Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, December 4, 2023

1,267 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction report →

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $300.85/cwt ≈ $1,285/hd at 427 lb · 35 head

heavy 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $242.32/cwt +10.22 vs last sale · ≈ $870/hd at 359 lb · 19 head

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $242.66/cwt +15.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,107/hd at 456 lb · 19 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,267	736	986
Feeder cattle	318	169	199
Slaughter cattle	640	502	532
Replacement cattle	309	65	255

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on all offerings. Quality today was plain to average. The best demand continues to be for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings, these offerings sold on moderate demand. All calves over 550 lbs sold on light demand today. Most offerings sold in small groups or as singles today. CME positions sold off sharply again today with triple digit losses seen on all contracts. The January contract closed 3.90 lower to close at 210.525, the March closed 3.65 lower at 213.575. Market activity was mostly slow today, with a small buyer pool on hand. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for mostly moderate offerings. Breaking slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week to develop any market trend. Boning and lean cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. High quality feeding cows sold steady 3.00 lower on a lower quality offering. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 lower. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average, with many full offerings noticed. Weigh up conditions hindered demand for cows slightly as many were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on light demand again this week. Quality was mostly plain to average and most offerings sold to feed. This class was too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
330 unweaned	330	1	310.00	$310.00	$1,023	+45.00
424–449 unweaned	427	35	280.00–305.00	$300.85	$1,285	—
480–493 unweaned	489	3	275.00–279.00	$277.69	$1,358	—
559–595 unweaned	565	12	225.00–231.00	$229.95	$1,299	-9.05
673–683 unweaned	680	7	206.00–211.00	$209.59	$1,425	-8.41
714 unweaned	714	5	205.00	$205.00	$1,464	-1.00

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
366 unweaned	366	9	342.00	$342.00	$1,252	—
480 unweaned	480	1	290.00	$290.00	$1,392	±0.00
514–546 unweaned	534	11	255.00–268.00	$259.55	$1,386	—
571–573 unweaned	572	13	240.00–247.00	$243.24	$1,391	—
608–620 unweaned	613	5	225.00	$225.00	$1,379	—
692 unweaned	692	19	210.50	$210.50	$1,457	—
943	943	3	189.00	$189.00	$1,782	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
307 unweaned	307	13	280.00	$280.00	$860	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
342 unweaned	342	9	251.00	$251.00	$858	—
351–389 unweaned	359	19	240.00–243.00	$242.32	$870	+10.22
440 unweaned	440	1	241.00	$241.00	$1,060	+14.58
451–495 unweaned	456	19	240.00–243.00	$242.66	$1,107	+15.16
620 unweaned	620	2	209.00	$209.00	$1,296	+1.50
804–842	818	8	189.00–190.00	$189.39	$1,549	-5.61
884	884	9	180.00	$180.00	$1,591	-7.00
902	902	3	171.00	$171.00	$1,542	—
1005	1005	1	170.00	$170.00	$1,708	-2.00

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
483 unweaned	483	2	251.00	$251.00	$1,212	—
515–525 unweaned	518	4	230.00–245.00	$241.20	$1,249	—
555 unweaned	555	14	238.00	$238.00	$1,321	—
607 unweaned	607	11	215.00	$215.00	$1,305	+1.00

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
246 unweaned	246	9	216.00	$216.00	$531	—
397 unweaned	397	3	215.00	$215.00	$854	—
829	829	5	174.00	$174.00	$1,442	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
885	885	8	177.50	$177.50	$1,571	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
444 unweaned	444	4	243.00	$243.00	$1,079	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
705–720 unweaned	715	3	195.00–210.00	$199.93	$1,429	—
965–995	979	8	154.00–172.00	$163.46	$1,600	—
1014–1048	1032	18	144.00–154.00	$146.63	$1,513	—
1095	1095	2	132.50	$132.50	$1,451	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
900–970	935	85-90%	2	62.00–68.00	$64.89	$607	—
945	945	85-90%	1	91.00	$91.00	$860	—
1035–1125	1065	85-90%	3	62.00–63.00	$62.65	$667	—
1005–1275	1151	85-90%	28	64.00–78.00	$70.98	$817	-26.02
793–1345	1154	85-90%	80	65.00–79.00	$76.17	$879	-20.83
1035–1289	1181	85-90%	15	53.00–62.00	$59.93	$708	-13.33
985–1330	1202	85-90%	130	78.50–87.50	$81.74	$983	-0.37
1155–1328	1221	85-90%	20	79.00–87.00	$81.09	$990	+21.09

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1289–1565	1358	80-85%	9	84.00–89.50	$88.12	$1,197	—
1303–1450	1384	80-85%	30	69.00–82.50	$78.82	$1,091	-14.53
1305–1560	1391	80-85%	72	84.00–93.00	$87.81	$1,221	-5.54
1290–1740	1404	80-85%	88	73.00–83.50	$81.03	$1,138	-2.75
1450	1450	80-85%	1	96.00	$96.00	$1,392	+15.52

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1490	1490	75-80%	1	87.50	$87.50	$1,304	—
1602	1602	75-80%	3	92.00	$92.00	$1,474	—
1605	1605	75-80%	1	91.00	$91.00	$1,461	—
1560–1760	1660	75-80%	2	86.00–89.50	$87.86	$1,458	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1188	1188	2	112.50	$112.50	$1,336	—
1155–1630	1410	7	90.00–110.00	$100.10	$1,411	—
1105–2005	1590	13	81.00–111.00	$101.98	$1,621	—
1595–2150	1818	13	110.00–119.00	$115.50	$2,100	-1.05

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
965	965	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	90.00	$90.00	$868
720–1355	1034	(<2 yrs)	Open	112	98.00–149.00	$131.87	$1,364
865–1270	1072	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	122	84.00–129.00	$103.87	$1,113

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
930–977	965	(<2 yrs)	Open	4	103.00–115.00	$105.89	$1,022
969–1105	1002	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	8	80.00–81.00	$80.14	$803

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1117	1117	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	13	1,475.00	$1,475.00
1160	1160	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,525.00	$1,525.00
1197 thin fleshed	1197	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	1,150.00	$1,150.00
1275	1275	Aged (>8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	2	1,200.00	$1,200.00
1279	1279	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	10	1,360.00	$1,360.00
1360	1360	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,450.00	$1,450.00

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1316	1316	Aged (>8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	8	78.00	$78.00	$1,026

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1435	1435	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	1,310.00	$1,310.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1007	1007	(<2 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	5	1,500.00	$1,500.00

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.