Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 19, 2020

6,434 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $160.13/cwt -4.04 vs last sale · ≈ $848/hd at 529 lb · 642 head

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $143.70/cwt -4.55 vs last sale · ≈ $753/hd at 524 lb · 503 head

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $173.03/cwt -4.52 vs last sale · ≈ $827/hd at 478 lb · 459 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	6,434	4,846	3,440
Feeder cattle	5,990	4,610	3,152
Slaughter cattle	312	179	40
Replacement cattle	132	57	248

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Good demand was seen for yearling steers as quality was mostly attractive. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Yearling heifer quality was mostly plain to average. Unweaned steer calves under 450 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 lower; 450 lbs and heavier sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. Unweaned heifers under 500 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher; 500-549 lbs unweaned heifers sold 3.00 lower; heifer calves over 550 sold steady. Quality this sale was mixed from plain to attractive. Demand was light to moderate for heavy offerings. CME positions sold off today with triple digit losses seen on all contracts. Demand was good early in the day but waned as the sale progressed and buyers filled loads. With heavy offerings seen today demand for plainer type cattle was mostly light especially later in the afternoon. A brief rain shower was seen over night and caused pens to muddy slightly. Many sets of calves were slightly dirty today as a result. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding buyers trying to fill loads helped keep cow prices near steady early, however as they filled loads cow prices backed off. Feeding cows sold fully steady. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average and similar to last week. Bulls were extremely full this sale. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows were not well compared. Quality was mostly plain and much lower than last sale.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
347 unweaned	347	3	192.50	$192.50	$668	-10.74
377–396 unweaned	391	79	181.00–195.00	$187.39	$733	-11.07
418–427 unweaned	424	73	175.00–193.00	$183.41	$778	-3.98
451–499 unweaned	478	459	163.00–182.00	$173.03	$827	-2.17
502–545 unweaned	529	624	151.00–165.50	$160.22	$848	-4.09
539	539	18	157.00	$157.00	$846	-3.50
571	571	20	145.00	$145.00	$828	-7.08
553–598 unweaned	573	322	140.00–151.00	$148.07	$848	-4.73
600–638	605	123	142.00–151.50	$150.40	$910	+3.35
618 fancy	618	108	151.00	$151.00	$933	—
601–647 unweaned	628	204	138.00–146.00	$142.53	$895	-2.97
662–683 unweaned	667	111	134.00–142.00	$140.59	$938	-0.45
693	693	50	142.75	$142.75	$989	+5.75
701–745	728	18	137.75–139.00	$138.22	$1,006	-5.78
748 unweaned	748	15	131.00	$131.00	$980	—
783	783	7	129.50	$129.50	$1,014	—
773–795	785	45	137.50–141.50	$139.34	$1,094	—
865–888	870	32	136.50–137.00	$136.64	$1,189	-1.61
912–937	927	55	139.50–140.50	$139.89	$1,297	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
220 unweaned	220	10	181.00	$181.00	$398	—
295 unweaned	295	8	180.00	$180.00	$531	—
316–329 unweaned	323	30	182.00–186.00	$184.57	$596	-6.94
363–394 unweaned	378	36	164.00–180.00	$176.15	$666	-11.85
403–443 unweaned	417	98	170.00–173.50	$173.15	$722	-0.42
451–492 unweaned	474	36	157.50–163.00	$159.56	$756	-3.75
489	489	14	160.00	$160.00	$782	-4.00
516–527 unweaned	522	22	145.00–153.00	$149.04	$778	-3.53
595 unweaned	595	21	142.00	$142.00	$845	-2.86
635 unweaned	635	2	134.50	$134.50	$854	-5.04
667 unweaned	667	5	133.00	$133.00	$887	—
710 unweaned	710	3	125.00	$125.00	$888	—
901–903	902	10	126.00–128.00	$126.60	$1,142	-5.24

