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

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Today was Billings livestock commissions first Monday sale of the season so no comparisons on feeders can be made. Demand and offerings for feeder cattle was light to moderate. Quality today was mostly plain to average. Limited offerings made it difficult for buyers to put together loads, which hampered demand. Market activity was mostly slow. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Compared to Thursdays sale slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher as packers opted to feed much of the bull offering this week. Packers showed increased demand for bulls as they opted to feed a portion that would normally go to slaughter. Young age cows sold generally steady with Thursdays sale. Quality was average to attractive today.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $166.70/cwt on 225 head.

Average price

$166.70

225 head · 539 lb average

Value per head Derived

$899

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$472

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

$25.29/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−10.95

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	507	170.29	864	172
Medium and Large 1-2	517	160.18	828	34
Large 1	577	150.00	866	3thin
Large 1-2	921	145.00	1,335	16thin

One grade step is worth $25.29/cwt here — about −$472 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 sale225 hd

166.70

—

MT average5 barns · 2,530 hd

177.64

−10.95

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	1,695	90.98	1,542	49
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,598	80.43	1,285	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,400	74.24	1,040	136
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,159	64.00	742	260

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)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,179	$1,210	11
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,222	$1,200	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,249	$1,025	18

Every lot, as filed

63 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
Steers	Large 1	—	668	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,055	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	462	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	767	3
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	921	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,335	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	386	196.45/cwt	194.00–197.00	758	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	436	169.42/cwt	165.00–179.00	739	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	215.49/cwt	215.00–216.00	830	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	623	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,059	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	531	158.64/cwt	158.00–160.00	842	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	611	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	935	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	568	162.95/cwt	162.00–164.00	926	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	435	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	859	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	608	167.51/cwt	165.00–170.00	1,018	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	553	173.66/cwt	170.00–175.00	960	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	570	153.98/cwt	152.00–156.00	878	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	162.21/cwt	159.00–164.00	848	67
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	615	157.99/cwt	157.00–162.00	972	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	468	195.55/cwt	190.50–201.00	915	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	621	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,118	10
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	794	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	1,175	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	548	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	1,003	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	566	183.78/cwt	181.00–186.50	1,040	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	421	203.96/cwt	203.00–213.00	859	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	455	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	810	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	521	184.70/cwt	184.50–187.00	962	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	663	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	1,180	13
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	577	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	866	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	422	180.07/cwt	180.00–181.00	760	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	460	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	828	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	508	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	803	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	925	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,027	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,180	101.50/cwt	101.50–101.50	1,198	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	553	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	973	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,249	1,025.00/head	1,025.00–1,025.00	1,025	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,019	68.61/cwt	62.00–73.00	699	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	895	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	895	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,090	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	774	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	953	108.31/cwt	92.00–116.00	1,032	82
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,057	88.46/cwt	79.50–98.50	935	91
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,179	1,210.00/head	1,210.00–1,210.00	1,210	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,222	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,692	92.41/cwt	86.00–95.00	1,564	13
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	857	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	608	3
Bulls	—	—	1,771	94.80/cwt	87.00–97.50	1,679	26
Bulls	—	—	1,749	80.18/cwt	74.00–85.00	1,402	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,183	63.26/cwt	60.00–66.00	748	47
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,407	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	915	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,377	71.29/cwt	69.50–77.50	982	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,206	67.98/cwt	65.00–75.00	820	86
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,478	80.49/cwt	80.00–81.00	1,190	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	904	68.00/cwt	68.00–68.00	615	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,496	85.32/cwt	83.00–86.50	1,276	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,218	83.74/cwt	83.50–84.00	1,020	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	921	57.34/cwt	52.00–62.00	528	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,368	65.95/cwt	59.00–68.50	902	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,174	61.53/cwt	53.00–64.50	722	79
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	83.24/cwt	82.00–84.00	1,165	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,080	53.12/cwt	51.00–53.50	574	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,412	76.42/cwt	70.00–81.00	1,079	63
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,594	82.10/cwt	78.50–84.00	1,309	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,530	85.50/cwt	85.50–85.50	1,308	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,694	73.69/cwt	71.50–75.00	1,248	5
Bulls	—	—	1,955	98.00/cwt	98.00–98.00	1,916	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,221	72.65/cwt	68.00–77.50	887	10

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 →