Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-09-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-09-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers as well as spring born steer calves sold generally steady. Yearling heifers under 800 lbs sold 1.00-3.00 higher, while heifers over 800 lbs sold mostly steady to weak. Demand was mostly moderate to good for all yearlings and calves on offer. Quality this sale was average to attractive on yearlings and mostly average on calves. One load lot of yearlings was seen this week and demand was mostly good. CME positions have slid lower over the past week, however demand and prices remain very similar to last sale two weeks ago. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand for heavy offerings. Cows continue to sell to feed, slaughter and to go back to the country to test for breds. This created uneven demand in places as replacement buyers and feeding buyers both showed good demand for cows. Slaughter cow buyers showed light to moderate demand for cows. Breaking cows sold steady to 2.00 higher as feeding buyers forced these offerings mostly higher. Boning and lean cows sold 2.00-3.00 lower. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher on good to very good demand both from packer and feeding buyers. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 lower, again feeding buyers helped hold bull prices near steady. Feeding bull buyers showed good demand for all sound bulls under 2000 lbs. Replacement cows sold on mostly good demand especially for young to middle age cows which were confirmed bred by the vet. All stocker cows sold on mostly good demand. These offerings sold fully steady.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $154.67/cwt on 436 head.

Average price

$154.67

436 head · 719 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,112

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium 1-2

$12.25/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.84

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	594	157.41	935	23
Medium and Large 1	730	154.94	1,130	395
Medium 1-2	639	145.16	927	18thin

One grade step is worth $12.25/cwt here — about $8 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 sale436 hd

154.67

—

MT average3 barns · 2,695 hd

163.51

−8.84

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	—	High	1,736	84.07	1,460	101
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,535	74.36	1,142	156
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,371	62.64	859	220
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,167	54.19	632	250

Every lot, as filed

82 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	—	779	156.12/cwt	152.75–157.75	1,216	165
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	830	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,345	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	926	139.91/cwt	139.50–140.50	1,296	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	923	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,394	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	315	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	589	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	719	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	999	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	412	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	696	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	709	156.11/cwt	154.00–157.50	1,107	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	598	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	891	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	466	169.16/cwt	164.00–170.00	788	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	517	173.74/cwt	172.00–175.00	898	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	966	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,328	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	996	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	1,260	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	875	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,155	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	590	148.32/cwt	145.00–150.00	875	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	841	142.05/cwt	139.50–144.00	1,195	9
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	687	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	976	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	720	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,044	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	393	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	664	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	485	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	820	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	842	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	—	827	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,166	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	851	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,319	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	433	171.57/cwt	167.00–179.00	743	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	378	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	669	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	876	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,384	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	786	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	1,289	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	580	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	963	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	429	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	785	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	737	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	1,131	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	330	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	739	9
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	485	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	820	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	351	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	790	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	523	167.04/cwt	161.00–169.00	874	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	426	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	848	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	491	179.49/cwt	177.00–187.00	881	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	880	145.85/cwt	142.00–146.25	1,283	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	928	138.32/cwt	137.00–139.00	1,284	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	695	154.50/cwt	154.50–154.50	1,074	40
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	—	439	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	702	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,060	54.09/cwt	51.00–56.00	573	45
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	—	300	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	600	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,211	47.50/cwt	47.50–47.50	575	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,191	53.78/cwt	49.50–56.50	641	158
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,530	76.52/cwt	74.00–77.50	1,171	66
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,356	64.38/cwt	58.50–69.00	873	70
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,504	69.00/cwt	69.00–69.00	1,038	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,434	71.90/cwt	67.00–72.50	1,031	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,413	58.42/cwt	56.25–63.00	825	43
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,346	54.17/cwt	52.00–56.50	729	41
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,241	56.62/cwt	56.00–57.00	703	18
Bulls	—	—	1,911	91.41/cwt	88.00–96.00	1,747	30
Bulls	—	—	1,742	84.34/cwt	81.00–88.00	1,469	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,641	79.14/cwt	78.00–82.50	1,299	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	896	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	403	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	978	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	528	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	985	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	552	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,332	73.17/cwt	70.00–75.00	975	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,276	60.04/cwt	57.00–65.50	766	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,533	77.42/cwt	74.00–78.00	1,187	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	55.52/cwt	54.25–57.00	777	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	62.50/cwt	62.50–62.50	734	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,504	68.73/cwt	61.00–73.00	1,034	40
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,890	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	1,512	1
Bulls	—	—	1,715	77.39/cwt	71.00–80.50	1,327	13
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,140	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	707	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,557	76.35/cwt	69.00–81.50	1,189	18
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,693	88.85/cwt	88.50–89.50	1,504	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,495	85.04/cwt	84.50–86.00	1,271	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,156	1,140.02/cwt	1,025.00–1,185.00	13,179	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,093	72.98/cwt	58.00–88.00	798	49
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	988	86.52/cwt	67.00–98.50	855	28
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,293	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	840	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	755	86.00/cwt	86.00–86.00	649	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,118	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	1,263	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,218	1,000.00/cwt	1,000.00–1,000.00	12,180	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,199	987.72/cwt	950.00–1,035.00	11,843	23
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,269	1,000.00/cwt	1,000.00–1,000.00	12,690	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,245	1,200.00/cwt	1,200.00–1,200.00	14,940	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,159	1,360.00/cwt	1,360.00–1,360.00	15,762	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,493	1,285.00/cwt	1,285.00–1,285.00	19,185	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Small and Medium 2-3Broken Mouth	—	1,098	575.00/cwt	575.00–575.00	6,314	6

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 →