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
356	356	18	185.50	$185.50	$660	—
385 unweaned	385	50	184.00	$184.00	$708	—
447	447	39	175.00	$175.00	$782	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
344 unweaned	344	19	159.00	$159.00	$547	—
444 unweaned	444	8	165.00	$165.00	$733	—
809	809	4	119.00	$119.00	$963	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
313–347 unweaned	330	17	161.00–166.00	$163.05	$538	+2.53
351–398 unweaned	374	84	160.00–166.00	$163.44	$611	+2.95
400–449 unweaned	423	272	150.00–162.00	$156.92	$664	+2.85
451–496 unweaned	472	231	145.50–154.50	$149.44	$705	+1.24
518	518	66	156.00	$156.00	$808	+9.00
504–549 unweaned	524	415	136.00–149.25	$142.21	$745	-5.77
538	538	22	135.00	$135.00	$726	-12.00
562	562	20	137.50	$137.50	$773	+11.50
561–574	570	22	128.50–130.00	$128.97	$735	+2.97
551–595 unweaned	571	206	132.00–138.00	$136.35	$779	+1.50
605–634 unweaned	620	136	135.00–136.50	$135.64	$841	-0.11
623–645	628	35	134.00–136.50	$136.06	$854	-0.19
655	655	8	132.00	$132.00	$865	—
652–681 unweaned	660	38	126.00–135.50	$130.69	$863	+0.47
719 unweaned	719	6	126.50	$126.50	$910	—
816	816	28	131.50	$131.50	$1,073	-5.72
928	928	15	123.00	$123.00	$1,141	-6.12
960	960	2	119.00	$119.00	$1,142	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
320–339 unweaned	328	36	151.00–159.00	$156.97	$515	—
357–393 unweaned	381	30	149.00–159.00	$155.85	$594	—
406 unweaned	406	6	144.00	$144.00	$585	-2.16
455–482 unweaned	472	43	134.00–144.00	$137.11	$647	-2.96
486	486	24	146.00	$146.00	$710	+4.00
502–546 unweaned	528	39	130.00–138.00	$132.72	$701	-3.37
576–591 unweaned	582	17	124.00–131.50	$127.98	$745	—
680 unweaned	680	3	125.00	$125.00	$850	—
778	778	7	125.00	$125.00	$972	—
845	845	26	125.00	$125.00	$1,056	-4.50

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
431 unweaned	431	24	145.00	$145.00	$625	—
488 unweaned	488	22	134.00	$134.00	$654	—
723	723	10	121.00	$121.00	$875	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
473–478 unweaned	475	26	136.00–142.00	$140.14	$666	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1077	1077	9	114.50	$114.50	$1,233	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
470 unweaned	470	7	150.00	$150.00	$705	—
563 unweaned	563	5	145.00	$145.00	$816	+7.01
748 unweaned	748	2	120.00	$120.00	$898	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
450 unweaned	450	2	140.00	$140.00	$630	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1024–1205	1049	85-90%	14	59.00–64.00	$59.77	$627	—
1046–1243	1156	85-90%	21	32.50–37.50	$35.42	$409	-2.75
1020–1245	1163	85-90%	15	38.00–44.50	$39.48	$459	+1.31
925–1370	1171	85-90%	72	41.00–48.50	$44.99	$527	+6.82
975–1313	1185	85-90%	25	49.50–56.50	$53.16	$630	+0.71

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1202–1486	1313	80-85%	23	52.00–59.00	$54.92	$721	-0.86
1228–1458	1331	80-85%	27	48.00–50.00	$49.17	$654	-6.61
1335–1370	1349	80-85%	4	64.00–65.00	$64.51	$870	+8.73
1352–1406	1383	80-85%	7	47.00–47.50	$47.21	$653	-0.85

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1420–1679	1633	75-80%	10	62.00–66.50	$63.77	$1,041	—
1660	1660	75-80%	1	55.50	$55.50	$921	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1650–1785	1695	3	62.00–74.50	$70.11	$1,188	—
1635–1935	1785	2	77.50–78.50	$78.04	$1,393	—
1600–2470	2065	4	60.00–69.00	$66.50	$1,373	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
755–1230	895	(<2 yrs)	Open	47	67.00–82.00	$79.35	$710
857–1215	958	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	16	59.00–67.50	$60.79	$582

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.