Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2022-10-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-10-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers sold fully steady in a very narrow comparison. Yearling heifers under 950 lbs sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher, yearling heifers over 950 lbs sold 3.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Steer calves sold generally steady on all offerings. Heifer calves sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Demand for all feeders was moderate to good this sale. A large crowd was on hand for todays sale. Demand for light weight yearlings remains the strongest as feeders are attempting to finish cattle late in the first quarter of next year or early in the second quarter against the April contract. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Many small to moderate size packages were seen this sale, however demand remained good throughout the sale as buyers tried to fill loads. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Weigh up cows were not reported last sale due to limited market reporter coverage, thus no trend is available. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Packers opted to feed many sets of cows this sale as slaughter demand was lighter from eastern packers. Young age cow quality was mostly attractive this week. Several buyers were active in purchasing this class of cow. Demand was moderate to good.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $172.36/cwt on 470 head.

Average price

$172.36

470 head · 727 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,253

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$1,084

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

$28.75/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.93

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	303	183.50	556	46
Medium and Large 1	717	174.70	1,252	346
Medium 1	754	160.10	1,207	10thin
Large 1	1,060	154.75	1,640	68

One grade step is worth $28.75/cwt here — about −$1,084 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 sale470 hd

172.36

—

MT average3 barns · 1,033 hd

171.44

+0.93

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	1,761	89.25	1,572	50
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Very Low	1,578	81.34	1,284	52
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,422	75.11	1,068	338
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,235	67.26	831	162

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,078	$1,223	11
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,396	$1,200	7
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,385	$1,050	3thin

Every lot, as filed

85 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
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,243	64.34/cwt	57.00–68.50	800	76
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,253	71.84/cwt	69.00–75.50	900	38
Heifers	Medium 1	—	697	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,150	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	683	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,188	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	436	191.62/cwt	186.00–214.00	835	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	924	160.50/cwt	160.50–160.50	1,483	10
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	500	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	775	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,023	161.57/cwt	154.00–162.50	1,653	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	972	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,477	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	986	164.30/cwt	163.50–165.00	1,620	62
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	278	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	545	6
Steers	Large 1	—	525	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	935	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	483	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	807	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	369	205.33/cwt	192.00–213.00	758	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	345	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	707	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	240	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	444	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	954	166.42/cwt	164.00–166.50	1,588	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	410	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	789	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	843	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,391	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	825	176.04/cwt	174.00–178.00	1,452	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	456	181.90/cwt	180.50–185.00	829	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	640	167.96/cwt	167.00–171.00	1,075	12
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	408	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	796	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	307	214.98/cwt	212.00–236.00	660	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	198.75/cwt	197.00–201.00	944	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	190.41/cwt	187.00–193.00	1,089	46
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	202	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	278	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	500	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	905	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	640	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,043	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	248	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	459	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	763	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	1,251	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	668	180.88/cwt	175.00–184.00	1,208	33
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	435	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	818	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	429	171.84/cwt	157.50–182.00	737	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	365	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	803	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	413	217.62/cwt	215.00–218.00	899	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	193.53/cwt	192.00–196.00	1,010	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	481	191.02/cwt	182.00–195.00	919	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	927	164.14/cwt	161.00–165.00	1,522	44
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,130	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	1,288	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	397	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	744	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	495	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	891	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	518	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	818	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	633	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	975	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,660	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	1,112	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,150	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	978	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,519	80.28/cwt	80.00–82.50	1,219	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,396	68.14/cwt	63.00–70.00	951	74
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,457	78.21/cwt	73.00–83.00	1,140	140
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,394	84.61/cwt	83.50–87.00	1,179	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	925	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	574	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,196	66.51/cwt	62.00–70.00	795	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,393	72.93/cwt	70.50–78.50	1,016	68
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,683	86.85/cwt	85.50–88.50	1,462	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,676	77.83/cwt	72.00–80.50	1,304	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,558	83.49/cwt	83.00–84.50	1,301	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,524	83.44/cwt	81.00–85.50	1,272	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,259	73.50/cwt	73.00–74.00	925	18
Bulls	—	—	1,777	90.69/cwt	85.50–96.00	1,612	34
Bulls	—	—	1,649	80.74/cwt	75.50–86.00	1,331	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,161	55.32/cwt	52.50–57.00	642	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,403	68.17/cwt	65.00–71.50	956	18
Bulls	—	—	1,896	98.22/cwt	97.00–101.00	1,862	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,128	88.87/cwt	80.00–99.00	1,002	62
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	948	91.99/cwt	85.00–99.00	872	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	967	108.03/cwt	87.00–119.00	1,045	132
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,140	77.00/cwt	77.00–77.00	878	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	743	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	632	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,025	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	769	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,385	1,050.00/head	1,050.00–1,050.00	1,050	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,162	1,282.93/head	1,260.00–1,310.00	1,283	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,396	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,047	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	8
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,117	90.22/cwt	90.00–91.00	1,008	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,070	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	770	1
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,125	149.74/cwt	149.00–150.00	1,685	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	183.07/cwt	182.00–184.00	930	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	868	166.04/cwt	163.50–167.00	1,441	40
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,089	154.51/cwt	153.00–155.00	1,683	12
Heifers	Large 1Full	—	1,146	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,627	9
Heifers	Medium 1	—	835	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,269	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	774	175.34/cwt	173.00–176.00	1,357	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	583	177.23/cwt	169.00–182.50	1,033	64
Heifers	Medium 1	—	638	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	1,104	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,150	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,714	1

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 →