Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-11-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-11-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Monday: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Heavy snow fell over the weekend and road conditions were treacherous in many places. All receipts were light as a result. Demand was light for light offerings. Market activity today was mostly slow. Weigh up cow sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Cow prices pushed higher today as a result of light offerings and slightly stronger packer demand. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this sale. Cow and bull quality was mixed this week from plain to 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 lower undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $128.70/cwt on 41 head.

Average price

$128.70

41 head · 719 lb average

Value per head Derived

$926

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$490

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 1

$6.75/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−13.57

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	467	132.82	621	16thin
Medium and Large 1	881	126.07	1,110	25

One grade step is worth $6.75/cwt here — about −$490 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 sale41 hd

128.70

—

MT average5 barns · 4,527 hd

142.27

−13.57

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	1,623	73.91	1,199	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,623	64.69	1,050	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,407	58.11	817	235
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,174	47.28	555	268

Every lot, as filed

36 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	968	74.08/cwt	65.00–79.00	717	26
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,074	88.00/cwt	88.00–88.00	945	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,090	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	578	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	883	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	583	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	992	1,035.00/cwt	1,035.00–1,035.00	10,267	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,003	63.78/cwt	52.00–73.00	640	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	867	128.25/cwt	128.25–128.25	1,112	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	933	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,138	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	822	125.00/cwt	124.00–126.00	1,028	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	451	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	667	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	965	120.98/cwt	118.50–122.00	1,167	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	402	134.62/cwt	134.00–136.00	541	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	330	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	545	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	620	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	831	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	750	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	938	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,623	64.69/cwt	63.00–66.00	1,050	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,210	54.60/cwt	51.00–60.50	661	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,231	48.70/cwt	47.00–51.00	599	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,413	57.38/cwt	51.00–61.50	811	78
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	815	43.00/cwt	43.00–43.00	350	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,594	79.63/cwt	79.00–80.00	1,269	5
Bulls	—	—	1,810	80.50/cwt	80.50–80.50	1,457	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,353	53.10/cwt	47.00–53.25	718	43
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,276	64.03/cwt	62.00–64.50	817	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,447	64.75/cwt	62.00–67.00	937	87
Bulls	—	—	2,145	82.75/cwt	82.75–82.75	1,775	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,363	47.66/cwt	47.00–48.00	650	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,161	46.70/cwt	42.00–51.00	542	137
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,341	46.70/cwt	41.00–49.50	626	24
Bulls	—	—	1,670	67.41/cwt	52.00–75.00	1,126	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	975	42.18/cwt	40.00–42.50	411	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,252	45.60/cwt	42.00–47.00	571	36
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,434	69.40/cwt	64.00–73.00	995	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	880	31.00/cwt	31.00–31.00	273	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,066	40.74/cwt	40.00–41.00	434	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,114	38.79/cwt	34.00–42.00	432	21

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 →