Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2022-12-19
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-12-19

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested last week due to the annual Northland stock cow sale, therefore no comparisons can be made. Feeder cattle sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Quality this week was plain to average and most calves were offered in small lots or as singles. A small buyer pool was on hand for todays sale. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on all offerings in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $164.76/cwt on 244 head.

Average price

$164.76

244 head · 555 lb average

Value per head Derived

$915

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$351

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

$23.67/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−9.43

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	505	168.67	852	49
Medium 1	452	167.66	758	44
Medium and Large 2	427	167.50	715	16thin
Medium and Large 1	638	163.29	1,041	125
Large 1	617	151.00	932	3thin
Medium 1-2	346	145.00	502	7thin

One grade step is worth $23.67/cwt here — about $351 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 sale244 hd

164.76

—

MT average4 barns · 2,228 hd

174.18

−9.43

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	1,786	84.34	1,507	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,634	65.09	1,064	8thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,382	62.72	867	206
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,173	54.34	637	261

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/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,508	$1,150	6
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,363	$818	15

Every lot, as filed

71 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	581	165.42/cwt	164.00–171.00	961	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	678	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	983	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	683	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,031	2
Heifers	Medium 1	—	446	166.50/cwt	166.50–166.50	743	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	583	161.34/cwt	159.00–162.00	941	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	904	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,329	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	700	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,218	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	780	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,326	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	531	189.60/cwt	188.00–191.00	1,007	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	565	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	1,136	14
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	627	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	1,047	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	466	197.21/cwt	185.00–207.50	919	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	575	174.82/cwt	170.00–176.00	1,005	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	444	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	888	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	420	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	830	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	422	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	844	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	686	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	1,159	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	416	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	728	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	570	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	1,020	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	455	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	990	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	452	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	981	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	932	155.50/cwt	155.50–155.50	1,449	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	456	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	809	6
Heifers	Medium 1	—	489	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	856	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	626	188.65/cwt	188.50–189.00	1,181	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	541	200.38/cwt	192.50–202.00	1,084	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	612	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	991	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	400	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	700	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	451	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	699	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	479	179.38/cwt	174.00–181.00	859	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	923	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,606	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	562	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,175	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	490	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	862	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	399	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	718	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	617	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	932	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,345	77.00/cwt	77.00–77.00	1,036	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,017	43.84/cwt	40.00–45.00	446	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,171	52.30/cwt	45.00–56.50	612	163
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,639	64.78/cwt	62.00–69.00	1,062	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,363	69.89/cwt	65.00–76.00	953	76
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,279	53.27/cwt	49.00–57.00	681	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,206	57.70/cwt	57.00–60.00	696	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,518	64.48/cwt	64.00–65.00	979	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,396	56.57/cwt	52.00–60.00	790	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,620	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	1,069	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	700	36.00/cwt	36.00–36.00	252	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	434	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	871	53.82/cwt	52.00–56.00	469	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,235	71.78/cwt	70.00–73.00	886	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,243	61.09/cwt	57.00–67.50	759	34
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,390	58.76/cwt	50.00–64.00	817	100
Bulls	—	—	1,760	82.96/cwt	72.00–86.00	1,460	12
Bulls	—	—	2,039	91.61/cwt	88.00–97.00	1,868	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,648	81.82/cwt	74.00–85.00	1,348	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	984	71.18/cwt	60.00–95.00	700	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	600	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,019	97.33/cwt	81.00–117.50	992	106
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,095	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	591	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,508	1,150.00/head	1,150.00–1,150.00	1,150	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,544	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	1,034	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,302	750.00/head	750.00–750.00	750	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,378	835.11/head	800.00–900.00	835	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	581	158.50/cwt	158.50–158.50	921	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	482	164.50/cwt	163.00–165.00	793	16
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	346	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	502	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	987	140.50/cwt	140.50–140.50	1,387	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	450	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	698	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	397	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	738	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	533	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	874	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	538	165.19/cwt	162.00–174.00	889	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	578	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	850	4

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 →