Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-10-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-10-11

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Mondays sale: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Demand was light for light offerings. Trucking continues to be a big issue as truck availability is tight buyers were not willing to start loads without trucks to get the calves out of the yards. Health was a concern today as cold and snowy conditions were seen. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Market activity was slow. Weigh up cows sold on very light to light demand today. Drought conditions are driving excessive amounts of cows to market. Packers are backing up prices because they have so many cows waiting to send to slaughter. Lean cows took the hardest hit this week as most of these are very thin and offered low or very low yielding conditions. Lean cows sold mostly 10.00 lower. Boning cows sold 7.00-9.00 lower, breaking cows were not well tested. Feeding cows sold 5.00-10.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold steady in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this sale as cows were full off clean fresh water and fresh hay. Additionally, most cows and bulls were wet as rain and snow fell most of the day. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to 8.00 higher. Many sets of attractive rebreed type cows were seen this sale.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $166.54/cwt on 214 head.

Average price

$166.54

214 head · 501 lb average

Value per head Derived

$834

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$115

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

$20.87/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−11.84

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	473	169.87	803	163
Medium and Large 2	489	158.54	775	11thin
Medium and Large 1	636	156.63	996	30
Medium 2	532	152.00	809	6thin
Large 1	616	149.00	918	4thin

One grade step is worth $20.87/cwt here — about −$115 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 sale214 hd

166.54

—

MT average5 barns · 5,553 hd

178.38

−11.84

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	1,833	79.98	1,466	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,603	65.17	1,044	6thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,431	52.35	749	207
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,185	38.28	454	321

Every lot, as filed

54 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Mon)

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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	611	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	794	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	481	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	722	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	295	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	524	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	348	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	595	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	338	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	548	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	382	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	619	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	428	153.60/cwt	150.00–158.00	657	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	444	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	662	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	467	139.73/cwt	138.00–146.00	653	14
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	532	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	809	6
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	616	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	918	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	679	150.27/cwt	150.00–151.00	1,020	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	356	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	705	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	570	150.77/cwt	149.00–152.00	859	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	402	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	659	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	335	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	670	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	473	168.54/cwt	166.00–171.00	797	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	430	179.10/cwt	174.00–183.00	770	74
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	489	158.54/cwt	158.00–161.00	775	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	356	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	659	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	662	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	933	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,178	121.61/cwt	120.00–122.00	1,433	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,100	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,386	1
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,020	129.50/cwt	129.50–129.50	1,321	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	835	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,161	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	369	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	668	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	461	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	664	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,645	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	1,086	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,247	41.50/cwt	39.50–44.50	518	57
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,285	48.88/cwt	45.50–56.00	628	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,017	33.62/cwt	33.00–37.50	342	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,594	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	1,036	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,395	44.47/cwt	40.50–47.00	620	60
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,559	49.89/cwt	48.00–52.00	778	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	954	31.06/cwt	24.00–32.00	296	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,444	58.45/cwt	49.00–61.50	844	84
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,118	34.35/cwt	27.00–36.50	384	88
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,271	39.98/cwt	37.00–43.50	508	100
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,325	44.86/cwt	44.50–45.50	594	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,385	33.52/cwt	32.00–38.00	464	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	968	33.99/cwt	33.00–36.00	329	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,385	43.07/cwt	41.00–45.00	597	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,504	63.66/cwt	62.50–65.50	957	27
Bulls	—	—	1,749	74.51/cwt	73.00–77.00	1,303	6
Bulls	—	—	2,215	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,994	1
Bulls	—	—	1,903	83.73/cwt	81.00–87.00	1,593	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,640	67.94/cwt	56.00–77.00	1,114	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,747	81.83/cwt	81.00–83.00	1,430	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,048	76.13/cwt	60.00–98.00	798	62
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	968	74.56/cwt	65.00–84.00	722	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	953	106.01/cwt	62.00–118.50	1,010	183
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	596	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	781	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	528	136.13/cwt	135.00–137.00	719	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	535	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	701	6

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 →