Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-10-31
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-10-31

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were scarcely tested thus no trend is available. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Steer calves under 400 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Steer calves 400-549 lbs sold mostly 6.00-12.00 higher, steer calves over 550 lbs sold generally steady. Heifer calves weighing less than 400 lbs sold mostly 8.00-12.00 higher, heifer calves 400 lbs and heavier sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Many long strings of very attractive calves were seen this week. Calves with fall preconditioning shots continue to sell with the best demand. These calves sold with a premium to calves with no shots or only spring shots. Demand overall was mostly moderate to good on heavy offerings. A mix of order buyers and farmer feeders were seen again this week. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for mostly moderate offerings. Packer buyers purchased slaughter cows on mostly light demand this week, however demand was stronger than last week. The best demand for slaughter cows was for fleshy breaking cows. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows sold exclusively to feed last week thus no trend is available. Packers continue to put the majority of cows on feed. Feeding cows sold generally steady on a lower quality offering. Slaughter bulls sold unevenly steady in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to re-breed were too lightly tested to trend, however higher undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $164.54/cwt on 2,049 head.

Average price

$164.54

2,049 head · 537 lb average

Value per head Derived

$883

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$162

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

$8.92/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+6.84

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	539	164.94	889	1,914
Medium 1	486	162.00	787	14thin
Medium and Large 1-2	525	159.05	835	98
Medium 1-2	466	156.02	727	23

One grade step is worth $8.92/cwt here — about $162 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 sale2,049 hd

164.54

—

MT average5 barns · 5,276 hd

157.70

+6.84

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	1,871	71.66	1,341	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,755	63.50	1,114	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,456	48.06	700	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,300	44.25	575	35

Every lot, as filed

74 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	479	169.50/cwt	169.50–169.50	812	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	541	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	795	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	646	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	866	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	428	183.50/cwt	183.50–183.50	785	21
Heifers	Large 1Full	—	1,037	114.50/cwt	114.50–114.50	1,187	15
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,104	116.50/cwt	116.50–116.50	1,286	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,415	59.72/cwt	51.00–69.00	845	57
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	594	146.12/cwt	141.00–148.00	868	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	388	188.34/cwt	181.00–193.50	731	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	629	139.54/cwt	133.00–142.00	878	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	466	165.41/cwt	155.00–169.00	771	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	531	151.43/cwt	150.00–156.00	804	21
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,235	1,110.00/cwt	1,110.00–1,110.00	13,709	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,400	57.06/cwt	50.00–59.00	799	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	391	156.66/cwt	156.00–157.00	613	17
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,020	120.70/cwt	119.00–121.50	1,231	20
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	682	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	887	6
Heifers	Medium 2	—	368	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	442	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	908	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,180	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	893	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,188	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	348	168.16/cwt	168.00–169.00	585	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	670	137.33/cwt	136.00–138.00	920	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	377	208.90/cwt	196.00–211.00	788	27
Bulls	—	—	1,643	68.00/cwt	68.00–68.00	1,117	2
Bulls	—	—	1,922	72.47/cwt	68.50–74.00	1,393	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,489	49.92/cwt	48.00–56.00	743	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,427	46.46/cwt	43.50–48.50	663	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,600	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	1,040	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	1,910	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	1,184	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,177	35.92/cwt	33.50–37.00	423	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,291	43.65/cwt	40.00–45.50	564	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	810	33.00/cwt	33.00–33.00	267	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,397	49.07/cwt	49.00–50.00	686	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	814	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	1,087	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	415	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	633	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	328	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	541	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	288	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	498	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	513	131.19/cwt	130.00–133.50	673	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	605	130.87/cwt	125.00–132.00	792	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	491	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	707	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	387	167.76/cwt	167.50–171.00	649	63
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	673	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	935	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	265	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	570	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	416	160.55/cwt	156.50–163.50	668	91
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	573	137.76/cwt	135.00–139.50	789	110
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	621	138.05/cwt	134.00–140.50	857	186
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	531	141.60/cwt	137.00–148.00	752	292
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	471	156.36/cwt	145.00–161.00	736	315
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,295	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	583	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	428	152.08/cwt	148.00–156.00	651	42
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	486	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	787	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,012	75.62/cwt	67.00–92.00	765	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,113	69.01/cwt	58.00–75.00	768	29
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,399	62.41/cwt	59.00–69.00	873	22
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,241	44.06/cwt	41.00–47.00	547	36
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,216	45.25/cwt	44.00–46.00	550	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,170	47.09/cwt	46.00–51.00	551	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,223	45.50/cwt	45.50–45.50	556	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,060	119.50/cwt	119.50–119.50	1,267	11
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	696	140.50/cwt	140.50–140.50	978	5
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	483	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	681	6
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	361	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	614	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	786	139.48/cwt	139.00–141.00	1,096	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	707	147.35/cwt	144.00–150.50	1,042	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	813	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,163	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	337	214.03/cwt	207.00–220.00	721	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	416	192.87/cwt	178.00–202.00	802	159
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	666	147.46/cwt	145.00–152.50	982	171
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	632	149.66/cwt	143.00–153.50	946	216
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	582	153.90/cwt	150.00–159.00	896	301
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	480	175.97/cwt	166.00–181.50	845	436
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	534	161.16/cwt	157.50–166.50	861	550
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	539	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	658	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	700	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	973	3

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 →