Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2019-11-04

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Mon, Nov 4
● Final52 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1775
Feeder Cattle receipts
855 head
319 vs last sale 536 855 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
170 head
53 vs last sale 117 170 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
1,282 head
884 vs last sale 398 1,282 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

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers calves sold steady to firm compared to last week. Yearlings were scarcely traded this sale thus no trend is available. Quality this sale was mixed from plain to attractive. Demand for calves was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for mostly heavy offerings. Packers showed stronger demand for cows destined for immediate harvest this week. All classes of slaughter cows sold 3.00-5.00 higher. Large frame, fleshy cows sold with the best demand again this week. Packers continue to put most of the cow offering on feed and continue to be very aggressive as they secure offerings for slaughter for January-March as well as older thin cows for the holiday lull. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher this sale. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young re-breed cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Young age cows were of average to attractive quality this week. Many offerings continue to be in thin flesh having freshly weaned calves. These offerings sold with higher undertones on a higher quality offering.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $156.68/cwt on 297 head.
Average price
$156.68
297 head · 511 lb average
Value per head Derived
$800
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$582
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1
$29.36/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 1-2472159.36752118
Medium and Large 1517158.69820135
Medium 2456147.5067314thin
Medium and Large 2509146.3374421
Large 11,026130.001,3349thin
One grade step is worth $29.36/cwt here — about −$582 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 sale297 hd
156.68
MT average5 barns · 5,589 hd
157.44
−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
BullsAverage1,66065.911,0944thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,66263.311,0523thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,35851.0469311
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,19243.8152228

Every lot, as filed

52 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
Bred CowsLarge 11,440800.00/cwt800.00–800.0011,5203
SteersMedium and Large 2Unweaned614135.00/cwt135.00–135.0082910
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned574150.05/cwt148.00–153.0086151
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,06059.00/cwt59.00–59.006252
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,21348.00/cwt48.00–48.005822
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,27046.77/cwt45.50–47.0059419
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,2301,000.00/cwt1,000.00–1,000.0012,3001
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,43267.97/cwt67.75–69.0097311
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,15366.58/cwt61.00–74.5076815
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,00682.67/cwt76.50–88.5083250
SteersMedium and Large 2Unweaned491149.00/cwt149.00–149.007327
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned361157.00/cwt157.00–157.005675
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned495130.00/cwt130.00–130.006443
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2919126.00/cwt126.00–126.001,1584
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned522139.04/cwt135.00–140.0072658
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned476143.24/cwt137.50–150.0068251
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned565135.00/cwt135.00–135.0076323
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned616133.50/cwt133.50–133.5082215
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,0031,150.00/cwt1,150.00–1,150.0011,53514
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,445810.00/cwt810.00–810.0011,7052
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,221825.00/cwt825.00–825.0010,0734
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS1,156910.00/cwt910.00–910.0010,52012
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,33957.13/cwt48.00–65.0076582
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned422152.00/cwt152.00–152.0064133
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned459165.13/cwt163.00–171.0075872
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned379180.00/cwt180.00–180.006824
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned315187.61/cwt177.50–191.0059114
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned433169.17/cwt167.00–170.0073314
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned481155.62/cwt154.00–158.0074943
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned535148.79/cwt147.50–149.0079643
SteersMedium and Large 2Unweaned276170.00/cwt170.00–170.004694
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,15546.13/cwt45.00–49.005334
BullsMedium and Large 1Unweaned403164.00/cwt164.00–164.006612
BullsMedium and Large 1Unweaned679133.00/cwt133.00–133.009035
HeifersMedium 1Unweaned448145.50/cwt145.50–145.506524
HeifersMedium 2Unweaned431132.33/cwt131.00–136.0057025
HeifersMedium and Large 2Unweaned377147.00/cwt147.00–147.005543
SteersLarge 1Full1,026130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,3349
SteersMedium 2Unweaned520137.50/cwt137.50–137.507156
SteersMedium 2Unweaned408155.00/cwt155.00–155.006328
SteersMedium and Large 1873139.00/cwt139.00–139.001,2134
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned632146.60/cwt145.00–150.009273
SteersMedium and Large 1Unweaned407177.00/cwt177.00–177.007205
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,35066.57/cwt51.00–68.0089989
Bulls1,90075.50/cwt75.50–75.501,4351
Bulls1,58062.72/cwt61.00–65.009913
CowsBoner 80-85%1,45048.50/cwt48.50–48.507031
CowsBoner 80-85%1,34951.29/cwt50.00–51.5069210
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,66263.31/cwt63.00–64.001,0523
CowsLean 85-90%1,09550.00/cwt50.00–50.005482
CowsLean 85-90%1,15035.25/cwt27.50–38.004054
CowsLean 85-90%1,20844.80/cwt41.00–48.0054122

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.