Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-11-15
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-11-15

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Too few Feeder Cattle were tested last week to develop a market trend for todays sale. Yearling heifers sold mostly steady on a light test this and last week. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to firm on boning and lean cows, breaking cows were not well tested last week and no trend could be developed. Packer buyers opted to send primarily lower quality or lame cows to immediate harvest this week as they purchased the majority of the cow offering to feed. Boning and lean feeding Cows sold mostly steady with a firm market undertone. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today. Cows with favorable weigh up conditions sold with the best demand. Slaughter Bulls sold weak on a light market test this and last week. Young age cows suitable to rebreed were too lightly tested last week to develop a market trend. Quality this week was average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $129.90/cwt on 21 head.

Average price

$129.90

21 head · 938 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,219

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$80

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1

$10.33/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−22.70

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	933	134.33	1,253	12thin
Medium 1	946	124.00	1,173	9thin

One grade step is worth $10.33/cwt here — about $80 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 sale21 hd

129.90

—

MT average5 barns · 4,545 hd

152.61

−22.70

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	1,826	75.89	1,385	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,653	58.02	959	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,465	48.73	714	126
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,229	40.47	497	578

Every lot, as filed

36 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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,765	61.00/cwt	61.00–61.00	1,077	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,634	53.83/cwt	53.00–54.00	880	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,586	56.71/cwt	50.00–60.00	899	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,241	41.59/cwt	34.25–48.75	516	396
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,215	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	765	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,297	53.17/cwt	49.00–57.50	690	46
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,279	64.21/cwt	64.00–65.00	821	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,470	56.21/cwt	52.00–58.50	826	26
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,487	46.27/cwt	43.00–51.00	688	65
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	909	31.75/cwt	24.00–36.00	289	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,338	39.83/cwt	38.00–45.00	533	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,845	61.50/cwt	61.50–61.50	1,135	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,185	31.15/cwt	21.00–36.00	369	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,423	41.57/cwt	40.00–46.00	592	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,097	29.80/cwt	22.00–34.00	327	65
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,610	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	1,014	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,358	38.30/cwt	35.50–39.00	520	15
Bulls	—	—	1,965	81.68/cwt	77.00–85.00	1,605	8
Bulls	—	—	1,983	69.37/cwt	64.00–73.00	1,376	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,651	73.87/cwt	65.00–77.00	1,220	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	997	87.13/cwt	71.00–101.00	869	69
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	950	73.64/cwt	64.00–79.00	700	7
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	941	52.94/cwt	52.00–55.00	498	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,038	63.68/cwt	61.00–69.00	661	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,056	71.11/cwt	58.00–91.00	751	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,297	73.00/cwt	73.00–73.00	947	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,137	926.43/cwt	800.00–1,150.00	10,534	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,273	930.06/cwt	700.00–975.00	11,840	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,234	997.90/cwt	875.00–1,035.00	12,314	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,212	878.86/cwt	700.00–1,010.00	10,652	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,308	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	12,426	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	805	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,079	1
Heifers	Medium 1	—	946	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,173	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,063	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	1,366	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	795	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,129	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	985	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,300	3

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 →