Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2019-10-07

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Mon, Oct 7
● Final29 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1775
← earliestOct 7Oct 14
Feeder Cattle receipts
180 head
1,548 vs last sale 1,728 180 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
251 head
71 vs last sale 180 251 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
150 head
43 vs last sale 107 150 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Also sold hereRegular saleThu Aug 13, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

This is the first Monday sale of the fall run therefore no comparisons can be made. Feeder steers and heifers sold on mostly light demand and offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Market activity was slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light offerings. Packers purchased the majority of the cows for immediate harvest. Weigh up conditions were mixed this sale. Most cows were showing wet bags and had calves freshly pulled off them this morning. Slaughter bulls sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Young re-breed cows sold on light demand for light to moderate offerings. Young age cows were of plain to average quality this week. Many offerings were in thin flesh, having freshly weaned calves.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $136.87/cwt on 35 head.
Average price
$136.87
35 head · 663 lb average
Value per head Derived
$908
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$459
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1
$20.46/cwt at this weight
vs the market
10.76
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1568140.9680128
Large 11,045120.501,2597thin
One grade step is worth $20.46/cwt here — about −$459 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 sale35 hd
136.87
MT average5 barns · 625 hd
147.62
−10.76
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
BullsLow1,84282.411,51825
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,80067.691,2183thin
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,35064.5287149
CowsLean 85-90%High1,15759.9369483

Every lot, as filed

29 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Mon)
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned359141.00/cwt141.00–141.005067
HeifersMedium and Large 1933126.50/cwt126.50–126.501,1808
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned693120.00/cwt120.00–120.008322
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned344144.00/cwt144.00–144.004954
BullsLarge 11,003100.00/cwt100.00–100.001,0032
BullsLarge 11,16185.00/cwt85.00–85.009875
HeifersLarge 11,008118.00/cwt118.00–118.001,1893
SteersLarge 11,045120.50/cwt120.50–120.501,2597
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned320162.31/cwt161.00–165.005193
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned427149.00/cwt149.00–149.006368
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned767130.49/cwt130.00–131.001,0018
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned599136.00/cwt136.00–136.008159
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,39564.30/cwt60.00–67.0089737
Stock CowsMedium and Large 193576.23/cwt64.00–78.0071358
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,19965.19/cwt64.50–65.5078210
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed77466.00/cwt66.00–66.005116
Bulls1,65973.21/cwt63.00–78.501,2156
Bulls2,11189.92/cwt89.00–93.001,8988
Bulls1,74681.97/cwt79.00–86.001,43111
CowsBoner 80-85%1,46270.25/cwt70.00–71.501,02711
CowsBoner 80-85%1,43662.36/cwt58.50–63.5089512
CowsBoner 80-85%1,45265.73/cwt65.00–69.5095415
CowsBoner 80-85%Light Weight1,00659.50/cwt59.50–59.5059911
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,50067.00/cwt67.00–67.001,0051
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,95068.03/cwt67.50–68.501,3272
CowsLean 85-90%1,23070.50/cwt70.50–70.508671
CowsLean 85-90%1,20763.86/cwt63.50–65.5077112
CowsLean 85-90%1,17659.40/cwt51.00–62.5069964
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight84856.00/cwt56.00–56.004756

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.