Cattle Market Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report
Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Thursday, February 11, 2021233 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction report →
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 233 | 5,474 | 1,935 |
| Feeder cattle | 70 | 4,739 | 1,347 |
| Slaughter cattle | 108 | 522 | 203 |
| Replacement cattle | 55 | 213 | 385 |
Market comments — USDA reporter
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Feeder Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 401 | 401 | 7 | 155.00 | $155.00 | $622 | -13.35 |
| 475 | 475 | 25 | 153.50 | $153.50 | $729 | -10.75 |
| 528 | 528 | 17 | 147.00 | $147.00 | $776 | -11.03 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1063 | 1063 | 3 | 102.00 | $102.00 | $1,084 | — |
Slaughter Cows
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Dressing | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1333–1434 | 1415 | 80-85% | 32 | 62.50–65.50 | $64.83 | $917 | -4.17 |
| 1335–1540 | 1417 | 80-85% | 20 | 54.00–62.50 | $57.16 | $810 | -11.84 |
| 1480 | 1480 | 80-85% | 2 | 70.00 | $70.00 | $1,036 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Dressing | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 880 | 880 | 85-90% | 1 | 52.00 | $52.00 | $458 | — |
| 973 | 973 | 85-90% | 2 | 41.00 | $41.00 | $399 | -10.14 |
| 880–1295 | 1149 | 85-90% | 11 | 53.00–60.00 | $56.98 | $655 | +12.98 |
| 1045–1268 | 1193 | 85-90% | 12 | 61.00–65.50 | $62.10 | $741 | +9.77 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Dressing | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1605 | 1605 | 75-80% | 1 | 62.00 | $62.00 | $995 | — |
| 1636–1843 | 1688 | 75-80% | 8 | 64.50–66.00 | $65.59 | $1,107 | — |
Slaughter Bulls
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2000 | 1 | 92.00 | $92.00 | $1,840 | — |
Stock Cows
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 995–1065 | 1035 | (<2 yrs) | Open | 3 | 91.00–92.00 | $91.34 | $945 |
| 856–1195 | 1051 | Young (2-4 yrs) | Open | 47 | 70.00–79.00 | $74.50 | $783 |
Reading this report
What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?
USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.
What is $/cwt?
Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.
Why are some prices per head?
Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.
Compared to last week: All steers and heifers were scarcely tested this week thus no trend is available. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly light. Extreme, bitter cold was seen throughout the week and expected to continue through the weekend. Temperatures are 2 to 5 degrees below zero for highs and near 20 below for overnight lows. This has slowed the volume of cattle coming to town. Market activity was slow. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on very good demand for light offerings. Packers showed mostly very good demand for slaughter cows as cold and snowy conditions have slowed the volume of cattle being delivered to the plant. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher. Feeding cows were too lightly tested as most cows sold to slaughter this week. Slaughter bulls were scarcely tested. Young age cows suitable to rebreed sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. These offerings sold with steady undertones.