Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-02-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-02-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steers weighing less than 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady undertones were noticed; Feeder steers 450-599 lbs sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher, 600-799 lbs steers sold steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder heifers weighing less than 500 lbs sold sharply higher with most sales 15.00-18.00 higher, 500-599 lbs heifers sold 5.00-7.00 higher, 600-699 lbs heifers sold steady to 3.00 higher. Demand was mostly good for light to moderate offerings. Quality this sale was mostly attractive. Many long strings of "green", lightly fleshed calves were on offer this week as many were marketed as grass type calves. Calves also offered buyers fair weigh conditions with many long haul cattle in the offering. Most backgrounded cattle were pushing excess flesh this week. Market activity was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate offerings Packer buyers showed good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold steady to 1.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Very few attractive feeding type cows offered this sale. Most cows were of plain to average quality. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Notably, cows and bulls were very full this sale and offered buyers below average weigh up conditions, however, weigh conditions did improve slightly as the sale progressed. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $152.17/cwt on 894 head.

Average price

$152.17

894 head · 577 lb average

Value per head Derived

$879

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$473

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$40.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.06

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	283	167.50	474	7thin
Medium and Large 1	573	154.38	884	751
Medium and Large 1-2	605	141.51	856	112
Medium and Large 2	593	129.70	768	10thin
Large 1	743	127.50	947	14thin

One grade step is worth $40.00/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 sale894 hd

152.17

—

MT average3 barns · 1,270 hd

151.11

+1.06

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	1,888	82.17	1,552	3thin
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,320	64.50	851	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,654	57.50	951	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,439	55.06	792	74
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,164	50.68	590	88

Every lot, as filed

73 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
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,483	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	830	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,570	910.00/cwt	910.00–910.00	14,287	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	735	134.77/cwt	134.50–135.00	991	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	368	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	688	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,345	51.91/cwt	51.00–53.00	698	7
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	964	1,110.00/cwt	1,110.00–1,110.00	10,700	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	867	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,049	15
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,162	56.59/cwt	56.00–56.75	658	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	684	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	971	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	822	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	929	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	728	126.98/cwt	125.00–132.50	924	20
Heifers	Large 1	—	743	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	947	14
Heifers	Medium 1	—	283	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	474	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	850	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,063	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	672	147.26/cwt	144.75–153.00	990	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	382	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	688	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	437	168.19/cwt	167.00–169.00	735	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	639	135.77/cwt	135.00–136.00	868	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	585	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	790	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	522	153.43/cwt	152.00–154.00	801	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	—	743	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	906	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	528	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	702	7
Steers	Large 1	—	642	157.50/cwt	157.50–157.50	1,011	97
Bulls	—	—	1,715	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	1,501	1
Steers	Large 1-2	—	566	156.50/cwt	156.50–156.50	886	10
Steers	Large 1-2	—	600	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	858	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	813	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	1,085	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	887	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,144	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	795	136.50/cwt	136.50–136.50	1,085	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	907	128.98/cwt	128.00–129.50	1,170	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	838	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,140	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	434	191.20/cwt	186.00–199.00	830	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	638	156.83/cwt	154.00–161.50	1,001	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	785	146.24/cwt	138.50–147.00	1,148	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	532	179.30/cwt	174.00–184.00	954	96
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	583	169.89/cwt	163.00–179.00	990	128
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	772	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	996	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	772	136.50/cwt	136.50–136.50	1,054	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	803	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,028	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	583	158.39/cwt	156.00–160.00	923	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,382	58.35/cwt	55.00–61.50	806	77
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,403	61.71/cwt	61.25–66.00	866	48
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,103	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,235	42
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,055	73.88/cwt	57.00–97.00	779	147
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,127	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	597	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,189	56.50/cwt	56.50–56.50	672	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,130	56.01/cwt	52.00–65.00	633	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,001	39.00/cwt	39.00–39.00	390	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,224	54.68/cwt	53.00–58.75	669	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	424	175.79/cwt	174.00–179.00	745	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	458	174.57/cwt	167.00–177.50	800	76
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	621	145.27/cwt	140.00–148.75	902	100
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	526	161.69/cwt	156.00–165.00	850	128
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	667	137.39/cwt	130.00–138.75	916	145
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	581	154.47/cwt	147.00–160.00	897	244
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	423	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	783	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	981	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,128	4
Bulls	—	—	1,920	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	1,594	1
Bulls	—	—	2,030	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	1,543	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,400	61.00/cwt	61.00–61.00	854	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,430	53.68/cwt	53.00–53.75	768	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,448	55.86/cwt	54.00–59.00	809	40
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,654	57.50/cwt	57.50–57.50	951	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,185	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	711	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	710	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	895	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	464	189.04/cwt	186.00–191.00	877	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,180	50.91/cwt	43.00–52.50	601	62
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	908	42.44/cwt	40.00–50.00	385	5
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,320	64.50/cwt	64.50–64.50	851	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	913	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,013	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	615	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	830	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	518	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	818	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	735	144.30/cwt	142.50–147.50	1,061	80

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 →