Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-05-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-05-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers were too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on a significantly lower quality offering this week. Feeder heifer 600-699 lbs offered the best test this week, selling 6.00-9.00 lower, quality was significantly lower than last week. All other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Feeder cattle quality was mostly plain this week. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Limited offerings caused buyers to be cautious as they bid as this was the last sale this week. Market activity was mostly slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed mostly good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher on all classes. Packers purchased cows they would normally feed for slaughter this week, limiting the volume of cows destined for feed. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher as they competed with packer buyers for high quality offerings. Cow and bull quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were mixed this sale. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold mostly steady to 4.00 higher. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $123.48/cwt on 341 head.

Average price

$123.48

341 head · 661 lb average

Value per head Derived

$816

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$100

per head · Medium 1 over Medium 2

$32.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.03

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	568	129.40	736	25
Medium and Large 1	675	126.78	855	204
Medium and Large 1-2	634	122.59	777	83
Medium and Large 2	801	97.96	784	14thin
Medium 2	653	97.40	636	15thin

One grade step is worth $32.00/cwt here — about $100 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 sale341 hd

123.48

—

MT average3 barns · 507 hd

123.51

−0.03

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	—	Average	1,856	81.74	1,517	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,457	59.22	863	53
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,630	58.63	956	15
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Low	1,526	58.24	889	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,184	56.28	666	120

Every lot, as filed

68 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
Bulls	—	—	1,970	83.75/cwt	80.50–88.50	1,650	10
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,085	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	1,042	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	850	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	918	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	743	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	854	3
Heifers	Medium 1	—	476	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	666	7
Heifers	Medium 1	—	696	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	766	7
Heifers	Medium 1	—	546	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	737	11
Heifers	Medium 2	—	580	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	644	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	836	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	953	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	831	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	947	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	605	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	908	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	838	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	985	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	884	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,034	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	847	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	889	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	577	150.53/cwt	149.50–153.00	869	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	679	139.77/cwt	137.50–141.00	949	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	724	134.44/cwt	129.00–136.50	973	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	569	137.48/cwt	135.00–138.00	782	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	605	130.89/cwt	130.00–133.00	792	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	684	127.88/cwt	123.00–130.75	875	100
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	466	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	664	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,117	50.78/cwt	46.00–54.00	567	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,154	54.25/cwt	53.50–54.50	626	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	875	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	691	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,160	56.96/cwt	56.50–58.00	661	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	857	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	831	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	550	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	737	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	603	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	772	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	741	109.80/cwt	109.50–110.00	814	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	473	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	629	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	522	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	689	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	676	120.85/cwt	118.00–122.50	817	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	528	156.85/cwt	156.00–158.00	828	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	940	57.00/cwt	57.00–57.00	536	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	888	49.72/cwt	45.00–54.00	442	2
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,658	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	928	11
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,430	59.88/cwt	57.50–62.50	856	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	—	790	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	672	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	750	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	840	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	834	95.50/cwt	95.50–95.50	796	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	750	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	923	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,638	58.52/cwt	58.00–59.00	959	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,145	41.00/cwt	41.00–41.00	469	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,213	61.87/cwt	61.50–63.00	750	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,262	58.24/cwt	56.50–59.50	735	39
Heifers	Medium 2	—	671	94.00/cwt	94.00–94.00	631	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	873	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	934	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	731	114.50/cwt	114.50–114.50	837	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	827	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	901	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,649	1,350.00/cwt	1,350.00–1,350.00	22,262	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,323	1,428.89/cwt	1,400.00–1,450.00	18,904	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,500	937.08/cwt	925.00–950.00	14,056	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,190	56.22/cwt	55.50–57.00	669	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,258	59.10/cwt	55.50–64.00	743	76
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	968	92.89/cwt	71.00–106.00	899	106
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,161	69.66/cwt	58.50–86.00	809	84
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,152	55.30/cwt	48.00–56.50	637	73
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	705	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	931	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	910	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	910	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	755	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	914	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	620	136.68/cwt	132.00–144.00	847	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,480	62.85/cwt	61.00–65.00	930	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,459	58.00/cwt	57.50–58.50	846	24
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,730	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	917	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,538	63.09/cwt	62.00–63.50	970	4
Bulls	—	—	2,253	89.50/cwt	89.50–89.50	2,016	2
Bulls	—	—	1,642	77.79/cwt	70.50–80.00	1,277	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,416	55.96/cwt	55.50–57.50	792	11

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 →