Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-01-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-01-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for yearlings continues to be good dispute offerings starting to show age. Yearling quality this sale was average to attractive. Feeder steers weighing less than 450 lbs were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply higher undertones were noticed. 450-749 lbs steers sold mostly 10.00-14.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Feeder heifer weighing less than 400 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply higher undertones were noticed. 400-649 lbs heifers sold mostly 6.00-12.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly very attractive. Many loads of high quality weaned cattle were on offer this sale. Many of these offerings were weaned 60 days or longer. With a mostly open mild winter many calves were weaned out on hay meadows. Calves on offer were very clean and open haired this sale. Additionally, calves were in mostly thin to light flesh. Buyers showed strong premiums for green, thin fleshed weaned cattle this sale. The stands were packed throughout today's long sale with many buyers ringside. As a result market activity was mostly very active. Weigh up cows sold with mostly light to moderate demand on very light offerings. Packers showed mostly light to moderate demand for slaughter cows this sale. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 higher than last sale. All feeding cows were too lightly test to develop any market trend. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend however higher undertones were noticed. Cows and bulls offered mostly below average weigh up conditions this sale as all were pushing moderate to heavy fill.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $154.32/cwt on 2,714 head.

Average price

$154.32

2,714 head · 561 lb average

Value per head Derived

$866

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$473

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$22.40/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.33

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	558	155.90	870	2,355
Medium and Large 1-2	550	145.70	801	270
Medium and Large 2	455	142.47	649	51
Large 1	1,006	133.50	1,343	38

One grade step is worth $22.40/cwt here — about −$473 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 sale2,714 hd

154.32

—

MT average3 barns · 3,431 hd

153.99

+0.33

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	1,785	75.90	1,355	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,225	40.27	493	36

Every lot, as filed

81 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	—	525	177.86/cwt	173.00–182.00	934	299
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	561	169.57/cwt	164.00–176.00	951	266
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	613	150.57/cwt	149.00–154.00	923	17
Steers	Large 1-2	—	706	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,017	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	691	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	891	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	634	163.44/cwt	157.00–166.00	1,036	409
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	440	172.58/cwt	169.00–174.75	759	97
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	676	140.27/cwt	138.00–143.50	948	172
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	524	160.03/cwt	153.00–163.00	839	797
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	719	136.39/cwt	133.00–139.50	981	67
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	793	134.60/cwt	134.50–138.00	1,067	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	367	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	642	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	443	161.82/cwt	160.00–165.00	717	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	642	135.54/cwt	135.00–138.00	870	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	891	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,158	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	396	166.50/cwt	166.50–166.50	659	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	460	167.61/cwt	160.00–172.50	771	220
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	628	143.32/cwt	141.00–148.00	900	315
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	594	142.94/cwt	142.50–145.00	849	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	488	155.52/cwt	149.00–159.00	759	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	533	141.52/cwt	138.50–152.00	754	97
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	812	136.84/cwt	133.50–137.00	1,111	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	577	151.14/cwt	146.00–155.00	872	352
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	674	134.95/cwt	134.00–137.50	910	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,237	40.15/cwt	36.00–46.00	497	32
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,006	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	1,343	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	348	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	619	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	935	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,262	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	346	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	502	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	429	144.97/cwt	142.50–149.00	622	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	604	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	930	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	401	182.33/cwt	182.00–183.00	731	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	552	159.50/cwt	159.50–159.50	880	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	490	200.50/cwt	200.50–200.50	982	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	516	187.80/cwt	186.00–189.00	969	64
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,190	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	559	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,145	49.00/cwt	49.00–49.00	561	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	416	181.75/cwt	181.75–181.75	756	112
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	674	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	863	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	575	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	794	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	733	150.50/cwt	150.50–150.50	1,103	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	428	206.73/cwt	191.00–215.00	885	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	547	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	930	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	492	186.50/cwt	186.50–186.50	918	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	624	160.57/cwt	157.50–164.00	1,002	77
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	586	150.46/cwt	149.00–151.00	882	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	605	168.75/cwt	168.75–168.75	1,021	100
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	836	140.75/cwt	140.75–140.75	1,177	43
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	740	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	977	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	636	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	878	24
Bulls	—	—	1,776	75.05/cwt	66.00–78.00	1,333	11
Bulls	—	—	1,808	78.25/cwt	78.00–78.50	1,415	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,080	32.00/cwt	32.00–32.00	346	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	50.39/cwt	49.00–52.00	592	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,427	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	756	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,238	66.69/cwt	62.00–84.00	826	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,382	57.54/cwt	56.00–61.00	795	22
Steers	Large 1-2	—	565	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	898	11
Steers	Large 1-2	—	805	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,119	12
Steers	Large 1-2	—	637	146.09/cwt	144.00–158.00	931	19
Steers	Medium 1	—	682	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	955	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	673	156.51/cwt	154.00–161.25	1,053	201
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	816	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,093	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	421	185.41/cwt	180.00–190.00	781	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	676	147.05/cwt	140.00–152.50	994	52
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	497	175.63/cwt	175.00–176.00	873	19
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	503	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	744	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	727	141.73/cwt	138.00–143.00	1,030	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	767	137.80/cwt	137.00–143.00	1,057	15
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	420	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	672	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	380	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	695	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	431	205.61/cwt	190.00–215.00	886	194
Steers	Medium 1	—	445	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	823	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	473	188.19/cwt	178.00–198.00	890	235
Steers	Medium 1	—	488	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	805	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	389	203.30/cwt	197.00–216.00	791	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	765	149.10/cwt	145.25–151.00	1,141	58
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	708	152.72/cwt	147.00–155.00	1,081	115
Steers	Medium 1	—	535	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	888	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	538	167.68/cwt	146.00–178.00	902	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	588	159.38/cwt	151.00–163.00	937	104

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 →