Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-12-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-12-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Monday: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Demand was moderate for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was average to attractive and overall better than last week. Market activity was moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Feeding buyers were the driving market force this week as they showed good demand for both short term feeding cows and cows suitable to feed to premium white. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Packers showed stronger demand for slaughter cows compared to last week. Packers opted to send most fleshy cows to slaughter instead of putting them on feed. Breaking slaughter cows were are not well compared. Boning cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher; lean cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher. Cows offered mixed weigh up conditions today. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed as packer and feeding buyers competed over offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly generally steady.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $147.84/cwt on 241 head.

Average price

$147.84

241 head · 597 lb average

Value per head Derived

$883

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$398

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$32.27/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−22.55

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	547	154.77	846	150
Medium and Large 1-2	607	140.48	852	63
Medium and Large 2	499	133.00	664	6thin
Medium 1	782	132.50	1,036	7thin
Large 1	1,016	122.50	1,245	15thin

One grade step is worth $32.27/cwt here — about −$398 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 sale241 hd

147.84

—

MT average5 barns · 4,899 hd

170.38

−22.55

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	—	High	1,771	76.39	1,352	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,613	59.02	952	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,374	56.65	778	255
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,186	48.70	577	673

Every lot, as filed

61 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 1Unweaned	—	716	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	967	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	606	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	788	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	527	131.46/cwt	127.00–134.00	693	21
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	570	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	770	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	493	125.52/cwt	125.00–139.00	619	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	803	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,092	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	561	151.42/cwt	146.00–155.00	849	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	528	156.86/cwt	151.00–160.00	828	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	575	132.16/cwt	131.50–140.00	760	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	622	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	824	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	383	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	479	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	138.02/cwt	136.00–140.00	716	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	433	148.26/cwt	146.00–154.00	642	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	483	147.57/cwt	140.00–149.00	713	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	423	170.62/cwt	170.00–171.00	722	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	894	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,091	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	499	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	664	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	823	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,037	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	790	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	1,015	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	581	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	784	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	559	133.41/cwt	132.50–134.50	746	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	641	140.19/cwt	140.00–143.00	899	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	734	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	995	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	331	189.58/cwt	175.00–192.50	628	13
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,895	84.50/cwt	84.50–84.50	1,601	1
Bulls	—	—	1,791	71.65/cwt	64.00–75.00	1,283	11
Bulls	—	—	1,897	84.60/cwt	84.00–86.00	1,605	9
Bulls	—	—	1,722	80.41/cwt	76.00–82.00	1,385	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,336	48.18/cwt	44.00–51.00	644	21
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,670	79.48/cwt	77.00–82.50	1,327	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,591	62.73/cwt	59.00–75.00	998	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	937	41.00/cwt	41.00–41.00	384	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,131	38.53/cwt	33.00–40.00	436	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,364	56.90/cwt	50.00–60.00	776	150
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,560	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	858	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,058	61.38/cwt	61.00–62.00	649	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,731	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	1,160	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,410	53.15/cwt	51.00–59.00	749	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,688	62.80/cwt	62.00–64.00	1,060	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,449	47.36/cwt	40.00–49.00	686	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	45.45/cwt	41.50–49.75	534	73
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	993	48.50/cwt	48.50–48.50	482	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,380	65.50/cwt	65.50–65.50	904	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,326	50.65/cwt	50.50–51.50	672	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,580	54.84/cwt	50.00–66.00	866	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,199	51.26/cwt	50.00–56.00	615	340
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	765	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	421	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,383	63.39/cwt	61.00–69.00	877	51
Steers	Medium 1	—	782	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,036	7
Steers	Large 1	—	1,016	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	1,245	15
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	996	64.00/cwt	64.00–64.00	637	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,180	46.71/cwt	41.00–50.00	551	226
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	425	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	608	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	853	30.00/cwt	30.00–30.00	256	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	960	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	1,176	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,391	750.00/cwt	750.00–750.00	10,433	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,127	900.00/cwt	900.00–900.00	10,143	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,034	67.58/cwt	53.00–77.50	699	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	434	162.67/cwt	146.50–170.00	706	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	987	77.53/cwt	63.00–89.00	765	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	994	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,183	7

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 →