Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-11-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-11-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was mostly good on light offerings. Quality this week was average to attractive. Steer calves under 550 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 higher, steers heavier than 550 lbs sold steady to firm. Heifer calves weighing less than 550 lbs sold mostly steady to 4.00 higher, heifer calves heavier than 550 lbs sold steady to weak. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive and much more attractive than the last two sales. Demand overall was moderate to good for moderate offerings. Calves were much fresher appearing this week as warmer, drier weather has helped dry up lot and pen conditions. Rain is forecasted for the west coast early next week which help improve prices for lightweight calves. Weaned calves are started to be marketed. Buyers showed good demand for healthy appearing, weaned calves which were given two rounds of shots and weaned over 45 days. Calves with fall preconditioning shots continue to sell with a premium to non vaccinated of calves with only one round of preconditioning shots. Market activity this week was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for light to moderate offerings. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this week, however an improvement from last week. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week to develop any market trend. Most cows are destined for a feedlot this week. All classes of feeding cows sold mostly 3.00 to 6.00 lower. Packers and other feeding buyers have feedlots near capacity as they have been sending heavy supplies of cows for over a month. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold with steady to weak undertones. Quality was mostly average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $159.64/cwt on 1,550 head.

Average price

$159.64

1,550 head · 573 lb average

Value per head Derived

$914

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$161

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

$23.99/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.24

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	562	161.18	906	1,329
Medium and Large 1-2	553	157.20	869	116
Medium 1	364	150.00	546	18thin
Medium 1-2	445	148.68	661	22
Large 1	1,005	139.31	1,399	54
Medium and Large 2	543	137.18	745	11thin

One grade step is worth $23.99/cwt here — about $161 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 sale1,550 hd

159.64

—

MT average5 barns · 4,180 hd

158.40

+1.24

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	1,911	77.64	1,484	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,510	66.00	997	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,202	36.34	437	7thin

Every lot, as filed

82 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	932	132.48/cwt	130.50–135.00	1,235	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	611	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	874	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	522	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	647	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	478	151.13/cwt	145.00–156.00	722	138
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	563	136.61/cwt	136.50–137.00	769	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	389	153.77/cwt	152.00–156.00	598	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	566	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	843	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	530	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	681	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	471	142.73/cwt	138.00–145.00	672	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	486	163.50/cwt	163.50–163.50	795	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	916	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,246	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	438	175.46/cwt	164.00–179.50	769	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	721	130.50/cwt	130.50–130.50	941	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	578	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	775	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	885	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	1,164	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	545	153.64/cwt	153.50–154.00	837	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	329	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	503	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	583	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	866	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	568	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	750	20
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	960	79.56/cwt	62.00–92.00	764	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,078	65.81/cwt	56.00–69.00	709	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	661	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	925	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	378	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	703	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	648	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	868	20
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	501	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	706	5
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	429	141.14/cwt	130.00–149.00	605	33
Heifers	Medium 1	—	752	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	978	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	532	134.20/cwt	132.00–137.00	714	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	422	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	629	10
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	478	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	586	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,349	54.12/cwt	50.00–64.00	730	26
Bulls	—	—	1,750	82.50/cwt	82.50–82.50	1,444	1
Steers	Large 1	—	1,085	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,400	1
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	456	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	679	15
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	421	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	623	7
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	364	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	546	18
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	379	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	584	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,033	129.25/cwt	129.25–129.25	1,335	6
Steers	Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,003	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	1,399	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	638	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	817	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,086	53.18/cwt	45.00–56.00	578	7
Bulls	—	—	1,745	68.98/cwt	61.00–73.50	1,204	5
Bulls	—	—	2,210	77.46/cwt	71.00–80.50	1,712	4
Bulls	—	—	1,893	81.20/cwt	80.00–86.50	1,537	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,510	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	997	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,185	34.56/cwt	32.00–35.00	410	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,305	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	613	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	422	158.42/cwt	157.00–160.00	669	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	383	199.05/cwt	195.00–210.00	762	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	526	163.66/cwt	155.00–168.00	861	341
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	666	147.37/cwt	144.00–150.00	981	66
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,305	54.89/cwt	52.50–68.50	716	37
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,322	50.14/cwt	48.00–54.50	663	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	663	132.29/cwt	130.00–133.00	877	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	761	138.68/cwt	138.00–140.50	1,055	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,301	45.89/cwt	42.50–48.00	597	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	847	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	1,088	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	765	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	1,067	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	673	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	861	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	707	143.17/cwt	140.00–149.00	1,012	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	427	186.58/cwt	180.00–194.00	797	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	577	153.46/cwt	150.00–158.50	885	190
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	580	153.54/cwt	153.00–154.00	891	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	725	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	892	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	574	135.60/cwt	132.00–136.50	778	178
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	310	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	504	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	906	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,287	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	141.48/cwt	136.50–146.00	739	174
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	382	162.82/cwt	161.00–164.00	622	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	631	151.30/cwt	144.00–155.50	955	266
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	602	155.05/cwt	154.50–156.00	933	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	524	164.37/cwt	160.50–169.50	861	59
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	725	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,022	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	300	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	615	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	643	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	874	25
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	601	134.71/cwt	134.00–135.00	810	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	610	132.62/cwt	130.00–138.00	809	104
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	318	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	572	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	473	152.32/cwt	150.50–154.00	720	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	177.91/cwt	167.50–188.00	836	191
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	704	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,056	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	848	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,204	8

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 →