Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2022-10-24
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-10-24

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light to moderate for light offerings. Quality today was plain to average and lower compared to last week. Too few offerings sold for buyers to build loads which hampered demand. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher on boning and lean cows in a narrow comparison. Breaking cows sold generally steady. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, steady undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $164.85/cwt on 36 head.

Average price

$164.85

36 head · 575 lb average

Value per head Derived

$948

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$120

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

$18.98/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−16.95

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	486	170.98	831	22
Medium and Large 1	802	158.43	1,271	7thin
Large 1	626	152.00	952	7thin

One grade step is worth $18.98/cwt here — about −$120 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 sale36 hd

164.85

—

MT average5 barns · 2,661 hd

181.80

−16.95

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	—	Low	1,280	69.39	888	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,634	75.15	1,228	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,422	71.16	1,012	117
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,214	60.48	734	136

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)	1,065	$1,163	4thin

Every lot, as filed

39 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	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	443	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	948	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	1,014	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,048	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,174	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	858	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,090	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	421	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	758	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	474	170.39/cwt	161.00–175.00	808	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	548	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	1,019	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	484	207.71/cwt	207.00–209.00	1,005	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	516	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	1,019	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	833	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	1,391	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	544	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	930	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	955	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,385	1
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	626	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	952	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	931	156.50/cwt	156.50–156.50	1,457	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	715	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	1,237	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,280	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	993	1,150.00/head	1,150.00–1,150.00	1,150	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,012	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	708	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,021	105.48/cwt	94.00–116.00	1,077	32
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,147	88.99/cwt	75.00–103.00	1,021	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	975	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	829	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,417	82.77/cwt	78.00–85.00	1,173	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,290	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,200	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,525	88.00/cwt	88.00–88.00	2,222	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	967	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	532	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,272	62.45/cwt	60.00–63.50	794	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,425	81.00/cwt	81.00–81.00	1,154	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,198	65.90/cwt	64.00–74.00	789	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,450	75.15/cwt	72.50–77.00	1,090	66
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,116	47.74/cwt	47.00–49.00	533	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	958	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	431	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,501	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	1,201	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,658	74.80/cwt	72.00–77.50	1,240	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,381	66.55/cwt	58.00–69.00	919	42
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,307	67.30/cwt	64.50–69.00	880	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,196	58.07/cwt	50.00–62.00	695	69
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,402	61.15/cwt	56.00–66.00	857	8
Bulls	—	—	1,858	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,728	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,744	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	1,238	8

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 →