Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-12-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-12-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers sold with steady undertones in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was average to attractive and similar to last week. Demand for yearlings remains good to very good. Feeder steers less than 500 lbs sold generally steady. Steer calves over 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00 higher. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold generally steady heifers over 450 lbs sold 3.00-6.00 higher. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Calves varied more in quality this week and buyers were more selective due to large quality variation. Demand for calves was mostly moderate to good. The best demand continues to be seen for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Calves were offered in a variety of package sizes this week with several load lots of calves on offer as well. Market activity this week was mostly active with a big buyer pool actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Packers were less aggressive in buying slaughter cows this week, opting to send most cows to feed. Slaughter cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Demand for feeding cows was mostly good this week as a large pool of feeding buyers were active in buying cows. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher, with the biggest increase in price coming from boning flesh cows which buyers were purchasing to feed to premium white. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly plain to average this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $160.04/cwt on 1,599 head.

Average price

$160.04

1,599 head · 513 lb average

Value per head Derived

$821

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$448

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

$37.25/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.67

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	520	162.25	843	1,337
Medium and Large 1-2	485	153.43	744	139
Medium 1	446	148.73	664	94
Medium 1-2	358	126.67	454	21
Large 1-2	1,033	125.00	1,291	8thin

One grade step is worth $37.25/cwt here — about −$448 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 sale1,599 hd

160.04

—

MT average4 barns · 3,458 hd

162.71

−2.67

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	1,756	84.83	1,490	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,679	60.86	1,022	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,396	58.56	818	108
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,167	45.33	529	189

Every lot, as filed

110 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	836	162.45/cwt	162.00–170.00	1,358	53
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	462	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	716	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	388	221.97/cwt	221.50–224.00	861	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	473	206.46/cwt	195.00–220.00	977	54
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	670	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,012	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	349	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	740	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	486	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	928	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	484	164.10/cwt	153.00–170.00	794	161
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	408	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	828	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	519	191.18/cwt	183.00–198.50	992	73
Steers	Large 1	—	1,144	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,510	5
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	321	216.72/cwt	216.00–217.50	696	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	421	219.46/cwt	209.00–225.00	924	96
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	304	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	395	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	540	172.79/cwt	164.00–179.00	933	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	857	167.48/cwt	165.00–168.00	1,435	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	531	157.53/cwt	155.50–158.50	836	112
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	375	184.68/cwt	181.00–189.00	693	47
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	467	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	560	7
Heifers	Medium 1	—	333	153.33/cwt	152.50–155.00	511	14
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	395	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	602	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	626	146.88/cwt	144.00–150.00	919	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	560	156.13/cwt	146.00–158.25	874	204
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	512	130.93/cwt	130.00–132.00	670	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	311	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	498	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	531	157.91/cwt	151.50–166.00	839	244
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	379	166.08/cwt	162.00–170.00	629	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	715	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,144	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	565	160.50/cwt	160.50–160.50	907	10
Steers	Medium 1	—	451	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	785	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	680	162.34/cwt	160.00–163.50	1,104	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	567	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	987	10
Steers	Large 1	—	1,042	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	1,454	3
Steers	Medium 1	—	562	165.23/cwt	159.00–170.50	929	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	769	164.50/cwt	164.50–164.50	1,265	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	314	208.14/cwt	200.00–213.50	654	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	489	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	914	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	624	167.27/cwt	163.00–170.00	1,044	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	528	172.99/cwt	170.00–176.00	913	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	587	151.90/cwt	148.00–155.00	892	9
Steers	Medium 1	—	508	179.74/cwt	178.00–183.00	913	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	200.99/cwt	186.00–204.00	1,021	233
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	480	201.81/cwt	199.00–205.00	969	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	438	207.04/cwt	203.50–210.00	907	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	607	174.80/cwt	164.00–176.00	1,061	62
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	680	162.99/cwt	157.00–166.50	1,108	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	584	176.92/cwt	171.00–181.00	1,033	294
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	424	203.89/cwt	197.00–208.50	864	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	378	227.51/cwt	220.00–229.50	860	40
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,132	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	1,132	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	345	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	787	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	598	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	903	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	564	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	829	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	654	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	896	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	435	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	874	69
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,379	67.26/cwt	65.00–70.00	928	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,217	51.57/cwt	48.00–55.00	628	80
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,159	45.04/cwt	41.00–47.00	522	23
Bulls	—	—	2,245	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	1,706	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	877	29.34/cwt	27.00–31.00	257	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	903	40.57/cwt	38.50–42.00	366	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	46.00/cwt	46.00–46.00	541	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,484	47.77/cwt	44.00–52.50	709	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,603	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	930	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,138	39.71/cwt	36.25–44.50	452	77
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,668	54.25/cwt	54.00–54.50	905	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,590	64.50/cwt	64.50–64.50	1,026	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,746	64.50/cwt	64.50–64.50	1,126	5
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,500	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	2,000	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,425	52.12/cwt	50.75–53.50	743	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,391	57.41/cwt	54.50–62.50	799	67
Bulls	—	—	2,325	94.00/cwt	94.00–94.00	2,186	1
Bulls	—	—	1,763	84.93/cwt	84.00–87.00	1,497	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,528	85.35/cwt	84.00–87.50	1,304	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	983	43.00/cwt	43.00–43.00	423	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,073	821.18/cwt	800.00–850.00	8,811	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,143	1,112.21/cwt	1,100.00–1,125.00	12,713	28
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,029	1,020.26/cwt	1,000.00–1,050.00	10,498	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,074	45.85/cwt	44.00–50.00	492	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	887	51.00/cwt	51.00–51.00	452	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	899	85.95/cwt	61.00–95.00	773	85
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,035	70.40/cwt	51.00–84.00	729	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	436	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	780	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	419	152.99/cwt	152.00–160.00	641	33
Heifers	Medium 1	—	421	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	640	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	384	176.20/cwt	172.00–181.00	677	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	435	171.15/cwt	168.00–183.00	745	63
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	630	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	926	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	466	148.90/cwt	148.00–151.00	694	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	480	163.08/cwt	152.00–169.00	783	181
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	948	145.50/cwt	145.50–145.50	1,379	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	762	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,204	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	506	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	703	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	349	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	618	6
Heifers	Medium 1	—	494	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	746	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	989	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,325	8
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,033	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,291	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	997	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	1,471	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	526	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	894	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	435	161.83/cwt	161.00–162.00	704	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	851	155.50/cwt	155.50–155.50	1,323	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	584	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	818	13
Heifers	Medium 1	—	352	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	574	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	559	155.07/cwt	146.00–158.75	867	58
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	805	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,071	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	343	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	617	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	601	156.50/cwt	156.50–156.50	941	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	417	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	792	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	717	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,040	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	485	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	725	3

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 →