Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-10-14
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-10-14

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearlings were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was moderate to good. Steer calves under 350 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. 350-499 lbs steers sold 3.00-9.00 higher, 500-599 lbs sold steady to firm, steer calves over 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower. Heifer calves under 400 lbs sold mostly 6.00-12.00 higher, 400-499 lbs heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher, heifers over 500 lbs sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. Quality this week was average to attractive. Demand for calves remains slightly uneven as transportation remains the biggest factor limiting demand. Buyers focused on buying front end calves, especially ones with two rounds of vaccinations and passed or discounted average quality calves or calves with only spring shots. After buyers exhausted the trucks they had available many exited the market. Prices declined as the sale waned causing large price spreads at times. The best demand this week was for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. This class of calves was especially active today. The August feeder cattle contract settled at 173.30, making yearling type calves very attractive to buyers. Pen conditions were muddy both at the yards and in the country as rain and snow fell earlier in the week. Many sets of calves were dirty this week. Market activity was moderate to active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers continue to show light demand for slaughter cows this sale as heavy supplies continue to be seen across the upper plains. Lean and boning cows sold 2.00-7.00 lower than last Thursdays sale in a narrow comparison. Breaking cows were not tested as all sold to feeding buyers this week. Feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Cows were very full this sale and offered buyers mostly below average weigh up conditions. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a very narrow test. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00 lower on a lower quality offering than was seen last week. Demand was mostly light to moderate. Fewer buyers were actively bidding on this class of cows this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $179.26/cwt on 1,987 head.

Average price

$179.26

1,987 head · 513 lb average

Value per head Derived

$919

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$372

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

$53.48/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.43

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	515	182.48	940	1,630
Medium and Large 1-2	467	173.37	809	149
Medium and Large 2	374	165.73	619	32
Medium 1	542	157.95	856	155
Large 1	574	152.17	873	18thin
Large 1-2	1,017	129.00	1,312	3thin

One grade step is worth $53.48/cwt here — about −$372 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 sale1,987 hd

179.26

—

MT average4 barns · 5,476 hd

180.68

−1.43

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	1,660	69.69	1,157	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,663	75.72	1,259	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,402	51.67	724	98
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,211	40.34	489	110

Every lot, as filed

96 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 1Unweaned	—	512	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	717	26
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	398	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	633	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	389	178.95/cwt	171.00–189.00	696	215
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	646	143.17/cwt	136.50–145.00	925	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	143.20/cwt	138.00–145.50	819	153
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	485	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	669	9
Steers	Large 1-2	—	1,017	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,312	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	938	147.25/cwt	147.25–147.25	1,381	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	695	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,001	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	909	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,236	4
Steers	Medium 1Full	—	687	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	917	20
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	535	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	744	10
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	574	152.17/cwt	147.00–157.00	873	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	519	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	836	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	851	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,251	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	254	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	660	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	470	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	799	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	568	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	932	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	428	185.58/cwt	185.50–186.00	794	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	576	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	899	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	528	164.89/cwt	150.00–169.00	871	25
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	277	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	499	11
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	541	157.66/cwt	151.00–159.50	853	117
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	422	176.23/cwt	170.00–187.00	744	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	471	168.59/cwt	156.00–174.00	794	68
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	570	164.46/cwt	158.00–170.00	937	321
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	279	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	684	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	375	195.59/cwt	180.00–208.00	733	23
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	626	129.56/cwt	125.00–131.00	811	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	377	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	622	17
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	298	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	641	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	201.48/cwt	187.00–211.00	840	167
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	238	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	601	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	605	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	892	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	340	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	680	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	689	155.97/cwt	153.50–156.50	1,075	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	744	154.50/cwt	154.50–154.50	1,149	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	617	161.10/cwt	153.00–164.50	994	146
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	327	227.35/cwt	223.00–228.00	743	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	172.88/cwt	165.00–184.00	902	271
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	380	218.85/cwt	209.00–237.50	832	206
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	484	185.64/cwt	177.00–192.00	898	308
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	561	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	847	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	528	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	861	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	700	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	917	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	829	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	505	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	752	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	360	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	756	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,362	55.86/cwt	55.00–61.50	761	52
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,241	40.85/cwt	38.00–43.50	507	50
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,388	44.00/cwt	44.00–44.00	611	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,207	39.87/cwt	37.00–45.00	481	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,196	45.87/cwt	45.00–51.00	549	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,670	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	1,269	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,138	33.64/cwt	31.00–36.00	383	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,453	41.80/cwt	41.50–42.00	607	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	39.00/cwt	39.00–39.00	548	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	950	32.50/cwt	32.50–32.50	309	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	775	20.00/cwt	20.00–20.00	155	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,540	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	1,093	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,448	46.96/cwt	41.00–53.00	680	38
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,450	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	914	2
Bulls	—	—	1,757	72.48/cwt	71.00–73.00	1,273	4
Bulls	—	—	1,947	82.50/cwt	82.50–82.50	1,606	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,503	63.50/cwt	63.50–63.50	954	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,022	57.54/cwt	47.00–60.00	588	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,022	75.58/cwt	60.00–91.00	772	51
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	73.24/cwt	64.00–81.00	732	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,012	82.95/cwt	73.00–95.00	839	77
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	870	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	696	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,210	1,100.00/cwt	1,100.00–1,100.00	13,310	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,167	1,075.00/cwt	1,075.00–1,075.00	12,545	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	569	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	927	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	878	137.88/cwt	136.00–139.50	1,211	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	957	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,268	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	378	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	669	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	468	154.66/cwt	154.00–155.50	724	47
Heifers	Medium 1Full	—	655	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	832	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	319	177.01/cwt	174.00–180.00	565	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	524	150.24/cwt	144.50–155.50	787	142
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	583	128.70/cwt	122.00–134.00	750	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	481	145.57/cwt	139.00–148.00	700	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	542	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	808	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	473	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	776	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	581	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	796	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	618	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	754	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	325	193.37/cwt	185.00–200.00	628	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	428	157.26/cwt	157.00–157.50	673	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	377	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	630	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	388	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	578	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	674	137.28/cwt	129.00–144.50	925	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	288	188.70/cwt	185.00–200.00	543	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	432	166.68/cwt	160.00–174.00	720	115
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	433	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	688	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	478	159.03/cwt	150.00–168.00	760	433
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	535	138.28/cwt	135.00–142.00	740	92

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 →