Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2019-10-28

Billings Livestock Commission

Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-10-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-10-28

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Mon, Oct 28

● Final39 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1775

← Oct 21Oct 28Nov 4 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

536 head

▲ 6 vs last sale 530▲ 536 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Slaughter Cattle receipts

117 head

▼ 229 vs last sale 346▲ 117 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Replacement Cattle receipts

398 head

▲ 11 vs last sale 387▲ 398 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Also sold hereRegular saleThu Oct 29, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend however steady to firm undertones were noticed on steer calves and higher undertones were noticed on heifer calves. Yearlings were scarcely traded. Quality this sale was average to attractive Demand for calves was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Packers continue to show very light to light demand for cows for immediate harvest. Seasonally high cow offerings are being seen across the upper plains as ranchers are culling old or unproductive cows. This has shackle space full and packers putting most offerings on feed. Slaughter cows sold steady to weak on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to trend, however higher undertones were noticed as packers search for fleshy cows to blend with the heavy volumes of thin cows. Feeding cows sold generally steady this sale. The best demand continues to be for large frame, fleshy cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. Young re-breed cows sold on light to moderate demand for light offerings. Young age cows were of plain to average quality this week. Many offerings were in thin flesh having freshly weaned calves. These offerings were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $137.57/cwt on 193 head.

Average price

$137.57

193 head · 515 lb average

Value per head Derived

$709

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$452

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

$15.71/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−3.20

vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	400	138.35	554	32
Medium and Large 1	525	138.09	725	154
Large 1	820	122.64	1,005	7thin

One grade step is worth $15.71/cwt here — about −$452 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 sale193 hd

137.57

—

MT average5 barns · 3,963 hd

140.77

−3.20

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	1,747	71.11	1,242	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,728	58.50	1,011	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,537	42.83	658	6thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,179	41.39	488	25

Every lot

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. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.

Class	Weight	Grade / description	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Feeder Cattle · Steers10 lots · lightest first
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	356	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	644	16
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	420	174.37/cwt	170.00–182.00	732	76
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	446	162.34/cwt	161.00–163.00	724	18
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	472	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	760	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	524	149.59/cwt	149.00–150.00	784	12
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	577	150.83/cwt	148.00–151.50	870	16
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	614	146.30/cwt	145.00–149.00	898	20
Steers	—	Large 1Unweaned	696	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	960	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	704	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	982	15
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	877	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,140	3
Feeder Cattle · Heifers12 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	339	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	475	19
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	361	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	549	4
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	420	147.39/cwt	146.00–148.00	619	30
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	424	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	606	4
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	493	134.20/cwt	130.00–135.00	662	6
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	505	138.95/cwt	138.00–139.00	702	55
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	561	134.35/cwt	133.00–135.00	754	35
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	572	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	744	3
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	617	130.15/cwt	130.00–130.50	803	27
Heifers	—	Large 1Unweaned	675	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	844	4
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	923	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,163	3
Heifers	—	Large 1	1,013	119.50/cwt	119.50–119.50	1,211	3
Feeder Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	502	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	683	9
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	681	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	940	4
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,630	61.00/cwt	61.00–61.00	994	1
Bulls	—	—	1,776	73.64/cwt	71.50–75.50	1,308	4
Slaughter Cattle · Cows5 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	989	39.17/cwt	38.50–39.50	387	6
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,239	42.09/cwt	37.00–44.00	521	19
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,455	42.30/cwt	42.00–43.50	615	5
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,728	58.50/cwt	58.50–58.50	1,011	2
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,945	45.50/cwt	45.50–45.50	885	1
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows7 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	782	86.50/cwt	82.00–91.00	676	10
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	981	71.66/cwt	58.00–85.00	703	59
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	985	41.00/cwt	41.00–41.00	404	1
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	1,147	43.64/cwt	39.00–45.00	501	54
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	1,171	43.39/cwt	41.00–44.50	508	27
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,324	55.14/cwt	47.00–66.00	730	55
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,376	53.51/cwt	46.25–61.50	736	31
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	966	87.06/cwt	80.00–90.00	841	7

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.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Mon)

Mon Oct 28, 2019

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 536Last week 530Year ago 0

Slaughter CattleReceipts 117Last week 346Year ago 0

Replacement CattleReceipts 398Last week 387Year ago 0

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	10	—	782	82.00–91.00	86.50
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	55	—	1,324	47.00–66.00	55.14
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	31	—	1,376	46.25–61.50	53.51
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	59	—	981	58.00–85.00	71.66

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	985	41.00	41.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	27	—	1,171	41.00–44.50	43.39
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	54	—	1,147	39.00–45.00	43.64

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	7	—	966	80.00–90.00	87.06

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
18	—	446	161.00–163.00	162.34

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	877	130.00	130.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
76	—	420	170.00–182.00	174.37
20	—	614	145.00–149.00	146.30
16	—	577	148.00–151.50	150.83
16	—	356	181.00	181.00
15	—	704	139.50	139.50
12	—	524	149.00–150.00	149.59
3	—	472	161.00	161.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	696	138.00	138.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
19	—	339	140.00	140.00
3	—	572	130.00	130.00
4	—	424	143.00	143.00
6	—	493	130.00–135.00	134.20

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,013	119.50	119.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	675	125.00	125.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	923	126.00	126.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	361	152.00	152.00
27	—	617	130.00–130.50	130.15
30	—	420	146.00–148.00	147.39
35	—	561	133.00–135.00	134.35
55	—	505	138.00–139.00	138.95

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	681	138.00	138.00
9	—	502	136.00	136.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	989	38.50–39.50	39.17

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
19	—	1,239	37.00–44.00	42.09

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,728	58.50	58.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,455	42.00–43.50	42.30
1	—	1,945	45.50	45.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,776	71.50–75.50	73.64
1	—	1,630	61.00	61.00

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.