Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2019-12-16

Billings Livestock Commission

Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Mon, Dec 16
● Final51 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1775
Slaughter Cattle receipts
125 head
120 vs last sale 245 125 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
2,606 head
1,993 vs last sale 613 2,606 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

Today Billings Livestock held their annual Northland bred cattle special. Demand was mostly light to moderate on a heavy offering of bred stock. The stands were full throughout today’s sale. Many ranchers as well as order buyers were on hand throughout the day. Market activity was moderate to active today with many bidders ringside as well as on the internet bidding on cattle. Most cows and heifers were in light to moderate flesh. Most cattle were set to start calving in early March. A limited offering of February calving cows were seen today. Quality was average to attractive. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and offerings. Packers showed mostly light demand for all classes of cows this sale allowing most cows to sell to feeding buyers. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows sold on good demand as quality was mostly attractive off tested open young cows. Steady undertones were noticed.

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
BullsLow1,85566.681,2374thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,85360.681,1247thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,54754.3184013
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,26042.5253627

Every lot, as filed

51 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
CowsBoner 80-85%1,52754.39/cwt53.50–58.008318
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,80557.50/cwt57.50–57.501,0381
CowsLean 85-90%1,22053.50/cwt53.50–53.506532
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,00374.23/cwt72.00–79.007453
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1-29691,064.00/cwt1,025.00–1,100.0010,31013
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 19981,350.68/cwt1,200.00–1,435.0013,480275
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 19821,330.89/cwt1,210.00–1,450.0013,069114
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,07965.14/cwt57.00–68.0070319
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,25752.34/cwt49.00–55.5065829
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,33757.66/cwt53.50–63.5077142
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,022850.00/cwt850.00–850.008,6875
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4671,075.00/cwt1,075.00–1,075.0015,7707
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4741,200.00/cwt1,200.00–1,200.0017,6888
Bred HeifersMedium 18981,190.30/cwt1,125.00–1,235.0010,68963
Bred HeifersMedium 19181,075.00/cwt1,075.00–1,075.009,8693
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0511,187.06/cwt1,150.00–1,250.0012,47613
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3731,227.29/cwt1,100.00–1,450.0016,85156
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3691,025.00/cwt1,025.00–1,025.0014,0329
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2711,288.75/cwt1,150.00–1,410.0016,38026
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2411,504.58/cwt1,200.00–1,575.0018,67284
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,207938.92/cwt800.00–1,100.0011,33311
CowsBoner 80-85%1,53550.65/cwt50.00–51.007773
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,76061.15/cwt60.50–64.001,0765
Bulls1,85566.68/cwt65.50–69.501,2374
CowsBreaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,36561.50/cwt61.50–61.501,4541
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,239600.00/cwt600.00–600.007,4349
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,290725.00/cwt725.00–725.009,3534
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,311807.39/cwt710.00–925.0010,585307
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,495850.00/cwt850.00–850.0012,7083
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,19954.00/cwt54.00–54.006477
Bred HeifersMedium 1Non-Legible BANGS1,005850.00/cwt850.00–850.008,5439
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS1,2511,300.00/cwt1,300.00–1,300.0016,2634
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,20545.00/cwt45.00–45.005421
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed82579.00/cwt79.00–79.006521
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,19546.97/cwt45.00–49.0056128
Bred HeifersMedium 1Thin Fleshed752875.00/cwt875.00–875.006,58019
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,0731,143.40/cwt1,100.00–1,200.0012,26910
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,1331,000.00/cwt1,000.00–1,000.0011,3302
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3631,400.00/cwt1,400.00–1,400.0019,0827
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1201,483.15/cwt1,250.00–1,600.0016,611408
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,303850.10/cwt800.00–885.0011,07743
CowsLean 85-90%1,27536.00/cwt36.00–36.004591
CowsBoner 80-85%1,64559.50/cwt59.50–59.509792
CowsLean 85-90%1,26341.88/cwt36.00–47.0052924
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1601,181.59/cwt1,175.00–1,185.0013,7066
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4261,167.84/cwt900.00–1,200.0016,65343
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,345925.45/cwt760.00–1,000.0012,44728
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,470926.39/cwt875.00–950.0013,6186
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3641,025.83/cwt800.00–1,200.0013,992123
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,329835.00/cwt835.00–835.0011,0975
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,1161,069.52/cwt960.00–1,160.0011,93619

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.