Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-01-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-01-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all classes. Demand was moderate to good for light to moderate offerings. Quality was average to attractive. A good crowd was on hand for this sale despite lighter supplies. Most calves on offer were weaned 45-60 day and in light flesh. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed good demand for all cows this week. Packers pushed to own the majority of the cow offering this week pushing cows sharply higher in places. The cutter cow cutout has inched higher over the past week as is the seasonal trend due to tighter supplies in the mid to late winter months. The cutter cow cutout closed at 177.95, 0.13 higher than Wednesdays close. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Feeding cows sold 4.00-5.00 higher as packer buyers and feeding buyers both competed over offerings. Cow quality this week was average to attractive and overall better than last week. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week with many cows pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to rebreed sold unevenly steady on a mixed quality offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $140.37/cwt on 300 head.

Average price

$140.37

300 head · 568 lb average

Value per head Derived

$798

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$486

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$47.25/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.67

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	401	152.00	610	8thin
Medium and Large 1	551	144.82	799	201
Medium and Large 1-2	581	134.57	781	71
Medium and Large 2	688	113.38	780	16thin
Large 1	1,046	104.75	1,095	4thin

One grade step is worth $47.25/cwt here — about −$486 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 sale300 hd

140.37

—

MT average4 barns · 3,103 hd

145.05

−4.67

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	1,789	82.80	1,481	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,605	59.97	962	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,347	55.66	750	123
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,174	50.77	596	174

Every lot, as filed

72 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	—	445	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	712	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	514	142.72/cwt	137.50–144.00	734	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	638	140.01/cwt	139.00–141.00	893	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	839	104.33/cwt	103.50–106.00	875	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	600	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	786	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	499	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	734	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	650	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	806	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	517	161.92/cwt	145.00–167.00	837	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	589	146.18/cwt	145.00–150.00	861	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	575	124.54/cwt	124.00–126.00	716	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	505	149.30/cwt	148.50–149.50	754	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	527	169.48/cwt	167.00–176.00	893	95
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	594	138.94/cwt	137.50–140.50	825	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	378	163.78/cwt	161.00–165.50	619	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	940	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,025	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	767	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,016	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	622	135.17/cwt	134.50–136.00	841	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	587	159.29/cwt	158.75–161.50	935	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	471	157.68/cwt	152.00–162.00	743	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	873	111.50/cwt	111.50–111.50	973	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	666	139.43/cwt	135.50–141.00	929	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	442	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	804	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	796	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	915	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	627	149.67/cwt	146.50–153.50	938	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	813	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	1,028	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	691	129.36/cwt	125.00–132.00	894	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	475	178.85/cwt	178.00–181.00	850	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	700	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	833	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	835	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	919	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	850	91.20/cwt	81.00–96.00	775	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,675	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	1,005	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,785	55.50/cwt	55.50–55.50	991	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,551	76.00/cwt	72.00–78.50	1,179	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,695	80.50/cwt	80.50–80.50	1,364	3
Bulls	—	—	1,570	76.28/cwt	74.00–79.50	1,198	7
Bulls	—	—	1,906	90.80/cwt	89.00–92.00	1,731	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,650	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	924	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,331	56.55/cwt	52.00–59.25	753	95
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,178	55.39/cwt	52.50–59.50	652	39
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,184	49.65/cwt	45.00–52.00	588	71
Bulls	—	—	1,984	85.16/cwt	83.00–87.50	1,690	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,099	41.26/cwt	35.00–43.00	453	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,725	59.50/cwt	59.50–59.50	1,026	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,427	60.51/cwt	60.00–61.00	863	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,737	62.79/cwt	62.50–63.00	1,091	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,260	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	529	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,431	58.05/cwt	56.50–60.00	831	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,385	53.58/cwt	53.50–54.00	742	13
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,105	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,028	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,386	50.62/cwt	49.50–51.50	702	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	921	45.04/cwt	40.00–47.50	415	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,227	53.01/cwt	52.25–54.50	650	41
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,444	46.33/cwt	46.00–47.00	669	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,545	62.50/cwt	62.50–62.50	966	1
Heifers	Medium 1	—	401	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	610	8
Steers	Medium 1	—	373	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	642	6
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,160	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,044	1
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,083	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,137	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,220	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	1,000	1
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,008	104.50/cwt	104.50–104.50	1,053	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,299	975.00/cwt	975.00–975.00	12,665	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,228	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	663	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,265	750.00/cwt	750.00–750.00	9,488	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,367	866.64/cwt	810.00–910.00	11,847	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,028	69.07/cwt	51.00–85.50	710	108
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	730	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	475	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	593	132.83/cwt	132.50–133.50	788	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	715	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	808	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	476	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	638	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	784	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	815	11
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	463	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	706	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	388	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	698	4

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 →