Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-06-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-06-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to two weeks ago: Feeder steers and heifers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all feeders on offer. Quality this week was mostly pain to average and offered in mostly small packages or as singles. Buyers showed mostly light to moderate demand for all feeder cattle on offer. Market activity this week was moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding buyers were the driving force in the market today as they purchased high quality cows to feed. Several feeding cow buyers were on hand this sale actively bidding on offerings which created a very active market. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Cow quality this week was average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were mixed. Early in the sale cows offered average to above average weigh up however as the sale pushed into the day cows began pushing fill. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold mostly 5.00-8.00 lower as demand for re-breed cows was much lower this week than two weeks ago. Quality was mostly average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $122.95/cwt on 70 head.

Average price

$122.95

70 head · 849 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,043

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$254

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$28.84/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−21.01

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	663	148.00	981	2thin
Medium and Large 1-2	802	123.08	987	53
Large 1	1,037	119.16	1,236	15thin

One grade step is worth $28.84/cwt here — about −$254 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 sale70 hd

122.95

—

MT average3 barns · 596 hd

143.96

−21.01

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	—	Low	1,988	89.42	1,777	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,613	64.37	1,038	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,455	60.16	875	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,158	55.96	648	31

Every lot, as filed

39 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Wed)

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
Bulls	—	—	1,545	74.93/cwt	71.00–79.00	1,158	4
Bulls	—	—	2,143	97.10/cwt	94.50–100.25	2,081	12
Bulls	—	—	1,981	86.98/cwt	81.50–90.50	1,723	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	745	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	957	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	861	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	947	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,162	59.98/cwt	59.00–62.00	697	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,247	61.35/cwt	56.00–63.50	765	69
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,370	63.92/cwt	60.00–68.50	876	157
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,053	59.50/cwt	59.50–59.50	627	2
Steers	Large 1	—	1,189	109.04/cwt	109.00–109.50	1,296	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,339	1,643.65/cwt	1,550.00–1,685.00	22,008	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,595	1,200.00/cwt	1,200.00–1,200.00	19,140	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,471	1,485.00/cwt	1,485.00–1,485.00	21,844	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,118	79.77/cwt	64.00–100.00	892	61
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,220	68.86/cwt	61.50–88.00	840	75
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	742	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	965	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	818	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	908	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	680	138.41/cwt	136.00–141.00	941	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	972	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,050	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	663	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	981	2
Steers	Large 1	—	619	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	910	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,235	64.88/cwt	63.50–65.50	801	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	655	139.97/cwt	138.50–140.50	917	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	543	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	766	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	612	141.82/cwt	139.00–143.00	868	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	738	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	970	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	617	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	870	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,154	54.65/cwt	51.00–59.00	631	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,511	64.94/cwt	64.00–68.00	981	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,441	62.80/cwt	61.00–63.75	905	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,440	56.42/cwt	52.00–58.00	812	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,613	64.37/cwt	62.50–65.00	1,038	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,153	46.69/cwt	44.00–48.00	538	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,179	57.72/cwt	53.00–59.50	681	35
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	994	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	736	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,298	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	753	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,008	58.05/cwt	54.50–62.00	585	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,363	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	12,949	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	980	51.00/cwt	51.00–51.00	500	1

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 →