Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2021-09-23

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Sep 23
● Final114 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
4,513 head
▲ 3,287 vs last sale 1,226▲ 3,835 vs year ago 678 · +565.6%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
773 head
▼ 223 vs last sale 996▲ 335 vs year ago 438 · +76.5%
Replacement Cattle receipts
202 head
▼ 472 vs last sale 674▲ 130 vs year ago 72 · +180.6%
Also sold here(Mon)Mon Nov 2, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were scarcely traded last week so no comparison is available. Steer calves under 500 lbs sold 8.00-12.00 higher, steers over 500 lbs were not well compared, however higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifer were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves all sold steady to 5.00 higher. Quality this week was average to attractive. Demand for yearlings was mostly good. Demand for calves was moderate. The best demand for calves was for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings or big heavyweight calves that buyers hoped to have finished before the expiration of the April contract. Heavy supplies of calves continue to come early. Many buyers report corn belt feeders are not ready for calves as they are busy with harvest. Once buyers filled orders demand diminished. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers showed slightly stronger demand for slaughter cows this week. Harvest has started in the corn-belt and as a result packers are seeing less available supplies as farmers and dairy men are busy with harvest. Slaughter cows sold steady to firm on boning and lean cows, breaking cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold generally steady. Cows were extremely full today as weigh-ups sold late in the day after the feeder sale. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average which made comparisons difficult. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Young age cows suitable to rebreed sold steady. Quality was average to very attractive and similar to last week. Demand remains very good.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $183.27/cwt on 1,967 head.
Average price
$183.27
1,967 head · 507 lb average
Value per head Derived
$930
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$430
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1
$51.69/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−4.90
vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1507184.979371,622
Medium and Large 1-2479178.18854287
Medium 1495173.3685940
Large 11,026133.281,36818thin
One grade step is worth $51.69/cwt here — about −$430 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 sale1,967 hd
183.27
—
MT average3 barns · 3,418 hd
188.17
−4.90
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—High1,66584.781,41138
CowsPremium White 65-75%Average1,68587.001,4661thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,58669.601,10431
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,44460.55874271
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,22751.83636179

