Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-09-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-09-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher, yearling heifers sold 1.00-3.00 higher both comparisons were narrow. CME positions continue to see positive movement bolstering buyer demand. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Many large packages of high quality yearlings were seen this week and buyers showed good to very good demand for one iron home raised cattle. Quality overall was better than last week. Demand was mostly moderate to good, with very good demand seen at times. Market activity was mostly active with good buyer participation. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand and light to moderate offerings. Packers showed good demand throughout the sale as they tried to secure as many offerings as possible for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher. Feeding buyers showed moderate to good demand for cows. Fleshy cows sold with the best demand again this week. Fleshy cows were about the only class of cows feeding buyers could buy away from packers today. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold on mostly light to moderate demand for light offerings. Young re-breed cows sold steady in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $141.59/cwt on 610 head.

Average price

$141.59

610 head · 780 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,105

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$270

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$23.41/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.45

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	677	144.40	978	20
Medium and Large 1	789	142.95	1,128	419
Medium and Large 1-2	708	142.56	1,010	133
Medium and Large 2	920	122.84	1,130	16thin
Large 1	1,032	120.99	1,248	22

One grade step is worth $23.41/cwt here — about −$270 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 sale610 hd

141.59

—

MT average3 barns · 1,362 hd

141.15

+0.45

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	—	Low	1,820	84.55	1,538	67
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,716	68.76	1,180	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,374	63.56	874	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,214	61.21	743	51

Every lot, as filed

73 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	929	134.15/cwt	133.00–136.25	1,246	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	874	139.31/cwt	137.50–141.00	1,218	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	792	148.39/cwt	144.25–149.75	1,175	62
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	964	132.52/cwt	130.00–134.50	1,277	87
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	374	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	662	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	675	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	932	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	624	135.81/cwt	134.00–136.50	847	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	869	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,151	22
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,109	77.78/cwt	77.00–84.00	863	9
Steers	Medium 1	—	780	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,108	8
Steers	Large 1	—	1,024	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,290	7
Steers	Large 1	—	1,072	121.25/cwt	121.25–121.25	1,300	3
Steers	Large 1Full	—	1,026	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,211	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	410	139.24/cwt	132.50–141.50	571	25
Steers	Medium 1	—	609	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	889	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,335	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	988	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	309	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	417	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	936	131.67/cwt	131.00–132.50	1,232	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,267	65.37/cwt	64.00–67.00	828	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,362	69.48/cwt	68.00–72.00	946	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,714	70.44/cwt	70.00–71.50	1,207	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	2,050	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	1,292	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,390	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	966	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	832	57.00/cwt	57.00–57.00	474	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,494	61.38/cwt	56.00–63.50	917	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,448	67.74/cwt	64.00–72.00	981	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	745	130.88/cwt	130.00–132.00	975	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	883	123.66/cwt	120.00–126.00	1,092	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	466	145.60/cwt	141.00–155.00	678	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	520	139.67/cwt	139.00–140.00	726	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	556	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	723	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	783	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,112	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	840	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	496	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	464	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	636	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	807	135.22/cwt	133.00–137.25	1,091	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	740	140.64/cwt	137.50–141.50	1,041	50
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,211	66.91/cwt	65.00–72.00	810	12
Bulls	—	—	1,601	78.27/cwt	72.00–82.00	1,253	14
Bulls	—	—	1,993	90.98/cwt	88.50–94.50	1,813	14
Bulls	—	—	1,837	85.38/cwt	82.00–89.00	1,568	37
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,565	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	2,052	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,070	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	599	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	492	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	787	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	820	140.80/cwt	140.00–141.00	1,155	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	926	128.56/cwt	128.50–129.00	1,190	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	317	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	463	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	399	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	658	34
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	773	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,028	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	954	120.50/cwt	120.50–120.50	1,150	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,563	69.31/cwt	69.00–69.75	1,083	19
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	674	133.35/cwt	133.00–133.50	899	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,433	67.45/cwt	64.50–69.00	967	8
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,083	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,137	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	905	103.00/cwt	103.00–103.00	932	3
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,072	118.75/cwt	118.75–118.75	1,273	19
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,025	122.79/cwt	121.00–123.25	1,259	43
Heifers	Medium 1Fleshy	—	666	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	889	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	656	138.67/cwt	137.50–141.00	910	36
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	615	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	824	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,205	60.05/cwt	55.00–63.50	724	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	534	154.62/cwt	147.00–158.50	826	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	142.12/cwt	139.00–144.00	819	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	433	176.81/cwt	166.00–180.00	766	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	956	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,224	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	722	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,047	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	819	134.50/cwt	134.50–134.50	1,102	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	774	139.02/cwt	136.00–140.00	1,076	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	767	139.26/cwt	136.50–140.50	1,068	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	783	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	990	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	971	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	1,126	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	911	124.82/cwt	124.75–125.00	1,137	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	967	123.71/cwt	123.00–125.00	1,196	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	875	130.28/cwt	127.50–132.00	1,140	30

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 →