Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-11-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-11-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Monday: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steer and heifer calves. Not enough yearlings tested to develop any market trend. Light feeder receipts were seen this week and buyers showed light to moderate demand for all feeders on offer. Market activity today was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cow sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Packers sent a large portion of the cow offering to feed this week as they purchased a large portion of the offering as short term feeding cows for the upcoming holidays. Even some slightly blemished cows were sent to short term feed by packers this sale. Slaughter cows and feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this sale with many cows pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady as feeding buyers continue to compete with slaughter bull buyers over offerings. Cow and bull quality was mixed this week from plain to very attractive. Young 2-3 year old's' suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a higher quality offering than was seen last week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $130.04/cwt on 203 head.

Average price

$130.04

203 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$719

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$504

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$17.04/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−12.19

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	555	131.64	731	140
Medium and Large 1-2	503	128.95	648	52
Medium and Large 2	494	115.00	568	6thin
Large 1	1,078	114.60	1,235	5thin

One grade step is worth $17.04/cwt here — about −$504 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 sale203 hd

130.04

—

MT average5 barns · 3,271 hd

142.23

−12.19

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	—	Low	1,810	72.64	1,315	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,586	56.44	895	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,395	50.50	705	259
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,193	44.33	529	318

Every lot, as filed

68 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	543	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	690	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	340	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	442	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	630	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	794	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	710	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	859	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	428	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	646	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	471	129.94/cwt	126.00–131.00	612	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	593	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	765	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	529	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	661	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	480	153.33/cwt	152.00–164.00	736	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	512	145.69/cwt	140.00–147.00	746	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	880	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,012	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	403	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	689	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	388	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	683	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	535	140.96/cwt	139.00–144.00	754	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	440	138.86/cwt	138.00–147.00	611	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	611	125.95/cwt	123.00–126.50	770	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	472	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	673	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	616	134.56/cwt	128.00–136.00	829	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	798	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	687	126.82/cwt	126.50–129.00	871	15
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,256	785.00/cwt	785.00–785.00	9,860	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,058	63.35/cwt	58.50–72.00	670	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	708	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	935	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	466	135.49/cwt	135.00–135.50	631	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	938	124.25/cwt	124.25–124.25	1,165	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	968	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,152	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	538	131.20/cwt	131.00–132.00	706	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	593	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	741	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,012	76.80/cwt	61.00–89.50	777	127
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,515	53.50/cwt	53.50–53.50	811	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,294	45.14/cwt	44.50–46.00	584	15
Steers	Medium 2	—	513	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	513	6
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,105	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	1,260	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,060	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,219	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,764	69.50/cwt	66.00–72.00	1,226	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,407	43.43/cwt	41.00–45.00	611	58
Bulls	—	—	1,937	70.41/cwt	66.00–72.00	1,364	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	38.00/cwt	38.00–38.00	376	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,445	38.49/cwt	38.00–39.00	556	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	850	35.00/cwt	35.00–35.00	298	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,486	48.46/cwt	46.00–52.00	720	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,760	48.00/cwt	48.00–48.00	845	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,280	59.50/cwt	59.50–59.50	762	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,551	60.02/cwt	58.00–63.00	931	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,143	34.46/cwt	32.00–39.50	394	41
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,207	42.51/cwt	38.00–45.00	513	64
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,198	51.29/cwt	46.00–57.00	614	84
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,246	46.30/cwt	45.00–49.00	577	5
Bulls	—	—	1,910	77.61/cwt	76.00–80.00	1,482	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,597	64.46/cwt	61.00–66.00	1,029	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,353	44.73/cwt	42.00–48.00	605	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,203	43.73/cwt	40.00–46.00	526	120
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,398	51.46/cwt	47.00–58.00	719	110
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,595	77.25/cwt	75.00–81.50	1,232	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,584	58.61/cwt	58.00–61.00	928	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	572	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	755	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,379	61.03/cwt	60.00–63.50	842	47
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,733	67.50/cwt	67.00–68.00	1,170	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,206	1,050.26/cwt	1,000.00–1,100.00	12,666	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,178	850.00/cwt	850.00–850.00	10,013	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	833	63.40/cwt	52.00–71.00	528	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	478	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	698	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,442	46.95/cwt	45.00–53.00	677	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	418	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	843	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	978	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	910	119.50/cwt	119.50–119.50	1,087	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	494	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	568	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	384	133.35/cwt	131.00–138.00	512	14

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 →