Large 2718245.681,76514thin
One grade step is worth $68.07/cwt here — about −$230 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 sale757 hd
302.41
—
MT average3 barns · 941 hd
305.18
−2.78
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—Low1,794112.852,02411
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,445110.681,59919
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,132104.031,178175
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,399102.731,43726

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 Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,277$2,3503thin
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,417$2,1503thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,285$1,6253thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,206$2,3336

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 · Steers35 lots · lightest first
Steers—Medium 1345351.00/cwt351.00–351.001,2113
Steers—Medium and Large 1363360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,3078
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2386355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,3707
Steers—Medium 1395342.50/cwt342.50–342.501,3533
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2412340.45/cwt332.50–343.001,40316
Steers—Medium 1425340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,4452
Steers—Medium and Large 1445360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,6021
Steers—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed453375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,69912
Steers—Medium and Large 1462348.87/cwt346.00–350.001,61219
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2474334.85/cwt325.00–341.001,58732
Steers—Medium 1494312.50/cwt312.50–312.501,5444
Steers—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed509362.50/cwt362.50–362.501,84513
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2515326.59/cwt322.50–327.501,68211
Steers—Medium 1516307.43/cwt290.00–312.501,5869
Steers—Medium and Large 1531342.33/cwt333.00–349.001,81878
Steers—Medium and Large 1566327.11/cwt316.50–333.001,851102
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2569301.85/cwt300.50–308.501,71823
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fleshy589294.00/cwt294.00–294.001,7325
Steers—Medium and Large 2596288.00/cwt288.00–288.001,7165
Steers—Medium 1606276.00/cwt276.00–276.001,6735
Steers—Medium and Large 1607307.52/cwt293.00–314.001,86738
Steers—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed618325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,00960
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2625288.36/cwt280.00–298.001,80230
Steers—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed653293.50/cwt293.50–293.501,91730
Steers—Medium and Large 1658272.00/cwt272.00–272.001,7904
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2678255.70/cwt244.50–274.001,73433
Steers—Medium and Large 2685222.50/cwt222.50–222.501,5243
Steers—Medium and Large 1724261.24/cwt251.00–264.751,891134
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2748244.00/cwt244.00–244.001,8255
Steers—Medium and Large 1774244.22/cwt243.00–245.001,8905
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2774239.21/cwt232.50–240.501,8518
Steers—Medium and Large 1819239.00/cwt239.00–239.001,95721
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2835227.40/cwt226.00–230.001,89917
Steers—Medium and Large 2837222.00/cwt222.00–222.001,8586
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fleshy854222.00/cwt222.00–222.001,8965
Feeder Cattle · Heifers30 lots · lightest first
Heifers—Medium 1-2298290.00/cwt290.00–290.0086412
Heifers—Medium 1-2341305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,0408
Heifers—Medium 1-2351285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,0006
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2360300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,0803
Heifers—Medium 1375320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,2003
Heifers—Medium and Large 1396336.74/cwt330.00–343.001,33331
Heifers—Medium and Large 1421324.82/cwt317.50–336.001,36726
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2432316.32/cwt300.00–328.001,36715
Heifers—Medium and Large 2455247.50/cwt247.50–247.501,1262
Heifers—Medium and Large 1479318.30/cwt306.00–323.001,525156
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2480283.30/cwt282.50–284.501,3605
Heifers—Medium 1494290.00/cwt290.00–290.001,43315
Heifers—Medium and Large 2512262.75/cwt252.50–272.001,34519
Heifers—Medium 1516282.82/cwt275.00–286.001,45922
Heifers—Medium and Large 1524301.22/cwt285.00–310.001,578149
Heifers—Medium and Large 2553240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,3276
Heifers—Medium 1564272.50/cwt272.50–272.501,5378
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2566268.51/cwt259.00–273.001,52016
Heifers—Medium and Large 1575283.99/cwt279.50–286.001,63327
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2614246.14/cwt240.00–251.001,5119
Heifers—Medium and Large 1625263.37/cwt251.00–276.001,64673
Heifers—Medium and Large 2646229.00/cwt229.00–229.001,4798
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2663237.74/cwt230.00–242.001,57612
Heifers—Medium 1666241.63/cwt239.00–243.001,6096
Heifers—Medium and Large 2671223.00/cwt223.00–223.001,4968
Heifers—Medium and Large 1673249.25/cwt240.00–254.001,67737
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2714223.00/cwt223.00–223.001,5924
Heifers—Medium and Large 1718233.33/cwt227.00–238.001,67522
Heifers—Medium and Large 1763221.00/cwt221.00–221.001,6864
Heifers—Medium and Large 1804211.00/cwt211.00–211.001,6967
Feeder Cattle · Bulls7 lots · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1587306.35/cwt299.00–310.001,7983
Bulls—Medium and Large 1678260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,7632
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-2680237.50/cwt237.50–237.501,6156
Bulls—Medium and Large 1730232.00/cwt232.00–232.001,6943
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-2730221.00/cwt221.00–221.001,6132
Bulls—Medium and Large 1910210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,9111
Bulls—Medium and Large 11,040192.00/cwt192.00–192.001,9971
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,305116.00/cwt116.00–116.001,5141
Bulls——1,693109.80/cwt99.00–116.001,8595
Bulls——1,992115.26/cwt113.00–121.002,2965
Slaughter Cattle · Cows14 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,103110.24/cwt106.00–114.001,21694
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,14373.74/cwt71.00–76.008432
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,15699.88/cwt97.00–104.501,15556
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,17798.14/cwt95.00–103.001,1555
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,19187.42/cwt81.00–94.001,04116
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,218106.25/cwt106.00–106.501,2942
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,32190.77/cwt85.00–95.001,1994
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,35097.00/cwt97.00–97.001,3101
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,383112.74/cwt111.50–113.001,55912
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,410112.00/cwt112.00–112.001,5791
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,416104.95/cwt96.00–107.001,48620
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,505108.50/cwt108.00–109.001,6332
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,550107.69/cwt104.00–109.501,6693
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,600105.00/cwt105.00–105.001,6802
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS1,1802,100.00/head2,100.00–2,100.002,1002
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 11,2192,450.00/head2,450.00–2,450.002,4504
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2772,350.00/head2,350.00–2,350.002,3503
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2851,625.00/head1,625.00–1,625.001,6253
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4172,150.00/head2,150.00–2,150.002,1503
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows5 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed804172.50/cwt172.50–172.501,38712
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2840130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,0921
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1917190.01/cwt180.00–195.001,74248
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2958155.02/cwt130.00–175.001,4854
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1995156.05/cwt108.00–170.001,553103

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.