Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2022-01-27

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Jan 27
● Final71 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
737 head
2,160 vs last sale 2,897 475 vs year ago 262 · +181.3%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
509 head
308 vs last sale 201 174 vs year ago 335 · +51.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
161 head
31 vs last sale 130 29 vs year ago 190 · 15.3%
Also sold here(Mon)Thu Apr 16, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed on a significantly lower quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain. Calves were offered in mostly small packages with many singles in the offering. CME positions sold off again today and spent much of the week in the red. Lower quality coupled with lower CME positions pushed all feeder prices lower. Fewer buyers were on hand this week as well. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed very good demand for slaughter cows this week. Packers pushed to own the majority of the cows in the offering as they pushed cow prices sharply higher. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-6.00 higher on all classes. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to trend, higher undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market comparison, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average and better than last week. Demand for young age cows was mostly moderate.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $158.40/cwt on 249 head.
Average price
$158.40
249 head · 510 lb average
Value per head Derived
$808
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$735
per head · Medium 1 over Large 1
$38.40/cwt at this weight
vs the market
3.09
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium 1382169.4064728
Medium and Large 1572160.29917109
Medium and Large 1-2508155.7579179
Medium 1-2362151.7554926
Large 1-2563141.007946thin
Large 11,055131.001,3821thin
One grade step is worth $38.40/cwt here — about −$735 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 sale249 hd
158.40
MT average3 barns · 1,549 hd
161.49
−3.09
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsAverage1,71881.731,40481
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,57068.411,07451
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,40564.47906170
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,20657.78697122

Every lot, as filed

71 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
BullsHeavy Weight2,62580.97/cwt80.00–82.002,1252
BullsReturn to Feed1,52977.00/cwt77.00–77.001,1778
BullsReturn to Feed1,27185.84/cwt85.00–86.001,0916
HeifersLarge 1-2563141.00/cwt141.00–141.007946
HeifersMedium 1-2342152.50/cwt152.50–152.5052213
HeifersMedium 1-2382151.00/cwt151.00–151.0057713
HeifersMedium 1382169.40/cwt165.00–174.0064728
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2765134.64/cwt133.00–136.001,0309
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned588134.00/cwt134.00–134.007885
HeifersMedium and Large 1655150.34/cwt149.50–151.0098516
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2508152.84/cwt152.00–154.007767
HeifersMedium and Large 1460174.49/cwt170.00–175.0080335
SteersMedium and Large 1375217.00/cwt217.00–217.0081410
SteersMedium and Large 1483205.96/cwt204.00–213.0099513
SteersMedium and Large 1432214.91/cwt212.00–218.0092826
HeifersMedium and Large 1610150.99/cwt150.00–152.509215
HeifersMedium and Large 1587161.42/cwt160.00–163.0094825
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2406167.82/cwt165.00–170.0068129
SteersMedium and Large 1-2677159.00/cwt159.00–159.001,0765
SteersLarge 1-2676152.00/cwt152.00–152.001,02851
SteersMedium and Large 1-2535181.00/cwt181.00–181.009684
SteersMedium and Large 1-2408193.96/cwt190.00–205.007914
SteersMedium and Large 1-2361203.75/cwt200.00–206.007367
HeifersMedium and Large 1871134.19/cwt134.00–134.501,1698
SteersMedium and Large 1669164.27/cwt161.00–167.001,09911
SteersMedium 1695145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,0081
SteersMedium and Large 1-2626162.99/cwt160.00–168.001,02022
SteersMedium and Large 1-2483193.93/cwt192.00–197.5093719
SteersMedium and Large 1604178.50/cwt178.50–178.501,0789
HeifersLarge 11,055131.00/cwt131.00–131.001,3821
SteersMedium and Large 1533195.00/cwt195.00–195.001,0398
SteersMedium and Large 1-2560162.44/cwt157.00–170.009107
BullsMedium and Large 1-2490158.63/cwt150.00–163.007773
BullsMedium and Large 1-2938101.00/cwt101.00–101.009474
BullsMedium and Large 1924115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,0637
BullsMedium and Large 1589151.00/cwt151.00–151.008895
BullsMedium and Large 1399200.00/cwt200.00–200.007986
BullsMedium and Large 1605151.00/cwt151.00–151.0091423
CowsLean 85-90%1,19254.20/cwt47.00–58.5064667
CowsLean 85-90%1,22262.15/cwt58.50–68.5075955
Bulls2,07994.50/cwt92.00–97.501,9657
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,77969.62/cwt67.50–71.501,2397
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,48868.89/cwt68.75–70.001,02531
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,41767.08/cwt63.50–68.5095120
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,65266.60/cwt65.00–67.001,10013
CowsBoner 80-85%1,29458.74/cwt57.00–59.5076014
CowsBoner 80-85%1,54068.00/cwt68.00–68.001,0471
CowsBoner 80-85%1,41063.86/cwt59.50–67.00900119
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,44470.50/cwt70.50–70.501,01816
Bulls1,69278.35/cwt72.00–82.001,32637
Bulls1,75784.12/cwt82.00–88.501,47821
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-278085.00/cwt85.00–85.006631
Stock CowsMedium and Large 195792.54/cwt73.00–103.00886101
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-293352.00/cwt52.00–52.004855
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,12772.02/cwt60.00–85.0081231
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed74480.22/cwt80.00–82.005979
BullsMedium and Large 1-2770125.00/cwt125.00–125.009633
BullsMedium and Large 1703139.00/cwt139.00–139.0097714
BullsMedium and Large 1990110.00/cwt110.00–110.001,0897
BullsMedium 1393185.00/cwt185.00–185.007273
BullsMedium and Large 1805121.00/cwt121.00–121.009743
BullsMedium and Large 1-2690131.00/cwt131.00–131.009042
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2491163.00/cwt163.00–163.008005
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2670139.00/cwt139.00–139.009313
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned602145.00/cwt145.00–145.008737
HeifersMedium and Large 1526160.00/cwt160.00–160.0084213
BullsLarge 11,110100.00/cwt100.00–100.001,1101
BullsMedium and Large 1688138.00/cwt138.00–138.009495
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2607142.67/cwt140.00–144.008663
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2573144.00/cwt144.00–144.008259
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2392170.00/cwt170.00–170.006669

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.