Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2022-01-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-01-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed. Yearling quality was average to attractive. Demand was mostly good for all yearlings on offer. Steer calves under 550 lbs sold generally steady. Steer calves over 550 lbs were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 800 lbs sold steady to firm, heifers over 800 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was average to attractive. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to run on grass. Most of this weeks offering were weaned for 45 days or longer. Some sets of weaned calves were showing some flesh this week and were discounted as a result. A large buyer pool was on hand again this week and market activity was mostly active as buyers pushed to fill orders throughout todays long sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers purchased most cows for immediate harvest this week as snow and cold have slowed down cattle available close to the plant. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher on all classes. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a limited test. Slaughter bulls sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average and lower than last week. Demand for young age cows was light to moderate.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $180.73/cwt on 1,271 head.

Average price

$180.73

1,271 head · 620 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,120

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$11

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

$12.80/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−9.08

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Large 1	543	186.15	1,011	20
Medium 1-2	399	184.60	737	30
Medium and Large 1	630	181.25	1,141	1,112
Medium and Large 1-2	590	173.35	1,022	109

One grade step is worth $12.80/cwt here — about −$11 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 sale1,271 hd

180.73

—

MT average4 barns · 4,942 hd

189.81

−9.08

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	1,818	82.43	1,498	25
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,568	62.14	975	9thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,371	56.21	771	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,186	52.13	618	82

Every lot, as filed

102 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	Large 1	—	509	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	977	11
Steers	Large 1	—	585	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	1,047	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	565	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	927	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	673	169.91/cwt	164.50–176.50	1,143	221
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	720	149.63/cwt	148.00–153.00	1,077	6
Heifers	Medium 1	—	608	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	942	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	557	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,156	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	—	806	143.50/cwt	143.50–143.50	1,157	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	620	184.48/cwt	175.00–189.00	1,144	117
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	645	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,071	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	634	159.69/cwt	157.50–162.00	1,012	92
Heifers	Large 1	—	488	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	820	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	598	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	927	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	885	139.42/cwt	139.00–139.50	1,234	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	466	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	797	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	395	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	652	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	382	162.55/cwt	160.00–165.00	621	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	674	153.57/cwt	150.00–158.00	1,035	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	805	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	1,115	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	426	190.50/cwt	190.50–190.50	812	32
Heifers	Large 1	—	875	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,225	4
Heifers	Medium 1	—	372	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	640	17
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	378	150.93/cwt	150.00–155.00	571	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	575	169.62/cwt	164.00–176.00	975	88
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	533	170.33/cwt	165.00–174.00	908	103
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	716	150.86/cwt	144.50–153.00	1,080	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	766	163.11/cwt	156.00–166.00	1,249	93
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	590	173.30/cwt	168.00–185.00	1,022	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	574	164.91/cwt	164.00–165.50	947	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	414	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	857	6
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	431	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	789	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	688	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,115	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	521	181.69/cwt	179.00–185.00	947	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	363	196.21/cwt	195.00–205.00	712	9
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	391	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	723	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	567	194.31/cwt	189.00–200.00	1,102	184
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	524	200.98/cwt	195.50–210.00	1,053	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	811	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,298	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	757	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,105	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	439	219.07/cwt	213.00–235.00	962	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	455	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	919	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	411	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	908	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	979	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	632	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,106	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	162.96/cwt	160.00–167.00	1,178	199
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	472	210.65/cwt	207.50–216.00	994	37
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	577	149.70/cwt	148.00–152.00	864	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	633	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	975	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	618	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	1,014	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	459	198.89/cwt	191.00–200.00	913	26
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	538	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	920	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	206.02/cwt	202.00–207.00	793	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,376	51.66/cwt	48.00–54.50	711	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,369	58.09/cwt	55.50–61.50	795	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,055	43.00/cwt	43.00–43.00	454	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,145	48.82/cwt	44.00–51.00	559	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	954	45.16/cwt	44.00–47.00	431	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,216	53.65/cwt	53.00–55.00	652	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,256	55.59/cwt	52.50–59.50	698	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,636	58.68/cwt	54.00–63.50	960	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,512	67.50/cwt	67.50–67.50	1,021	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,518	61.00/cwt	61.00–61.00	926	2
Bulls	—	—	1,835	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	1,670	1
Bulls	—	—	2,365	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	1,845	1
Bulls	—	—	1,956	84.16/cwt	82.00–86.50	1,646	14
Bulls	—	—	1,762	70.48/cwt	66.00–76.00	1,242	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,428	83.67/cwt	81.00–86.00	1,195	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	955	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	430	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,025	65.06/cwt	58.00–82.00	667	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,022	83.40/cwt	71.00–100.00	852	26
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	922	69.87/cwt	61.00–79.00	644	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	926	57.00/cwt	57.00–57.00	528	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,174	850.00/cwt	850.00–850.00	9,979	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,186	1,250.00/cwt	1,250.00–1,250.00	14,825	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,489	885.00/cwt	885.00–885.00	13,178	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,180	685.00/cwt	685.00–685.00	8,083	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,265	725.00/cwt	725.00–725.00	9,171	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	749	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	1,015	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	485	181.76/cwt	175.00–185.50	882	164
Heifers	Large 1	—	429	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	721	5
Heifers	Medium 2	—	455	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	569	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	473	163.41/cwt	159.00–170.00	773	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	781	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,054	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	573	158.58/cwt	156.00–162.00	909	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	436	170.53/cwt	157.50–179.00	744	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	741	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,037	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	594	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	915	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	925	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,203	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	606	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	930	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	858	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,158	3
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	514	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	792	9
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,175	94.00/cwt	94.00–94.00	1,105	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	424	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	827	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	508	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	935	105
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	463	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	713	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	532	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	862	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	493	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	863	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	739	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,057	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	922	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,060	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,003	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,314	4
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,101	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,167	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	545	163.45/cwt	162.00–172.50	891	7

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 →