Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2020-04-16

Billings Livestock Commission

Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-04-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-04-16

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Apr 16

● Final32 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777

← Apr 9Apr 16Apr 30 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

226 head

▼ 95 vs last sale 321▼ 204 vs year ago 430 · −47.4%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

115 head

▲ 29 vs last sale 86▼ 1,155 vs year ago 1,270 · −90.9%

Replacement Cattle receipts

67 head

▼ 864 vs last sale 931▼ 133 vs year ago 200 · −66.5%

Also sold here(Mon)Mon Nov 2, 2026

View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly average. Demand was light to moderate for light offerings. CME positions have inched higher all week following Mondays limit lower move. The April feeder cattle contract settled at 118.25, 2.45 higher than yesterdays close. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Packers showed strong demand for slaughter cows this week as a late winter storm tightened available supplies for packers in the Midwest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 6.00-7.00 higher on all classes in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-7.00 higher. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to trend, as most offerings were purchased for immediate harvest. Cow quality this week was mostly average. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold generally steady. Demand from feeding buyers remains moderate.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $140.54/cwt on 101 head.

Average price

$140.54

101 head · 518 lb average

Value per head Derived

$728

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$20

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

$20.72/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+12.05

vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	509	142.39	725	92
Medium and Large 1-2	612	121.67	745	9thin

One grade step is worth $20.72/cwt here — about −$20 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 sale101 hd

140.54

—

MT average2 barns · 1,117 hd

128.49

+12.05

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	1,820	79.97	1,456	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,528	55.50	848	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,421	54.96	781	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,254	52.85	662	31

Every lot

32 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Thu)

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.

Class	Weight	Grade / description	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Feeder Cattle · Steers7 lots · lightest first
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	372	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	614	6
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	465	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	800	35
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	539	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	873	4
Steers	—	Medium 1-2	621	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	758	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	689	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	896	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	721	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	894	6
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	918	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,001	3
Feeder Cattle · Heifers5 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	401	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	593	16
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	484	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	716	50
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	585	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	720	3
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	623	128.14/cwt	126.00–130.00	798	26
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	626	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	757	6
Feeder Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1	80	248.55/cwt	200.00–275.00	199	3
Bulls	—	Medium 1-2	426	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	533	4
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1-2	760	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	790	3
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1	995	94.00/cwt	94.00–94.00	935	1
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,543	69.07/cwt	66.00–72.00	1,066	2
Bulls	—	—	1,656	79.70/cwt	77.00–82.50	1,320	14
Bulls	—	—	2,159	83.91/cwt	83.00–84.50	1,812	6
Bulls	—	—Heavy Weight	2,640	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	2,165	1
Slaughter Cattle · Cows8 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	990	50.00/cwt	50.00–50.00	495	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,233	56.93/cwt	54.75–57.50	702	9
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,275	51.23/cwt	45.00–54.00	653	21
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,407	55.92/cwt	54.00–57.50	787	20
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,450	53.05/cwt	53.00–53.50	769	10
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,519	55.45/cwt	55.00–55.50	842	10
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,530	52.50/cwt	52.50–52.50	803	1
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,615	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	953	1
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows3 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	971	88.01/cwt	79.00–94.00	855	14
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,186	65.74/cwt	55.00–75.00	780	21
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,447	55.33/cwt	55.00–55.50	801	3
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,402	1,500.00/cwt	1,500.00–1,500.00	21,030	6

This sale against other markets

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 →

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Thu)

Thu Apr 16, 2020

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 226Last week 321Year ago 430

Slaughter CattleReceipts 115Last week 86Year ago 1,270

Replacement CattleReceipts 67Last week 931Year ago 200

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,640	82.00	82.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	2,159	83.00–84.50	83.91
2	—	1,543	66.00–72.00	69.07
14	—	1,656	77.00–82.50	79.70

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,530	52.50	52.50
10	—	1,519	55.00–55.50	55.45
1	—	1,615	59.00	59.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
20	—	1,407	54.00–57.50	55.92
10	—	1,450	53.00–53.50	53.05

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	990	50.00	50.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,233	54.75–57.50	56.93
21	—	1,275	45.00–54.00	51.23

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
50	—	484	148.00	148.00
26	—	623	126.00–130.00	128.14
16	—	401	148.00	148.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	626	121.00	121.00
3	—	585	123.00	123.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
35	—	465	172.00	172.00
6	—	721	124.00	124.00
4	—	539	162.00	162.00
3	—	918	109.00	109.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	621	122.00	122.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	372	165.00	165.00
4	—	689	130.00	130.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	760	104.00	104.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	80	200.00–275.00	248.55
1	—	995	94.00	94.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	426	125.00	125.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,447	55.00–55.50	55.33
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	21	—	1,186	55.00–75.00	65.74
(<2 yrs)	Open	14	—	971	79.00–94.00	88.01

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,402	1,500.00	1,500.00

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.