Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2022-05-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-05-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were all too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a higher quality offering. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Several load lots were seen this week and these cattle were met with mostly good to very good demand. Many sets of cattle were developed for grass and were in light to moderate flesh. Demand for grass cattle was mostly good to very good, while cattle destined for the feedlot sold on mostly moderate demand. A good crowd was on hand for todays sold with both order buyers and ranchers actively bidding on offerings. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand this sale. Packers opted to send most offerings to slaughter this week as cow quality was mostly plain to average. The limited offering of attractive cattle were purchased to feed. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00 lower on all offerings. Feeding cows sold steady to 1.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today as temperatures warmed into the low 80s and cows tanked up on water. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady. Several sets of cow calf and heifer pairs were seen today and these were met with mostly moderate demand. Quality was average to attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower. Quality was mostly average today and not as many takers were seen for this class of cows.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $161.22/cwt on 808 head.

Average price

$161.22

808 head · 637 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,028

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 2

$21.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.49

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	495	163.00	808	15thin
Medium and Large 1	644	162.62	1,047	701
Medium and Large 1-2	618	151.82	938	77
Medium and Large 2	567	142.00	805	15thin

One grade step is worth $21.00/cwt here — about $2 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 sale808 hd

161.22

—

MT average3 barns · 1,071 hd

160.73

+0.49

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	—	Average	1,866	99.70	1,861	35
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,612	76.75	1,237	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,414	73.70	1,042	110
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,214	68.88	836	96

Every lot, as filed

88 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
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,253	1,675.00/cwt	1,675.00–1,675.00	20,988	9
Heifers	Medium 1	—	601	157.50/cwt	157.50–157.50	947	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	567	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	805	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	668	147.09/cwt	147.00–147.50	983	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	756	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,111	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	760	1,250.00/cwt	1,250.00–1,250.00	9,500	69
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	462	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	822	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	685	162.03/cwt	157.00–165.50	1,110	143
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	716	151.46/cwt	146.00–154.00	1,084	72
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	817	142.08/cwt	141.75–144.00	1,161	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	460	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	771	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	645	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	445	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	723	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	546	170.70/cwt	170.50–171.00	932	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	524	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	807	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	515	178.57/cwt	175.00–180.00	920	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	897	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,247	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	663	201.25/cwt	178.00–209.00	1,334	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	637	205.43/cwt	186.00–209.00	1,309	260
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	746	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,194	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	797	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	1,180	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	717	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,169	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	619	182.54/cwt	180.00–185.00	1,130	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	506	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	987	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	685	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,137	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	532	203.62/cwt	202.00–206.50	1,083	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	711	143.13/cwt	143.00–143.50	1,018	16
Heifers	Medium 1	—	457	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	754	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	597	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	1,122	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	615	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,304	103
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	435	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	874	6
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	591	153.69/cwt	150.00–158.00	908	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	852	143.50/cwt	143.50–143.50	1,223	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	608	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	1,131	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	453	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	849	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	924	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,229	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	559	211.24/cwt	210.00–213.00	1,181	127
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	746	173.50/cwt	173.50–173.50	1,294	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	774	154.23/cwt	153.00–159.00	1,194	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	560	160.48/cwt	157.00–165.00	899	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	577	170.06/cwt	164.00–175.50	981	274
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	807	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,138	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	968	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,171	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	965	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,197	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	666	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,099	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,418	80.24/cwt	80.00–80.50	1,138	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	875	56.08/cwt	54.00–58.00	491	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,648	80.52/cwt	79.50–83.50	1,327	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,092	55.61/cwt	53.00–57.50	607	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,411	74.17/cwt	73.50–74.50	1,047	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,284	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	912	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,212	66.18/cwt	59.00–72.00	802	50
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,342	78.55/cwt	76.00–80.00	1,054	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,240	73.92/cwt	72.50–77.00	917	33
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,870	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	1,384	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,422	82.73/cwt	82.50–83.00	1,176	7
Bulls	—	—	1,964	98.53/cwt	95.50–105.00	1,935	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,446	74.63/cwt	72.00–79.00	1,079	34
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,423	68.21/cwt	63.00–72.00	971	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,182	76.83/cwt	76.50–77.00	908	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,548	73.28/cwt	71.50–75.50	1,134	9
Bulls	—	—	1,658	89.24/cwt	84.00–93.00	1,480	5
Bulls	—	—	2,084	110.59/cwt	105.50–115.00	2,305	11
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,180	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	850	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,357	93.83/cwt	91.00–101.00	1,273	4
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,121	1,500.00/cwt	1,500.00–1,500.00	16,815	4
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,253	1,760.90/cwt	1,610.00–1,850.00	22,064	14
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,465	1,200.00/cwt	1,200.00–1,200.00	17,580	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,428	1,575.00/cwt	1,575.00–1,575.00	22,491	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,350	1,350.00/cwt	1,350.00–1,350.00	18,225	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,189	87.45/cwt	71.00–105.00	1,040	50
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	863	77.00/cwt	77.00–77.00	665	2
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	963	1,075.00/cwt	1,075.00–1,075.00	10,352	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,192	1,625.00/cwt	1,625.00–1,625.00	19,370	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,565	1,425.00/cwt	1,425.00–1,425.00	22,301	10
Bred Cows	Large 1-2	—	1,173	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	12,317	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,307	1,744.23/cwt	1,600.00–1,850.00	22,797	16
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,420	1,525.00/cwt	1,525.00–1,525.00	21,655	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	977	105.92/cwt	85.00–114.00	1,035	69
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,485	1,350.00/cwt	1,350.00–1,350.00	20,048	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,530	1,748.84/cwt	1,510.00–1,825.00	26,757	12
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,613	1,508.26/cwt	1,475.00–1,700.00	24,328	20
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,458	1,416.94/cwt	1,385.00–1,485.00	20,659	88
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,517	1,367.50/cwt	1,300.00–1,375.00	20,745	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,400	1,250.00/cwt	1,250.00–1,250.00	17,500	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	630	163.69/cwt	160.00–168.50	1,031	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	864	140.19/cwt	138.00–141.50	1,211	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	635	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	991	13

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 →