Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2020-06-04

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Jun 4
● Final56 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
319 head
1,191 vs last sale 1,510 9 vs year ago 310 · +2.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
225 head
35 vs last sale 190 40 vs year ago 185 · +21.6%
Replacement Cattle receipts
560 head
796 vs last sale 1,356 307 vs year ago 867 · 35.4%
Also sold here(Mon)Thu Apr 16, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on a much lower quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain to average, with the exception of a few replacement quality heifers which were average to attractive. Calves were mostly offered in small to moderate size packages this sale. Demand was mostly light to moderate for light offerings. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows comprised the majority of the sale today. Demand for cows was mostly moderate to good. Several feeding buyers were on hand today purchasing cows to feed. This helped create a very active market for high quality feeding type cattle. Feeding cows sold fully steady this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher as packers were forced to compete with feeding buyers over offerings at times. Cow quality this sale was average to attractive. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower. Lighter demand for re-breed type cattle caused this class of cattle to slide lower. Quality this week was mostly average.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $133.76/cwt on 169 head.
Average price
$133.76
169 head · 644 lb average
Value per head Derived
$862
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$43
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$10.09/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+0.76
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1638137.76879102
Medium and Large 1-2654127.6783567
One grade step is worth $10.09/cwt here — about $43 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 sale169 hd
133.76
MT average3 barns · 673 hd
132.99
+0.76
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsHigh1,83389.361,63831
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,43862.2489545
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,68262.071,0449thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,21959.4372487

Every lot, as filed

56 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1-21,4541,237.01/cwt1,200.00–1,275.0017,9864
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Fleshy813104.00/cwt104.00–104.008464
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy559136.00/cwt136.00–136.007604
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,12655.36/cwt52.00–57.006238
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,35860.50/cwt55.00–65.0082266
Heifer PairsMedium and Large 11,4121,450.00/cwt1,450.00–1,450.0020,4743
HeifersMedium and Large 1Replacement693141.50/cwt141.50–141.5098115
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,21767.87/cwt60.00–93.50826146
SteersMedium and Large 1-2570159.49/cwt159.00–160.009092
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-278874.00/cwt74.00–74.005833
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,35962.73/cwt59.50–66.5085385
Stock CowsMedium and Large 199484.18/cwt71.00–98.0083795
SteersMedium and Large 1618158.61/cwt156.50–159.0098013
BullsMedium and Large 11,4161,700.00/cwt1,700.00–1,700.0024,0723
Stock CowsLarge 192073.50/cwt73.50–73.506761
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2497144.00/cwt144.00–144.0071612
SteersMedium and Large 1-2693145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,0052
SteersMedium and Large 1-2453175.00/cwt175.00–175.007933
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,22059.41/cwt58.75–62.007254
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2634130.50/cwt130.50–130.5082715
SteersMedium and Large 1-2513170.00/cwt170.00–170.008722
SteersLarge 11,028108.00/cwt108.00–108.001,1106
SteersLarge 1Fleshy1,072102.50/cwt102.50–102.501,0993
BullsLarge 11,09592.00/cwt92.00–92.001,0071
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed86580.00/cwt80.00–80.006921
BullsMedium and Large 1663135.00/cwt135.00–135.008956
HeifersMedium and Large 1Replacement767134.00/cwt134.00–134.001,02816
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,13655.80/cwt55.00–58.006344
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1831,162.95/cwt1,125.00–1,200.0013,7586
SteersMedium and Large 1714146.50/cwt146.50–146.501,0467
CowsLean 85-90%1,24462.10/cwt60.00–63.5077345
HeifersMedium and Large 1Replacement703140.06/cwt135.00–141.509859
HeifersMedium and Large 1681131.61/cwt131.00–133.0089632
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy491144.39/cwt143.00–146.0070917
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy409146.00/cwt146.00–146.005979
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2716124.41/cwt122.00–125.0089115
Bulls1,93496.28/cwt94.00–101.001,86213
CowsLean 85-90%1,30365.31/cwt63.50–67.008512
CowsBoner 80-85%1,42665.15/cwt64.50–66.0092913
Bulls1,80387.79/cwt84.00–92.501,58313
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,80062.74/cwt62.00–65.001,1294
CowsBoner 80-85%1,44862.46/cwt61.00–63.0090424
CowsLean 85-90%1,22556.87/cwt51.00–60.5069735
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight88452.54/cwt48.00–56.004644
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,56058.33/cwt58.00–58.509103
Bulls1,65075.43/cwt61.00–82.001,2455
CowsBoner 80-85%1,42757.95/cwt57.00–59.008277
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,62866.36/cwt65.50–67.001,0802
CowsLean 85-90%1,04545.00/cwt45.00–45.004701
CowsBoner 80-85%1,41549.00/cwt49.00–49.006931
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Fleshy850104.00/cwt104.00–104.008846
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy591151.00/cwt151.00–151.008924
BullsMedium and Large 1215292.67/cwt285.00–300.006294
SteersMedium and Large 1519178.00/cwt178.00–178.0092419
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2579134.00/cwt134.00–134.0077612
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2772118.00/cwt118.00–118.009113

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.