Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-09-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-09-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were scarcely traded this week thus no trend is available. Steer calves sold sharply lower on calves under 400 lbs, steer calves over 400 lbs sold steady to 3.00 lower. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Heifer calves under 400 lbs sold sharply lower, calves over 400 lbs sold steady to 3.00 lower. Demand was mostly light to moderate for yearlings as very few were seen this week making it difficult to put together loads. Calves sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Buyer attendance was lighter this week and fewer takers were seen especially on very light calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Both calf and yearling quality was mixed from plain to attractive. Market activity this week was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers continue to lower bids on thin lean cows. Feeding buyers were less active this week on thin cow offerings which allowed prices to slide lower. However, packers did show stronger demand for cows with some yield as well as all fleshy cows on offer. Slaughter cows sold mostly unevenly steady on boning and lean cows from 3.00 lower to firm. Breaking cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Packers were aggressive as they purchased feeding cows today pushing to own the best end of the cows suitable to feed. A large price gap is starting to be seen between slaughter cows and feeding cows. Slaughter bulls sold steady to weak as feeding buyers continue to force packer buyers to be competitive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold sharply higher on a very attractive offering. Many sets were one iron and home-raised this week. Demand for rebreed cattle was very good.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $160.26/cwt on 517 head.

Average price

$160.26

517 head · 498 lb average

Value per head Derived

$799

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$199

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1-2

$7.56/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−7.23

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	476	162.28	772	43
Medium and Large 1	520	161.92	842	342
Large 1	410	158.72	651	18thin
Medium and Large 1-2	546	154.77	846	55
Large 1-2	371	154.72	574	59

One grade step is worth $7.56/cwt here — about $199 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 sale517 hd

160.26

—

MT average3 barns · 2,528 hd

167.49

−7.23

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	1,704	81.88	1,395	74
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,670	73.97	1,235	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,382	65.33	903	305
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,144	48.99	561	316

Every lot, as filed

92 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	—	877	142.93/cwt	141.00–143.75	1,253	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	718	144.75/cwt	144.00–145.50	1,039	6
Heifers	Medium 1	—	650	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,001	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	557	153.29/cwt	145.00–155.50	854	15
Heifers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	316	157.95/cwt	155.00–159.50	499	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	965	132.55/cwt	132.00–133.50	1,279	9
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,000	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,270	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	390	172.42/cwt	167.00–176.50	672	103
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	460	160.48/cwt	157.50–168.00	738	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	392	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	639	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	442	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	712	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	830	144.44/cwt	143.00–145.00	1,199	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	783	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,135	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	524	154.10/cwt	150.00–158.50	807	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	331	180.44/cwt	178.00–189.00	597	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	336	208.03/cwt	201.00–219.00	699	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	823	146.95/cwt	146.50–149.00	1,209	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	471	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	683	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	335	171.44/cwt	171.00–172.00	574	11
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	390	157.27/cwt	156.00–158.00	613	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	419	169.49/cwt	165.50–172.00	710	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	432	183.66/cwt	182.50–184.00	793	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	565	165.05/cwt	160.00–167.00	933	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	423	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	673	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	277	174.11/cwt	170.00–180.00	482	10
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	438	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	775	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	708	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,119	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	664	150.51/cwt	148.00–155.50	999	3
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	396	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	697	39
Steers	Medium 1	—	667	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,067	3
Steers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,291	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,446	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	277	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	561	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	529	162.77/cwt	161.00–164.50	861	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	478	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	789	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	167.21/cwt	164.50–169.00	873	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	469	177.25/cwt	170.00–183.50	831	74
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	384	193.13/cwt	190.00–200.00	742	71
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	474	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	777	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	551	157.50/cwt	157.50–157.50	868	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	427	167.88/cwt	161.00–178.00	717	22
Heifers	Medium 1	—	636	151.50/cwt	151.50–151.50	964	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	929	138.12/cwt	137.50–139.00	1,283	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	851	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,132	8
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,015	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,167	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,125	104.58/cwt	100.00–106.00	1,177	5
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,088	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	1,229	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	926	47.70/cwt	46.00–48.00	442	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	856	29.27/cwt	26.50–46.00	251	57
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,205	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	868	1
Bulls	—	—	1,962	91.85/cwt	88.00–94.50	1,802	9
Bulls	—	—	1,763	84.51/cwt	79.50–87.00	1,490	29
Bulls	—	—	1,608	75.17/cwt	66.00–78.50	1,209	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,187	50.16/cwt	47.00–53.00	595	86
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,180	56.97/cwt	54.50–60.50	672	28
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,706	84.42/cwt	82.50–86.00	1,440	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,267	54.43/cwt	53.00–56.50	690	37
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,387	57.96/cwt	51.00–59.00	804	42
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,396	72.77/cwt	71.50–76.00	1,016	40
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,625	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	1,024	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,380	61.34/cwt	60.00–63.50	846	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,403	52.10/cwt	48.00–55.00	731	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	970	53.50/cwt	53.50–53.50	519	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,793	78.50/cwt	78.50–78.50	1,408	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,463	69.52/cwt	67.00–72.00	1,017	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,179	45.83/cwt	42.00–47.00	540	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,642	72.03/cwt	71.00–74.50	1,183	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	66.95/cwt	61.00–70.50	921	184
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,257	58.61/cwt	58.00–64.00	737	70
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,459	73.02/cwt	64.00–76.50	1,065	12
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,695	82.40/cwt	79.50–86.00	1,397	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,103	73.76/cwt	59.00–88.50	814	78
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,336	975.11/cwt	960.00–1,000.00	13,027	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,138	1,196.98/cwt	1,060.00–1,310.00	13,622	61
Bred Cows	Small 3	—	720	42.50/cwt	42.50–42.50	306	37
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,373	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	851	2
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	955	80.75/cwt	71.00–85.00	771	32
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,040	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	603	1
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	943	58.23/cwt	57.00–58.50	549	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,058	55.04/cwt	54.00–56.00	582	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,080	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	594	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,007	65.21/cwt	61.00–74.00	657	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	967	95.62/cwt	68.00–106.25	925	207
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,179	1,185.00/cwt	1,185.00–1,185.00	13,971	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,312	1,210.00/cwt	1,210.00–1,210.00	15,875	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,340	60.74/cwt	60.50–62.00	814	38
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	320	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	550	22
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,085	750.00/cwt	750.00–750.00	8,138	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,311	59.28/cwt	56.00–59.50	777	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	921	132.13/cwt	131.00–132.50	1,217	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	978	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,252	3
Heifers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	370	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	568	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	763	142.41/cwt	142.00–143.00	1,087	5

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 →