Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2019-04-11

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Apr 11
● Final49 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
← earliestApr 11Apr 18
Feeder Cattle receipts
345 head
345 vs last sale 0 345 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
160 head
160 vs last sale 0 160 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
258 head
258 vs last sale 0 258 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Also sold here(Mon)Thu Apr 16, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steers and heifers were too lightly tested this week to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain. Calves were mostly offered in small packages again this week. Demand for feeders was mostly moderate, however lightly fleshed cattle suitable to run on grass sold on good demand. Offerings this week were light. Market activity was moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. A strong winter storm across much of the corn belt has packers searching for slaughter cows. Packers pushed to own much of the cow offering this week pushing prices higher in order to take cows out of feeding buyers hands. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher than last week. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to trend this week, as packers absorbed most of the cows suitable to feed. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-5.00 higher on a higher quality offering. Very good demand was seen for young age cows suitable to re-breed. These offerings sold higher as farmer feeders were in the market actively bidding on high quality offerings.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $165.52/cwt on 125 head.
Average price
$165.52
125 head · 661 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,095
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$264
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1
$40.89/cwt at this weight
vs the market
2.38
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2606166.891,01145
Medium and Large 1680166.261,13177
Large 11,012126.001,2753thin
One grade step is worth $40.89/cwt here — about −$264 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 sale125 hd
165.52
MT average3 barns · 545 hd
167.90
−2.38
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
BullsLow1,96986.281,69926
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,44361.5788951
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,61560.839823thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,16558.5168265

Every lot, as filed

49 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
CowsBoner 80-85%Light Weight89053.00/cwt53.00–53.004721
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight97860.35/cwt53.00–64.005903
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight90255.11/cwt52.00–58.504975
CowsLean 85-90%1,19066.32/cwt65.00–67.507892
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,62559.00/cwt59.00–59.009592
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,59564.50/cwt64.50–64.501,0291
Bulls1,62672.05/cwt69.00–76.501,1724
Bulls2,17192.98/cwt88.50–97.502,01914
Bulls1,78781.67/cwt79.00–85.501,4598
HeifersMedium and Large 1723133.91/cwt133.00–136.5096814
CowsLean 85-90%1,16757.19/cwt52.00–60.0066737
CowsBoner 80-85%1,46962.91/cwt61.50–65.5092427
CowsBoner 80-85%1,44459.75/cwt57.50–61.5086321
CowsBoner 80-85%1,36567.00/cwt67.00–67.009152
CowsLean 85-90%1,26261.00/cwt60.00–62.5077018
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2641140.00/cwt140.00–140.008978
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2710130.00/cwt130.00–130.009234
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2775130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,0082
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2448160.00/cwt160.00–160.007172
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2655143.00/cwt143.00–143.009371
HeifersMedium and Large 1444168.00/cwt168.00–168.0074633
SteersMedium and Large 1610179.00/cwt179.00–179.001,09253
SteersMedium and Large 1757150.00/cwt150.00–150.001,1369
SteersMedium and Large 1857137.00/cwt137.00–137.001,1743
HeifersMedium and Large 1608155.00/cwt155.00–155.009427
HeifersMedium and Large 1589155.00/cwt155.00–155.009136
HeifersMedium and Large 1453162.50/cwt162.50–162.507366
SteersMedium and Large 1-2575174.32/cwt172.00–177.001,00210
SteersMedium and Large 1-2738146.00/cwt146.00–146.001,0778
SteersMedium and Large 1-2822130.92/cwt127.00–134.001,0765
SteersMedium and Large 1-2486184.53/cwt184.00–185.0089719
SteersLarge 11,012126.00/cwt126.00–126.001,2753
SteersMedium and Large 1-2757146.00/cwt146.00–146.001,1053
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,11383.01/cwt64.00–106.0092499
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1967101.61/cwt80.00–127.5098398
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,63061.13/cwt58.50–64.509968
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,48961.26/cwt59.50–62.259123
Bred HeifersMedium 1-2851850.00/cwt850.00–850.007,2344
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1931,371.51/cwt1,360.00–1,375.0016,3624
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-288195.00/cwt95.00–95.008374
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,25865.17/cwt61.00–67.5082026
BullsMedium and Large 1-2888117.50/cwt117.50–117.501,0432
BullsMedium and Large 1539174.00/cwt174.00–174.009387
BullsMedium and Large 1886129.00/cwt129.00–129.001,1436
BullsMedium and Large 1993115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,1424
BullsMedium and Large 1400160.00/cwt160.00–160.006403
BullsLarge 11,024115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,17811
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy922127.00/cwt127.00–127.001,1716
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy853132.00/cwt132.00–132.001,1266

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.