Every lot

114 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Thu)
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers39 lots · lightest first
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned291212.50/cwt212.50–212.506187
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned296238.00/cwt238.00–238.007049
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned333221.86/cwt219.00–225.00739126
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned342190.00/cwt190.00–190.0065017
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fancy365227.57/cwt225.00–229.0083114
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned375207.67/cwt201.00–218.0077996
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned391199.90/cwt199.00–200.0078220
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned419193.39/cwt189.00–199.00810266
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned430182.74/cwt175.00–186.00786131
Steers—Medium 1465181.00/cwt181.00–181.0084221
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned471185.04/cwt177.50–192.50872449
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned472175.31/cwt167.00–179.0082751
Steers—Medium 1Unweaned493167.00/cwt167.00–167.0082310
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned523179.46/cwt167.00–184.50939193
Steers—Medium and Large 1Full531164.00/cwt164.00–164.0087114
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned549166.26/cwt164.00–167.5091317
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned558161.00/cwt161.00–161.008983
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fancy559185.50/cwt185.50–185.501,03721
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned568165.95/cwt162.00–170.00943120
Steers—Medium 1569162.61/cwt160.00–164.009259
Steers—Medium and Large 1Fancy606170.83/cwt170.00–171.501,03567
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned606165.60/cwt164.00–168.501,00429
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned639157.32/cwt155.50–157.751,00515
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned662162.03/cwt155.50–164.001,07339
Steers—Medium and Large 1673170.50/cwt170.50–170.501,14724
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned678150.00/cwt150.00–150.001,0173
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned700152.50/cwt152.50–152.501,0684
Steers—Medium and Large 1713171.69/cwt170.00–174.001,22438
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2728160.00/cwt160.00–160.001,1653
Steers—Medium and Large 1754165.35/cwt165.00–166.001,24723
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2788156.00/cwt156.00–156.001,2294
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2806148.00/cwt148.00–148.001,1938
Steers—Medium and Large 1828159.76/cwt157.00–160.001,32337
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2860148.00/cwt148.00–148.001,2733
Steers—Medium and Large 1865153.20/cwt150.00–158.751,32542
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2905138.00/cwt138.00–138.001,2495
Steers—Medium and Large 1952144.50/cwt144.50–144.501,37611
Steers—Large 1Fleshy1,009133.50/cwt133.50–133.501,34714
Steers—Large 11,086132.50/cwt132.50–132.501,4394
Feeder Cattle · Heifers38 lots · lightest first
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned278191.00/cwt191.00–191.005314
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned303167.44/cwt166.50–180.0050729
Heifers—Medium 1Unweaned318182.50/cwt182.50–182.5058049
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned338184.68/cwt181.50–190.00624122
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned387179.16/cwt173.00–182.00693113
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned387175.28/cwt169.00–178.0067810
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned432168.49/cwt162.00–175.00728326
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned434160.33/cwt157.00–161.0069624
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned468159.94/cwt158.00–163.00749130
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned470146.57/cwt143.00–148.5068921
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned519156.30/cwt151.00–161.50811193
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned523145.00/cwt145.00–145.0075813
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned553148.00/cwt148.00–148.008183
Heifers—Medium 1-2561151.50/cwt151.50–151.508508
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned571154.40/cwt150.00–157.50882111
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned624151.49/cwt149.50–153.0094525
Heifers—Medium 1633164.50/cwt164.50–164.501,04111
Heifers—Medium 1-2638149.50/cwt149.50–149.509546
Heifers—Medium and Large 1669154.92/cwt154.00–155.251,03632
Heifers—Medium 1-2677145.00/cwt145.00–145.009825
Heifers—Medium 1Full699148.00/cwt148.00–148.001,03512
Heifers—Medium 1-2713139.00/cwt139.00–139.009918
Heifers—Medium and Large 1728153.38/cwt150.00–154.751,11748
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2730149.00/cwt149.00–149.001,0887
Heifers—Medium 1-2765142.00/cwt142.00–142.001,08618
Heifers—Medium and Large 1770149.60/cwt147.00–151.751,15257
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2793145.73/cwt145.50–146.501,15622
Heifers—Large 1798145.50/cwt145.50–145.501,1612
Heifers—Medium and Large 1831147.94/cwt146.50–148.501,22931
Heifers—Medium 1842140.50/cwt140.50–140.501,18312
Heifers—Medium and Large 1885143.40/cwt140.00–146.001,269121
Heifers—Medium and Large 1912140.52/cwt136.00–141.501,28293
Heifers—Medium and Large 1981133.78/cwt132.75–136.501,31232
Heifers—Large 11,021132.21/cwt132.00–132.501,35028
Heifers—Large 11,084128.20/cwt128.00–129.001,3905
Heifers—Large 11,111125.59/cwt125.00–126.501,3955
Heifers—Large 11,152121.00/cwt121.00–121.001,3943
Heifers—Large 1Fleshy1,163115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,3372
Feeder Cattle · Bulls6 lots · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned324200.00/cwt200.00–200.006486
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned395206.00/cwt206.00–206.008143
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned440161.00/cwt161.00–161.0070814
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned547147.00/cwt147.00–147.008043
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned611140.00/cwt140.00–140.008557
Bulls—Large 11,030119.00/cwt119.00–119.001,2261
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls6 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,35990.36/cwt89.50–90.501,2289
Bulls——Return to Feed1,48378.00/cwt78.00–78.001,1572
Bulls——Return to Feed1,63779.00/cwt79.00–79.001,2939
Bulls——1,84384.57/cwt81.00–86.001,55915
Bulls——1,89393.50/cwt93.50–93.501,7702
Bulls——1,90086.00/cwt86.00–86.001,6341
Slaughter Cattle · Cows17 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight99343.00/cwt43.00–43.004275
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,12043.10/cwt37.50–47.5048317
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,19256.46/cwt55.00–58.0067319
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,22056.82/cwt55.00–65.0069313
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,24351.56/cwt48.00–55.50641104
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,32255.02/cwt55.00–55.5072721
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,40254.18/cwt50.50–59.00760112
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,42859.79/cwt57.00–74.0085430
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,43973.64/cwt71.00–77.001,06017
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,48449.50/cwt49.50–49.507355
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,49065.91/cwt60.00–69.00982106
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,51561.00/cwt61.00–61.009241
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,54166.23/cwt65.00–68.501,02117
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,55581.40/cwt80.00–83.001,2662
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,60865.50/cwt65.50–65.501,0534
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,67875.88/cwt74.50–77.001,2738
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,68587.00/cwt87.00–87.001,4661
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 197194.15/cwt65.00–107.0091486
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-297562.00/cwt62.00–62.006051
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,07875.99/cwt67.00–84.0081916
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,15076.00/cwt76.00–76.008741
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2081,050.00/cwt1,050.00–1,050.0012,6845
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2171,081.57/cwt1,025.00–1,110.0013,16312
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,24154.43/cwt53.00–56.0067519
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,41657.00/cwt57.00–57.008076

This sale against other markets

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.