Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-12-19
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-12-19

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for yearlings was mostly good on light offerings. Yearling quality this sale was average to attractive overall. 550-599 lbs steer calves offered the best test this week selling 1.00-2.00 higher. All other weights of steer calves were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on a significantly lower quality offering compared to last week. Heifer calves 400-649 lbs sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher. All other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Heifer quality was noticeably higher than steer quality this week. Most of this weeks offering was un-weaned, however most calves had two rounds of preconditioning shots. Demand overall was uneven. Market activity this week was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Packers were very selective this week as they purchased both slaughter cows and feeding cows on lighter demand again this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-7.00 lower. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower, however thin cows sold sharply lower. Significantly lighter packer demand allowed all cows to fall in price. Thin cows sold on the lightest demand this week with packer buyers showing little to no interest for these type offerings. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold steady to 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $146.90/cwt on 703 head.

Average price

$146.90

703 head · 542 lb average

Value per head Derived

$796

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$572

per head · Medium 1-2 over Large 1-2

$27.06/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.90

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1-2	460	149.56	688	32
Medium and Large 1	537	147.62	793	577
Medium and Large 1-2	551	143.14	789	85
Large 1	1,037	130.12	1,349	5thin
Large 1-2	1,029	122.50	1,261	4thin

One grade step is worth $27.06/cwt here — about −$572 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 sale703 hd

146.90

—

MT average4 barns · 2,740 hd

143.00

+3.90

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	1,656	73.21	1,212	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,453	43.47	631	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,203	35.29	425	90

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	—	411	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	637	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	472	157.48/cwt	146.00–168.00	743	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	767	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	989	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	481	174.67/cwt	167.00–177.50	840	80
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	502	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	708	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	522	147.55/cwt	145.50–149.50	770	59
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	613	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	910	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	355	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	550	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	538	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	818	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	610	140.77/cwt	140.00–141.00	859	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,072	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	1,313	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	426	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	639	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	456	146.24/cwt	146.00–147.00	667	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	327	171.18/cwt	170.00–172.50	560	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	565	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	808	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	493	155.48/cwt	154.00–157.50	767	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	431	148.56/cwt	148.00–149.00	640	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	328	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	558	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	576	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	881	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,226	41.57/cwt	40.50–44.00	510	32
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,414	54.27/cwt	48.00–61.00	767	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	424	169.84/cwt	168.00–175.00	720	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	387	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	658	45
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,211	47.55/cwt	46.00–47.75	576	66
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	390	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	624	3
Steers	Large 1-2	—	1,198	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,330	7
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,029	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	1,261	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	940	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,222	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	680	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	938	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	389	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	619	22
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,360	51.23/cwt	45.00–57.50	697	109
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,438	42.56/cwt	36.00–45.00	612	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,197	48.39/cwt	45.00–55.00	579	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,244	900.00/cwt	900.00–900.00	11,196	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	908	134.61/cwt	132.50–135.00	1,222	26
Steers	Large 1	—	1,020	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	1,362	1
Steers	Large 1	—	1,150	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,380	4
Steers	Large 1	—	1,061	132.26/cwt	127.00–133.25	1,403	52
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,037	130.12/cwt	127.50–130.75	1,349	5
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	669	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	843	8
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	408	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	571	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	665	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	851	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	453	174.56/cwt	171.00–175.50	791	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	960	132.17/cwt	131.50–132.50	1,269	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	671	142.24/cwt	142.00–144.00	954	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	355	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	635	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	930	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,004	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	830	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	979	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,334	59.92/cwt	50.50–64.25	799	71
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,297	44.00/cwt	44.00–44.00	571	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	156.82/cwt	155.00–159.00	903	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	330	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	635	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,196	62.08/cwt	52.00–73.00	742	46
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,051	75.06/cwt	62.00–93.00	789	95
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	389	153.95/cwt	153.50–154.50	599	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	500	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	815	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	543	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	760	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	147.89/cwt	144.00–154.00	932	69
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,533	48.47/cwt	48.00–49.00	743	2
Bulls	—	—	1,593	66.41/cwt	62.00–72.50	1,058	7
Bulls	—	—	2,195	91.50/cwt	91.50–91.50	2,008	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,204	25.25/cwt	22.00–31.00	304	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,203	38.28/cwt	31.00–43.00	461	64
Bulls	—	—	1,640	78.09/cwt	75.50–82.50	1,281	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	466	153.08/cwt	150.00–157.00	713	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	478	153.62/cwt	150.00–156.50	734	69
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	683	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	888	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	527	145.59/cwt	142.00–147.75	767	114
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	737	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,024	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	687	148.25/cwt	148.25–148.25	1,018	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	529	163.56/cwt	160.00–170.00	865	35
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	553	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	758	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	142.44/cwt	140.00–146.00	1,030	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	942	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,366	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	617	145.37/cwt	137.00–148.00	897	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	433	157.99/cwt	157.00–158.25	684	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	562	162.24/cwt	161.00–162.75	912	82
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	778	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,043	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	568	146.85/cwt	144.75–149.50	834	79
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	435	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	783	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	141.58/cwt	137.00–146.00	810	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	345	150.99/cwt	150.00–152.00	521	22

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 →