Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-10-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-10-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling feeder steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Unweaned steer calves 400-549 lbs sold 3.00 to 5.00 lower. 550-649 lbs steers sold 5.00-10.00 lower, all other weights not well compared. Yearling heifers weighing less than 750 lbs sold mostly steady to 4.00 higher, heifers over 750 lbs sold steady to 2.00 higher. Unweaned heifer calves 450-500 lbs sold 6.00-12.00 lower. All other weights were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed with the exception of calves under 350 lbs which sold with higher undertones. Quality this week was plain to average on calves and average to attractive on yearlings. Demand for yearlings was mostly good, while demand for calves was mostly light. Warm, dry and dusty conditions weighed on the market this week as buyers showed reluctance to bid on offerings due to concern over calves health. Additionally many sets of calves had no preconditioning shots which further impaired demand. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand for light offerings. A two tier market has developed as packers and feeding buyers both showed good to very good demand for boning and breaking flesh cows and light demand for lean, thin fleshed cows. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher on boning and breaking cows, while lean cows sold 1.00-2.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower. Many cows were coming out of dry country and were very thin. Most cows had freshly weaned calves pulled off them and had heavy bags as a result. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week as many cows were very full. Young age re-breed type cows sold steady in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly plain to average this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $135.26/cwt on 992 head.

Average price

$135.26

992 head · 679 lb average

Value per head Derived

$918

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$301

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Small and Medium 2

$55.17/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.61

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	437	138.19	604	41
Medium and Large 1	719	136.94	984	840
Medium 1	540	136.75	738	27
Medium 1-2	400	134.11	537	18thin
Large 1	804	131.50	1,057	7thin
Medium 2	322	129.67	417	27
Medium and Large 2	473	118.00	558	6thin
Large 1-2	1,105	104.00	1,149	4thin
Small and Medium 2	364	83.02	303	22

One grade step is worth $55.17/cwt here — about $301 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 sale992 hd

135.26

—

MT average3 barns · 1,648 hd

136.86

−1.61

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	1,901	72.09	1,371	33
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,575	66.60	1,049	40
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,446	59.67	863	55
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,150	47.83	550	79

Every lot, as filed

94 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 1Unweaned	—	481	157.16/cwt	152.00–169.00	756	83
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	788	139.91/cwt	137.00–144.00	1,102	138
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	578	131.01/cwt	127.50–135.50	757	53
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	310	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	620	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	377	152.40/cwt	150.00–155.00	575	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	476	136.50/cwt	134.00–138.00	650	99
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	152.79/cwt	150.00–155.00	776	69
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	679	143.09/cwt	140.00–144.50	972	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	359	200.81/cwt	197.50–202.50	721	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	619	149.39/cwt	144.00–151.00	925	61
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	420	149.44/cwt	148.00–150.00	628	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	574	146.81/cwt	144.00–149.00	843	75
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	660	147.74/cwt	142.00–149.75	975	77
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	370	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	592	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	333	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	579	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	431	169.33/cwt	167.00–182.00	730	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	739	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,086	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	521	133.70/cwt	132.00–135.25	697	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	325	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	463	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	416	157.48/cwt	155.00–162.00	655	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	582	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	815	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	397	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	584	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	909	128.16/cwt	128.00–129.00	1,165	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	608	133.75/cwt	133.75–133.75	813	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,582	67.03/cwt	65.50–70.50	1,060	30
Bulls	—	—	1,850	75.02/cwt	72.00–77.00	1,388	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,226	54.49/cwt	51.50–57.50	668	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	951	51.00/cwt	51.00–51.00	485	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,187	53.97/cwt	50.00–59.00	641	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	438	136.20/cwt	131.00–138.00	597	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,268	66.23/cwt	65.00–67.50	840	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,618	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	1,133	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,195	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	801	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,305	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	992	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,715	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	909	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,379	59.71/cwt	56.50–64.00	823	13
Bulls	—	—	1,900	68.17/cwt	63.00–73.50	1,295	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,163	47.02/cwt	45.00–48.50	547	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,131	49.15/cwt	46.00–51.00	556	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,428	50.92/cwt	48.50–54.00	727	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,506	67.84/cwt	63.50–68.50	1,022	21
Bulls	—	—	2,118	79.59/cwt	78.50–80.50	1,686	5
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,105	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,149	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	395	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	537	14
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	418	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	533	4
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	374	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	576	5
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	446	142.49/cwt	140.00–145.00	636	6
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,075	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,000	2
Heifers	Medium 2	—	334	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	448	14
Heifers	Medium 1	—	632	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	860	12
Heifers	Medium 1	—	688	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	949	3
Steers	Medium 1	—	660	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	983	3
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	433	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	749	12
Heifers	Large 1	—	804	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	1,057	7
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	528	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	655	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	486	133.39/cwt	131.50–136.00	648	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	526	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	694	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	332	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	515	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	500	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	660	8
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	309	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	386	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	486	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	642	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,085	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	673	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	728	800.00/cwt	800.00–800.00	5,824	25
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,041	65.84/cwt	61.00–72.00	685	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,412	57.50/cwt	57.50–57.50	812	7
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	410	137.18/cwt	132.00–139.00	562	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,109	67.03/cwt	59.50–70.50	743	25
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,063	55.40/cwt	53.00–57.00	589	5
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	833	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	7,914	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,179	69.49/cwt	65.00–95.00	819	21
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,452	975.00/cwt	975.00–975.00	14,157	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	473	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	558	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	792	136.30/cwt	136.25–136.50	1,079	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	676	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	926	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	972	128.03/cwt	127.00–131.00	1,244	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	787	146.25/cwt	146.25–146.25	1,151	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	320	174.26/cwt	172.00–178.00	558	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,224	52.00/cwt	52.00–52.00	636	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	823	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	1,136	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	832	135.53/cwt	135.00–137.00	1,128	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	864	134.81/cwt	130.50–135.75	1,165	165
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	921	130.36/cwt	129.00–131.25	1,201	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	742	143.30/cwt	140.00–146.75	1,063	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	925	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,212	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,143	36.51/cwt	34.50–42.00	417	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,540	64.16/cwt	61.50–66.00	988	8
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,950	64.00/cwt	64.00–64.00	1,248	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,413	49.81/cwt	49.00–51.50	704	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	514	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	745	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	795	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,137	2
Heifers	Small and Medium 2Unweaned	—	376	86.18/cwt	80.00–92.50	324	14
Heifers	Small and Medium 2Unweaned	—	344	77.50/cwt	77.50–77.50	267	8
Steers	Small and Medium 2Unweaned	—	329	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	247	7
Steers	Small and Medium 2Unweaned	—	380	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	276	10

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 →