Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-01-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-01-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (Dec. 17th): Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 500 lbs sold 8.00-12.00 higher; steers 500 lbs and heavier sold 4.00-6.00 higher, except 650-699 lbs steers which sold unevenly steady. Heifers under 600 lbs sold mostly 6.00-12.00 higher, heifers over 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher. Demand was mostly good to very good for heavy offerings. Quality this sale was attractive to very attractive with many long strings of home raised calves on offer. Several load lots of calves were on offer this sale and these offerings were met with very good demand. The majority of calves on offer were weaned and most were weaned 60 to 90 days. Despite very mild winter weather weaned calves were in mostly light flesh, with only a few offerings carrying moderate to moderate plus flesh. The best demand was seen for calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Depending on flesh, buyers purchased calves up to 575 lbs to develop into yearlings. A large crowd was on hand today with as many as 15 order buyers actively bidding on offerings throughout the day. Market activity was mostly active to very active as a result. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for light offerings. Packers opted to send a large portion of the offering to feed this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 lower on lean cows. All other classes of cows sold as feeding cows this week. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher as feeding and packer buyers competed over offerings. Cow and bull quality this week was mostly plain to average. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this sale as all cows were very full. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. 2 year old to young age cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand. These cows were of mostly average to attractive quality. Young age cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $163.86/cwt on 2,534 head.

Average price

$163.86

2,534 head · 595 lb average

Value per head Derived

$974

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$45

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$30.12/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.55

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	591	165.25	977	2,200
Medium and Large 1-2	584	159.41	931	269
Large 1	756	135.14	1,022	65

One grade step is worth $30.12/cwt here — about −$45 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 sale2,534 hd

163.86

—

MT average3 barns · 3,154 hd

164.41

−0.55

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	—	Low	1,620	67.29	1,090	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,388	50.66	703	56
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,800	48.74	877	2thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,197	45.82	549	41

Every lot, as filed

77 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	373	181.76/cwt	176.00–188.50	678	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	494	182.14/cwt	180.00–183.00	900	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	420	189.50/cwt	187.00–190.00	796	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	390	204.97/cwt	200.50–210.00	799	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	679	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	876	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	469	194.59/cwt	186.00–201.50	913	214
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	656	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	879	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	849	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,087	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	318	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	604	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	435	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	731	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	563	151.10/cwt	143.00–156.00	851	284
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	804	130.27/cwt	130.00–132.00	1,047	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	770	131.78/cwt	130.00–136.00	1,015	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	765	132.55/cwt	131.50–134.00	1,014	58
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	528	156.56/cwt	153.00–161.50	827	497
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	575	166.20/cwt	158.50–175.00	956	362
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	955	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,194	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	346	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	727	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	431	197.52/cwt	190.00–205.00	851	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	713	139.86/cwt	133.25–143.50	997	259
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	616	156.73/cwt	151.50–161.50	965	300
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	889	119.25/cwt	119.25–119.25	1,060	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	533	179.28/cwt	174.00–185.00	956	466
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	691	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	947	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	428	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	890	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	503	156.25/cwt	156.25–156.25	786	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	380	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	707	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	497	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	910	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	671	146.87/cwt	143.00–152.75	985	275
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	708	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	892	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	590	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	915	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	907	119.25/cwt	119.25–119.25	1,082	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,496	63.40/cwt	61.50–65.00	948	6
Bulls	—	—	1,738	68.99/cwt	67.50–72.25	1,199	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	915	39.00/cwt	39.00–39.00	357	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,278	45.34/cwt	40.00–47.50	579	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,442	54.79/cwt	50.00–55.75	790	23
Bulls	—	—	2,005	85.50/cwt	85.50–85.50	1,714	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	704	132.14/cwt	132.00–132.25	930	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	734	131.04/cwt	130.00–133.00	962	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	430	174.73/cwt	169.00–178.00	751	200
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	630	131.90/cwt	128.00–133.50	831	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	773	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	928	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	392	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	674	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	619	139.78/cwt	135.00–143.50	865	304
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	691	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	881	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	667	134.82/cwt	131.50–137.50	899	143
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	583	139.69/cwt	138.50–141.50	814	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	534	170.66/cwt	162.50–173.00	911	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	823	128.94/cwt	128.50–129.50	1,061	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	478	162.23/cwt	158.00–170.00	775	257
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	440	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	638	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	636	145.12/cwt	140.50–147.00	923	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	478	154.63/cwt	148.00–156.00	739	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	514	150.54/cwt	147.50–152.00	774	61
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	546	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	797	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	358	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	662	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,325	800.00/cwt	800.00–800.00	10,600	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	369	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	664	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	640	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	954	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	580	161.50/cwt	161.50–161.50	937	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	594	155.75/cwt	153.00–157.00	925	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	687	138.84/cwt	132.00–141.00	954	57
Steers	Large 1	—	669	140.50/cwt	140.50–140.50	940	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	521	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	722	6
Steers	Large 1	—	1,003	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,204	17
Heifers	Medium 1	—	549	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	802	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,117	80.16/cwt	78.00–90.00	895	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	978	76.26/cwt	59.00–88.00	746	39
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,255	32.00/cwt	32.00–32.00	402	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	844	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,004	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,211	48.84/cwt	48.00–49.50	591	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,158	45.36/cwt	40.00–47.00	525	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,235	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	655	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,350	47.78/cwt	47.00–48.00	645	33
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,800	48.74/cwt	44.50–53.00	877	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,017	109.50/cwt	109.50–109.50	1,114	8

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 →