Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2020-08-20

Billings Livestock Commission

Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-08-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-08-20

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Aug 20

● Final44 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777

← Aug 6Aug 20Sep 3 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

441 head

▲ 238 vs last sale 203▲ 276 vs year ago 165 · +167.3%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

328 head

▼ 205 vs last sale 533▲ 8 vs year ago 320 · +2.5%

Replacement Cattle receipts

205 head

▼ 200 vs last sale 405▲ 51 vs year ago 154 · +33.1%

Also sold here(Mon)Mon Nov 2, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(8-06-20): Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Yearling quality was mostly average to attractive, however quality overall was not as attractive as last sale. Demand was mostly light to moderate for light offerings. Spring born calves sold on mostly good demand. Many calves were in light flesh due to drought conditions. Market activity this week was mostly slow to moderate. Fewer market participants were seen this sale compared to last sale. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for mostly light to moderate offerings. Packers showed mostly light to moderate demand for slaughter cows this sale. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower than two weeks ago. Feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 lower as lighter demand from packer buyers allowed cow prices to fall. Cow quality this sale was mostly average. Many cows had freshly weaned calves split off of them. Additionally, many cows were in very light to light flesh as parts of Montana and Wyoming are very dry. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower. Young age cows were very lightly tested and sold as feeding cows.

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 $136.03/cwt on 163 head.

Average price

$136.03

163 head · 792 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,077

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$48

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

$14.73/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	714	140.10	1,001	117
Large 1	1,020	125.74	1,283	38
Medium and Large 1-2	836	125.38	1,048	8thin

One grade step is worth $14.73/cwt here — about −$48 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 sale163 hd

136.03

—

MT average1 barns · 163 hd

136.03

+0.00

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	1,817	85.64	1,556	90
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,544	62.13	959	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,419	61.94	879	52
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,170	57.35	671	166

Every lot

44 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 · Steers14 lots · lightest first
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	326	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	571	8
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	413	168.77/cwt	167.50–175.00	697	30
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	460	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	754	7
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	672	147.62/cwt	146.00–149.00	992	25
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	690	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	973	2
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	828	144.47/cwt	142.50–145.25	1,196	16
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	859	140.45/cwt	135.50–145.50	1,206	6
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	897	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,139	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	937	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,218	35
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	978	120.50/cwt	120.50–120.50	1,178	6
Steers	—	Large 1	1,006	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,217	4
Steers	—	Large 1-2	1,010	116.56/cwt	116.00–117.00	1,177	9
Steers	—	Large 1	1,091	115.50/cwt	115.50–115.50	1,260	4
Steers	—	Large 1	1,128	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,263	2
Feeder Cattle · Heifers11 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	318	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	541	17
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	388	156.38/cwt	155.00–161.00	607	26
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	796	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,019	5
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	879	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	1,173	8
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Full	891	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,105	27
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	903	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,093	3
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	938	129.21/cwt	128.75–130.50	1,212	26
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	969	127.73/cwt	125.25–128.50	1,238	13
Heifers	—	Large 1	1,004	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	1,270	30
Heifers	—	Large 1	1,053	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,343	6
Heifers	—	Large 1	1,163	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,268	2
Feeder Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls	—	Large 1	1,047	98.00/cwt	98.00–98.00	1,026	3
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,551	76.26/cwt	71.00–78.50	1,183	5
Bulls	—	—	1,821	85.34/cwt	81.00–90.00	1,554	76
Bulls	—	—	1,928	93.42/cwt	91.00–96.00	1,801	9
Slaughter Cattle · Cows10 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	918	54.50/cwt	53.00–56.00	500	2
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,160	56.57/cwt	53.00–59.50	656	139
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,175	51.00/cwt	51.00–51.00	599	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,200	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	792	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,251	62.23/cwt	61.00–63.75	778	23
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,399	63.26/cwt	62.00–66.00	885	23
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,430	58.48/cwt	53.00–62.00	836	22
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,450	68.49/cwt	67.50–70.00	993	7
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,523	63.30/cwt	62.50–65.00	964	3
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,575	60.37/cwt	59.00–61.50	951	2
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows5 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	827	85.64/cwt	75.50–89.00	708	15
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	1,055	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	665	1
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,166	70.14/cwt	64.50–74.50	818	9
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,325	61.77/cwt	59.50–64.50	818	125
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,453	66.20/cwt	64.50–68.50	962	40

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 Aug 20, 2020

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 441Last week 203Year ago 165

Slaughter CattleReceipts 328Last week 533Year ago 320

Replacement CattleReceipts 205Last week 405Year ago 154

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,163	109.00	109.00
6	—	1,053	127.50	127.50
30	—	1,004	126.50	126.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	903	121.00	121.00
5	—	796	128.00	128.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	969	125.25–128.50	127.73
8	—	879	133.50	133.50
26	—	938	128.75–130.50	129.21

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
27	—	891	124.00	124.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
17	—	318	170.00	170.00
26	—	388	155.00–161.00	156.38

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,010	116.00–117.00	116.56

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,006	121.00	121.00
2	—	1,128	112.00	112.00
4	—	1,091	115.50	115.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	978	120.50	120.50
3	—	897	127.00	127.00
2	—	690	141.00	141.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
35	—	937	130.00	130.00
16	—	828	142.50–145.25	144.47
25	—	672	146.00–149.00	147.62
6	—	859	135.50–145.50	140.45

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	326	175.00	175.00
7	—	460	164.00	164.00
30	—	413	167.50–175.00	168.77

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,047	98.00	98.00

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	40	—	1,453	64.50–68.50	66.20
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	125	—	1,325	59.50–64.50	61.77
(<2 yrs)	Open	15	—	827	75.50–89.00	85.64
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	9	—	1,166	64.50–74.50	70.14

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,055	63.00	63.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,450	67.50–70.00	68.49
23	—	1,399	62.00–66.00	63.26
22	—	1,430	53.00–62.00	58.48

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
23	—	1,251	61.00–63.75	62.23
139	—	1,160	53.00–59.50	56.57
1	—	1,200	66.00	66.00
1	—	1,175	51.00	51.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,523	62.50–65.00	63.30
2	—	1,575	59.00–61.50	60.37

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	918	53.00–56.00	54.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
76	—	1,821	81.00–90.00	85.34
5	—	1,551	71.00–78.50	76.26
9	—	1,928	91.00–96.00	93.42

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.