Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-11-25
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-11-25

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers calves were too lightly tested in any weight category to develop a full market trend, however weak undertones were noticed on steers and steady undertones were noticed on heifers. Quality this sale was mostly plain to average. Calves were offered mostly as singles or in small lots. Many buyers were reserved in buying calves due to the shortened sale week and limited supplies preventing buyers from getting a full load of any weigh. Demand for calves was mostly light for light offerings. Market activity this sale was slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for very heavy offerings. Packers showed mostly light demand this week for cows destined for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows while boning and lean cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Packers opted to send the majority of the cow offering to feed. With heavy offerings of cows seen over the last few months packers have stashed away a large number of cows for the holiday break. Packers have started to back off feeding cow prices due to very large numbers of cows on feed. Feeding cows sold steady to 5.00 lower. The best demand for feeding cows continues to be large framed, heavy muscled cows suitable to feed to premium white. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Young re-breed cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand and light to moderate offerings. Young age cows were of mostly average to attractive quality this week. Offerings sold with steady undertones. A very large portion of the offering this week was comprised of bred cattle, with much of the offering being aged cows. Quality was mostly plain to average. Demand for bred cattle was mostly light. Many older cows were purchased by packers or feeding buyers to put on a short term feeding program to be harvested in the next 3-8 weeks.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $133.08/cwt on 217 head.

Average price

$133.08

217 head · 666 lb average

Value per head Derived

$887

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$453

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$14.44/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−7.22

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	621	135.46	841	172
Medium and Large 1-2	602	127.09	765	22
Large 1	1,069	121.02	1,294	23

One grade step is worth $14.44/cwt here — about −$453 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 sale217 hd

133.08

—

MT average5 barns · 3,159 hd

140.30

−7.22

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	1,928	76.72	1,479	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,670	58.37	975	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,553	53.23	826	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,187	39.22	466	41

Every lot, as filed

93 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	588	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	811	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	463	165.34/cwt	163.00–166.00	766	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	547	145.77/cwt	145.00–146.00	797	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	888	132.14/cwt	130.50–134.00	1,173	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	991	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,259	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,030	124.63/cwt	123.00–125.00	1,284	12
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,112	117.08/cwt	116.00–117.50	1,302	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	581	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	709	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,383	49.00/cwt	49.00–49.00	678	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,308	788.31/cwt	760.00–850.00	10,311	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,213	775.00/cwt	775.00–775.00	9,401	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,193	646.90/cwt	625.00–650.00	7,718	122
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,191	48.00/cwt	48.00–48.00	572	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,348	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	14,154	22
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	322	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	605	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,302	49.68/cwt	46.50–58.00	647	49
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,229	49.58/cwt	49.00–50.00	609	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	530	133.25/cwt	131.00–135.50	706	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	377	152.20/cwt	151.00–152.50	574	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	567	131.53/cwt	129.00–133.00	746	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	611	130.67/cwt	126.00–132.50	798	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	391	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	684	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	487	147.46/cwt	145.00–150.00	718	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	635	134.48/cwt	133.00–136.00	854	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	444	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	733	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,256	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	13,188	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,221	1,165.53/cwt	1,000.00–1,285.00	14,231	58
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	685	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	870	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,226	44.87/cwt	36.00–49.00	550	70
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	799	71.07/cwt	56.00–76.00	568	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,004	53.06/cwt	45.00–58.00	533	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,260	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	706	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	832	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	654	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	791	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,287	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	12,227	5
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	887	1,147.93/cwt	1,135.00–1,225.00	10,182	60
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	970	38.33/cwt	37.00–39.00	372	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	878	34.02/cwt	32.00–36.00	299	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,210	39.30/cwt	36.00–44.00	476	32
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,338	36.00/cwt	36.00–36.00	482	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,310	47.74/cwt	47.00–48.50	625	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,468	45.16/cwt	43.00–47.00	663	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,661	63.69/cwt	62.00–64.50	1,058	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,666	53.79/cwt	51.00–60.00	896	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,750	44.00/cwt	44.00–44.00	770	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,576	53.86/cwt	51.00–57.00	849	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,588	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	937	6
Bulls	—	—	2,060	78.09/cwt	74.00–81.50	1,609	6
Bulls	—	—	1,938	85.51/cwt	84.50–88.00	1,657	5
Bulls	—	—	1,716	63.69/cwt	61.00–65.00	1,093	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	411	180.26/cwt	176.00–181.00	741	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	818	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	359	185.31/cwt	185.00–186.00	665	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	665	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	878	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	637	137.46/cwt	134.00–141.00	876	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	365	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	611	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,015	1,225.00/cwt	1,225.00–1,225.00	12,434	14
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,062	1,162.33/cwt	1,150.00–1,175.00	12,344	30
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,034	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	10,857	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,372	49.83/cwt	45.00–62.00	684	146
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,400	59.21/cwt	50.00–68.50	829	133
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	951	83.70/cwt	61.00–96.50	796	73
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,069	68.04/cwt	58.00–76.00	727	72
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,261	62.34/cwt	50.00–68.50	786	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	335	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	630	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,166	700.00/cwt	700.00–700.00	8,162	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,355	980.06/cwt	935.00–1,000.00	13,280	31
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,332	43.00/cwt	43.00–43.00	573	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,287	47.20/cwt	45.50–49.00	607	27
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,195	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	562	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,297	769.07/cwt	675.00–835.00	9,975	439
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,185	961.10/cwt	950.00–975.00	11,389	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,223	44.52/cwt	36.00–47.50	544	120
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,562	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	1,015	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,354	840.89/cwt	700.00–985.00	11,386	158
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,322	710.00/cwt	710.00–710.00	9,386	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,383	1,127.24/cwt	950.00–1,175.00	15,590	20
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,147	942.95/cwt	900.00–1,060.00	10,816	84
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	935	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,318	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	888	141.50/cwt	140.00–142.00	1,257	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,353	925.00/cwt	925.00–925.00	12,515	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	934	130.93/cwt	130.00–131.50	1,223	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	700	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	896	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	968	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	1,341	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	875	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,111	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	815	130.99/cwt	130.00–132.00	1,068	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	980	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,225	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	490	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	652	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	525	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	656	13
Steers	Large 1	—	1,003	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,364	3
Steers	Large 1	—	1,074	130.49/cwt	130.00–131.00	1,401	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,063	1,276.44/cwt	1,150.00–1,325.00	13,569	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	474	138.15/cwt	135.00–140.00	655	15

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 →