Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-11-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-11-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 450 lbs sold sharply lower with most sales 10.00-15.00 lower, 450-499 lbs steers sold mostly 5.00 lower, 500-699 lbs sold steady to 3.00 lower. All heifer calves sold steady to 4.00 lower, with the exception of 500-599 lbs heifers which sold steady to 2.00 higher. Quality this week was plain to attractive and significantly lower than last week. Limited load lots were seen this week. Calves were offered in mostly small to moderate size packages. Demand for lightweight calves was significantly lighter this week driven mostly by lighter demand from west coast grass operations which have slowed taking calves due to dry weather. Weaned calves have started to sell and demand was moderate to good. Many calves showed signs of stress this week as cold and snowy weather has been seen over the last couple days. Transportation issues limited demand as well as trucks are is very tight. Demand overall was light to moderate for heavy offerings. Market activity this week was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand this week and significantly higher than last week. All cows were very full this week offering buyers below average weigh up conditions. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested this week as most sold to feeding buyers. Feeding cows sold generally steady on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Thin fleshed cow destined for short term feed sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher as farmer feeders and packers both showed very good demand for these offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold generally steady on a plain to average quality offering.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $157.12/cwt on 2,296 head.

Average price

$157.12

2,296 head · 562 lb average

Value per head Derived

$883

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$416

per head · Medium and Large 2 over Large 1

$30.40/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.59

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	417	162.00	676	7thin
Medium and Large 1	571	157.79	901	1,862
Medium and Large 1-2	508	155.52	789	377
Medium 1	575	151.66	872	28
Medium 1-2	648	137.00	888	7thin
Large 1	829	131.60	1,091	15thin

One grade step is worth $30.40/cwt here — about −$416 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 sale2,296 hd

157.12

—

MT average5 barns · 5,776 hd

156.53

+0.59

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	1,757	71.20	1,251	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,435	55.10	791	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,180	48.23	569	13

Every lot, as filed

96 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 1Unweaned	—	671	147.84/cwt	144.00–151.75	992	144
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	550	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	809	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	675	134.50/cwt	134.00–135.00	908	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	425	159.27/cwt	155.00–162.00	677	109
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	894	144.50/cwt	144.50–144.50	1,292	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	521	160.43/cwt	152.00–165.00	836	334
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	577	153.32/cwt	147.00–157.00	885	424
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	927	139.73/cwt	138.75–140.50	1,295	28
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	472	151.71/cwt	144.00–157.00	716	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	729	127.77/cwt	127.00–131.00	931	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	137.70/cwt	134.00–141.50	793	277
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	381	163.33/cwt	159.00–165.00	622	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	971	139.75/cwt	139.75–139.75	1,357	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	601	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	920	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	953	130.75/cwt	130.75–130.75	1,246	23
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	411	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	723	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	716	151.50/cwt	151.50–151.50	1,085	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	384	188.90/cwt	186.00–196.00	725	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	513	151.50/cwt	151.50–151.50	777	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	451	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	717	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	388	182.06/cwt	178.00–188.00	706	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	530	159.86/cwt	158.00–160.00	847	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	525	143.95/cwt	137.00–150.00	756	338
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	617	135.73/cwt	131.00–140.00	837	104
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	426	180.91/cwt	176.00–185.00	771	131
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	478	152.51/cwt	145.00–160.00	729	383
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	722	144.17/cwt	138.00–149.25	1,041	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	468	169.14/cwt	161.00–175.50	792	187
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	874	133.76/cwt	132.00–134.00	1,169	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	331	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	662	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	919	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,176	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	626	148.44/cwt	144.00–152.75	929	323
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,216	52.44/cwt	43.00–54.00	638	20
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,227	54.33/cwt	53.50–56.00	667	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,277	57.65/cwt	56.50–59.50	736	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,069	53.68/cwt	51.00–56.00	574	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,017	69.81/cwt	60.00–76.00	710	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	956	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	1,228	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,475	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	664	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,535	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	2,003	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,015	37.50/cwt	37.50–37.50	381	1
Bulls	—	—	1,766	73.85/cwt	71.50–77.00	1,304	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,197	48.15/cwt	43.50–51.00	576	10
Bulls	—	—	1,589	65.92/cwt	57.00–70.00	1,047	5
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	617	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	845	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,057	121.75/cwt	121.75–121.75	1,287	9
Steers	Large 1Full	—	1,124	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,371	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	635	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,330	59.27/cwt	59.00–59.50	788	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,478	55.54/cwt	54.00–58.00	821	4
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	475	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	755	13
Heifers	Medium 1	—	772	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,062	5
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	986	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	937	4
Steers	Large 1	—	1,002	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,303	3
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	—	579	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	799	6
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,109	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,298	2
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	345	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	521	11
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	648	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	888	7
Steers	Medium 1	—	743	143.50/cwt	143.50–143.50	1,066	9
Heifers	Medium 1	—	702	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	955	22
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	539	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	798	6
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	425	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	650	30
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,436	57.71/cwt	54.00–63.00	829	43
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,145	975.00/cwt	975.00–975.00	11,164	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,094	850.00/cwt	850.00–850.00	9,299	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,069	70.77/cwt	69.00–83.00	757	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,222	52.95/cwt	52.50–54.00	647	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,348	59.15/cwt	54.50–65.50	797	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	477	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	620	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	404	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	562	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	774	141.76/cwt	136.00–144.00	1,097	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	636	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	871	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	299	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	586	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	655	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	973	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	529	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	799	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	709	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	957	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	360	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	576	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	621	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	795	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	482	157.45/cwt	151.00–159.50	759	147
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	579	141.19/cwt	136.00–145.00	817	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	576	131.48/cwt	128.00–134.00	757	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	662	137.51/cwt	133.00–142.00	910	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	535	147.05/cwt	140.00–151.00	787	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	639	138.92/cwt	134.00–142.00	888	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	323	154.32/cwt	152.00–157.00	498	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	522	133.86/cwt	128.00–138.00	699	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	349	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	642	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	396	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	564	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	444	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	741	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	425	147.55/cwt	145.00–150.50	627	57
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	653	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	803	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	472	141.79/cwt	139.00–145.00	669	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	766	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,034	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	417	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	676	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	380	154.05/cwt	149.00–159.50	585	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	556	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	667	5

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 →