Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-06-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-06-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steers under 650 lbs sold with steady to higher undertones. Feeder heifers were too lightly tested to trend, however higher undertones were noticed on heifers under 650 lbs, while heifers over 650 lbs sold with lower undertones. Demand for grass cattle continues to be good as ranchers continue to search for cattle to finish filling grass leases. All other weights of cattle sold on light to moderate demand. Quality was mostly plain to average. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows comprised the majority of the sale this week. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers and feeding buyers both showed moderate demand for cows early in the sale, however as the sale pushed into afternoon and both filled several loads, demand lighted. Packers have started to put cows away on feed for the July 4th holiday week; these cows were mostly older, thinner cows. Feeding cows sold steady to 4.00 lower. Notably, the quality of cows going to feed this week was not as attractive over all as it was last week as packers put several loads of lower quality, thinner, older cows on feed. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower on lean and boning cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend as most of these offerings sold as feeding cows. Fleshy feeding cows sold with the best demand this week and were responsible for most of the steady prices for feeding cows. Cows offered significantly better weigh up conditions early in the morning, however as the day heated up into the 90's cows began to push some fill. Cow Quality this week was average to very attractive. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower, however a few high dressing bulls sold steady to firm. Young age cows sold on mostly moderate demand. These offerings sold steady to weak. Quality was mostly average, however a limited offering of attractive

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $159.71/cwt on 92 head.

Average price

$159.71

92 head · 555 lb average

Value per head Derived

$887

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$225

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$55.58/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+13.38

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	543	172.42	937	52
Medium and Large 1-2	536	167.00	895	21
Medium 2	609	116.84	712	19thin

One grade step is worth $55.58/cwt here — about $225 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 sale92 hd

159.71

—

MT average3 barns · 175 hd

146.33

+13.38

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.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	High	1,872	87.53	1,639	53
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,605	67.50	1,083	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,413	62.95	890	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,185	59.64	707	74

Every lot, as filed

52 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	891	61.65/cwt	55.00–63.50	549	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	975	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	575	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	618	164.63/cwt	161.00–167.00	1,017	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	449	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	813	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	528	151.95/cwt	151.00–153.00	802	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	554	174.73/cwt	170.00–175.00	968	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	522	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	882	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	67	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	134	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,505	1,300.00/cwt	1,300.00–1,300.00	19,565	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,279	61.33/cwt	58.00–69.00	784	116
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	989	97.76/cwt	75.00–110.00	967	64
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,057	118.19/cwt	110.00–120.50	1,249	78
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	614	141.80/cwt	141.00–142.00	871	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	476	153.44/cwt	151.00–155.00	730	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,380	1,100.00/cwt	1,100.00–1,100.00	15,180	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,408	875.00/cwt	875.00–875.00	12,320	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	937	116.70/cwt	116.00–117.00	1,093	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	979	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,087	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,362	67.77/cwt	62.00–70.50	923	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,152	75.20/cwt	65.00–102.50	866	108
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,379	59.50/cwt	58.00–60.00	821	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,237	63.42/cwt	62.00–65.00	785	21
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,957	96.99/cwt	96.50–98.00	1,898	3
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,403	87.19/cwt	85.00–89.00	1,223	2
Bulls	—	—	1,707	75.84/cwt	71.00–81.00	1,295	13
Bulls	—	—	2,079	94.28/cwt	88.50–98.50	1,960	21
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,011	111.26/cwt	109.00–112.00	1,125	33
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	950	84.50/cwt	74.00–87.25	803	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,310	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	865	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,335	50.00/cwt	50.00–50.00	668	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,605	67.50/cwt	67.50–67.50	1,083	2
Bulls	—	—	1,765	86.29/cwt	82.00–88.00	1,523	14
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,062	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	11,151	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,374	66.73/cwt	61.00–72.00	917	158
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	932	51.99/cwt	50.00–54.00	485	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,474	68.46/cwt	67.50–69.50	1,009	4
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	735	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	533	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,000	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	975	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	463	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	870	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	734	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	903	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,416	63.38/cwt	62.50–66.00	897	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,177	58.67/cwt	51.00–61.50	691	47
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,195	56.03/cwt	55.00–57.00	670	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,112	61.24/cwt	60.00–61.50	681	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	819	114.50/cwt	114.50–114.50	938	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	668	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	989	2
Steers	Medium 2	—	609	116.84/cwt	110.00–120.00	712	19
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	705	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	423	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	732	121.74/cwt	120.00–123.00	891	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	415	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	695	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	653	134.33/cwt	133.00–135.00	877	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	666	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	999	7

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.

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