Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2019-05-16

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, May 16
● Final63 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
312 head
167 vs last sale 479 312 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
450 head
292 vs last sale 158 450 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
825 head
299 vs last sale 1,124 825 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: Feeder steers and heifer were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on steers and lower undertones were noticed on heifers. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and offered in small packages. Demand was moderate to good for cattle suitable to run on grass, however all other weights of feeder cattle sold with light to moderate demand. CME contracts finished the day higher on all contracts except the current May which finished 1.70 lower. August through November finished 0.925 to 1.05 higher. Market activity this week was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand again this week. Packers were very aggressive this sale as they pushed feeding buyers to fill immediate harvest needs. Packers also put cows away on feed as demand from feeding buyers have cows above where packers want to pay for cows given current market prices. A changing weather pattern has cows and bulls very full this week. This made cows destined for harvest higher than last week on a dressed basis. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to firm. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher. Young age cows sold on light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. These offerings sold unevenly steady as feeding quality cows sold lower, while re-breed quality cows sold higher. A limited but high quality offering of cow calf pairs sold today. These offerings were met with mostly good demand.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $134.28/cwt on 86 head.
Average price
$134.28
86 head · 652 lb average
Value per head Derived
$876
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$115
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 1
$5.44/cwt at this weight
vs the market
0.33
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2572138.2779123
Medium and Large 1682132.8390663
One grade step is worth $5.44/cwt here — about −$115 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 sale86 hd
134.28
MT average3 barns · 1,327 hd
134.61
−0.33
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
BullsHigh1,82991.021,66564
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,52269.251,0549thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,38368.89953105
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,17163.69746137

Every lot, as filed

63 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
HeifersMedium and Large 1767120.79/cwt120.00–122.009265
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2419160.00/cwt160.00–160.006704
BullsMedium and Large 1906114.00/cwt114.00–114.001,0336
BullsLarge 1-21,06384.50/cwt84.50–84.508986
BullsMedium and Large 1-2578154.00/cwt154.00–154.008903
BullsLarge 11,130102.80/cwt101.00–105.001,16210
BullsMedium and Large 1-2761126.50/cwt126.50–126.509636
BullsMedium and Large 1990109.00/cwt109.00–109.001,0791
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight91947.59/cwt43.00–52.504374
SteersMedium and Large 1642163.00/cwt163.00–163.001,0465
SteersMedium and Large 1563176.00/cwt176.00–176.009912
SteersMedium and Large 1663152.45/cwt150.00–155.001,0112
SteersMedium and Large 1-2469173.82/cwt170.00–175.0081525
SteersMedium and Large 1-2625146.24/cwt145.00–147.509142
SteersMedium and Large 1462180.02/cwt177.50–185.008327
SteersMedium and Large 1913122.73/cwt120.00–123.001,12111
SteersMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed614170.64/cwt170.00–171.001,04814
HeifersMedium and Large 1579142.80/cwt142.00–144.008275
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2582136.47/cwt135.00–137.0079411
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2470143.00/cwt143.00–143.006723
HeifersMedium and Large 1388170.00/cwt170.00–170.006602
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2733122.00/cwt122.00–122.008945
SteersMedium and Large 1707149.35/cwt148.50–151.001,0563
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fancy782131.00/cwt131.00–131.001,0249
HeifersMedium and Large 1742127.20/cwt126.00–129.0094410
HeifersMedium and Large 1678131.00/cwt131.00–131.0088814
BullsLarge 11,085104.00/cwt104.00–104.001,1281
BullsMedium and Large 1-2175175.00/cwt175.00–175.003064
BullsLarge 11,020114.00/cwt114.00–114.001,1631
HeifersMedium and Large 1639134.73/cwt134.00–135.0086118
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,5981,710.00/cwt1,710.00–1,710.0027,3269
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,6251,460.00/cwt1,460.00–1,460.0023,7253
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,2671,807.57/cwt1,800.00–1,825.0022,9023
Bred CowsLarge 11,3471,100.00/cwt1,100.00–1,100.0014,8175
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1471,358.49/cwt1,200.00–1,460.0015,58235
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight89956.33/cwt51.00–62.005066
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight95565.00/cwt65.00–65.006211
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,43865.00/cwt65.00–65.009352
CowsBoner 80-85%1,35664.44/cwt64.00–65.008746
CowsBoner 80-85%1,36571.10/cwt70.50–73.0097128
CowsLean 85-90%1,17961.46/cwt56.00–66.5072554
CowsLean 85-90%1,23070.75/cwt70.00–72.5087019
CowsLean 85-90%1,21167.28/cwt65.00–69.0081547
CowsLean 85-90%1,06751.09/cwt49.00–52.505456
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,54670.47/cwt67.50–72.501,0897
CowsBoner 80-85%1,39268.39/cwt66.00–70.0095271
Bulls2,07197.37/cwt93.00–107.002,01729
Bulls1,54082.16/cwt80.00–83.501,26515
Bulls1,69688.46/cwt84.00–94.501,50020
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,433900.00/cwt900.00–900.0012,8972
Heifer PairsMedium and Large 11,0781,825.00/cwt1,825.00–1,825.0019,6742
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-291968.62/cwt61.00–71.5063111
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,15877.78/cwt65.50–105.00901154
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-285072.50/cwt72.50–72.506161
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4451,317.13/cwt1,300.00–1,325.0019,0333
Stock CowsMedium and Large 197594.42/cwt67.00–113.00921134
Bred HeifersMedium 1906925.00/cwt925.00–925.008,38116
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,05857.70/cwt56.00–58.006107
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,31770.22/cwt66.00–74.0092575
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,37169.29/cwt63.00–72.2595066
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,5101,035.00/cwt1,035.00–1,035.0015,6296
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,34566.82/cwt60.50–73.0089957
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3221,125.00/cwt1,125.00–1,125.0014,8737

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.