Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-11-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-11-05

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers sold mostly 6.00-12.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Unweaned steer calves under 400 lbs sold mostly sharply lower, with most sale 15.00-20.00 lower; 400-599 lbs sold mostly steady to 4.00 higher; unweaned steers over 600 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. Yearling heifers sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Unweaned heifers sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher on all weights. Quality this sale was mixed from plain to attractive. Demand was mostly moderate for moderate to heavy offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for moderate offerings. Packers started buying short term feeding cows for the holiday season this sale. These cows were mostly thin to very thin and some even had slight blemishes. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower on a lower quality cow compared to last week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were below average as all cows and bulls were very full. 2-3 year olds sold steady to 4.00 higher.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $153.46/cwt on 2,700 head.

Average price

$153.46

2,700 head · 611 lb average

Value per head Derived

$938

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$482

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1-2

$45.95/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.52

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	465	161.95	753	58
Medium and Large 1	557	159.02	886	1,898
Medium and Large 1-2	505	157.65	796	288
Medium 2	425	131.31	558	52
Medium and Large 2	767	131.15	1,006	65
Large 1	1,026	126.04	1,293	302
Large 1-2	1,065	116.00	1,235	37

One grade step is worth $45.95/cwt here — about −$482 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 sale2,700 hd

153.46

—

MT average5 barns · 6,205 hd

155.98

−2.52

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	76.08	1,412	9thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,705	57.00	972	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,411	52.66	743	104
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,173	45.34	532	260

Every lot, as filed

103 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 1-2Unweaned	—	483	158.74/cwt	153.00–164.00	767	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	614	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	777	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	683	132.48/cwt	131.00–134.00	905	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	370	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	518	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	709	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	900	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	399	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	690	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	316	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	553	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	835	123.27/cwt	123.00–124.50	1,029	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,077	62.57/cwt	53.00–72.50	674	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	665	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	964	11
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	837	123.31/cwt	123.00–127.00	1,032	38
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,077	884.61/cwt	825.00–1,000.00	9,527	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	500	149.25/cwt	149.25–149.25	746	54
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	298	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	574	6
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	294	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	382	14
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	872	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,081	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	960	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,056	11
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	406	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	512	34
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	312	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	474	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,117	1,000.00/cwt	1,000.00–1,000.00	11,170	5
Bulls	—	—	2,065	81.50/cwt	81.50–81.50	1,683	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,124	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	629	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	924	77.00/cwt	62.00–85.00	711	73
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	420	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	706	21
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	484	159.54/cwt	151.50–164.00	772	33
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	400	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	584	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,193	46.22/cwt	43.00–48.00	551	182
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	364	119.23/cwt	105.00–122.00	434	47
Steers	Medium 2	—	759	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	911	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,498	55.50/cwt	55.50–55.50	831	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,212	51.76/cwt	49.00–55.50	627	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,045	49.00/cwt	49.00–49.00	512	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,072	40.59/cwt	34.00–42.00	435	30
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,430	54.11/cwt	51.00–60.00	774	37
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,851	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	1,462	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,449	62.77/cwt	62.00–63.00	910	19
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,560	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	1,154	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,705	57.00/cwt	57.00–57.00	972	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,108	37.09/cwt	33.00–42.00	411	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,195	44.00/cwt	44.00–44.00	526	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,369	47.39/cwt	45.00–50.00	649	40
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,379	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	621	4
Bulls	—	—	1,805	65.88/cwt	65.00–67.00	1,189	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,535	40.00/cwt	40.00–40.00	614	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	856	143.01/cwt	135.00–143.25	1,224	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	400	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	756	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	666	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	859	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	423	182.89/cwt	178.00–184.00	774	209
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	296	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	511	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	705	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	899	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	717	134.50/cwt	134.50–134.50	964	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	530	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	837	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	763	136.50/cwt	136.50–136.50	1,041	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	624	142.44/cwt	141.00–143.50	889	109
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	987	119.62/cwt	119.25–121.00	1,181	28
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	758	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	910	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	689	136.25/cwt	136.25–136.25	939	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	479	170.34/cwt	163.00–180.00	816	212
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	464	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	710	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	149.10/cwt	145.00–151.00	708	221
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	427	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	687	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	828	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	892	126.89/cwt	122.00–129.00	1,132	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	824	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,092	12
Steers	Large 1	—	1,018	126.96/cwt	124.50–127.25	1,292	227
Steers	Large 1	—	1,051	123.25/cwt	123.25–123.25	1,295	75
Steers	Large 1-2	—	1,065	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	1,235	37
Heifers	Medium 1	—	434	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	621	8
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	548	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	822	4
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	530	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	710	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	774	146.50/cwt	146.50–146.50	1,134	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	786	134.92/cwt	133.50–135.50	1,060	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	652	145.50/cwt	145.50–145.50	949	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	469	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	872	74
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	917	132.20/cwt	124.00–132.50	1,212	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	809	145.86/cwt	142.00–147.00	1,180	69
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	555	142.75/cwt	137.00–145.00	792	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	371	181.29/cwt	180.00–187.00	673	107
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	144.29/cwt	137.00–147.00	733	195
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	722	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	931	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	665	139.28/cwt	134.00–143.25	926	137
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	391	154.61/cwt	151.50–163.50	605	216
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	157.70/cwt	151.50–165.00	823	341
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	149.06/cwt	144.00–152.00	853	350
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	341	160.95/cwt	155.00–162.50	549	128
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	437	152.78/cwt	149.00–156.00	668	155
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	616	133.22/cwt	129.00–135.00	821	95
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	333	171.42/cwt	170.00–179.00	571	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	714	136.23/cwt	130.00–140.50	973	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	577	134.68/cwt	131.00–138.00	777	230
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	537	133.76/cwt	133.00–134.00	718	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	613	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	821	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	327	191.79/cwt	185.00–200.00	627	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	405	167.58/cwt	164.00–177.00	679	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	568	140.76/cwt	140.00–142.00	800	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	426	140.49/cwt	137.50–143.00	598	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	837	135.39/cwt	132.50–140.00	1,133	34
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	308	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	447	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	532	149.55/cwt	145.00–152.00	796	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	869	120.83/cwt	120.00–122.00	1,050	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	670	127.30/cwt	125.00–129.50	853	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	475	141.53/cwt	136.00–143.50	672	76
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	379	177.80/cwt	175.00–180.00	674	43

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 →