Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-11-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-11-11

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was mostly moderate to good, and stronger than recent weeks. Unweaned steer calves sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher. Unweaned heifer calves sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for calves was mostly moderate for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly average. Calves were offered in small packages this week. A good crowd was on hand this week. Market activity was moderate. Weigh up cows comprised the majority of the sale this week. Demand for cows was moderate for heavy offerings. Packers continue to purchase cows for the upcoming holidays. Most of these cows were purchased at the same money as slaughter cows this week. Quality today was average to attractive. A heavy offering of exposed cows was seen today and over the last few sales. Many sets are tested in the country and not retested at the yards and are just sold as weigh ups. Packers and feeding buyers both showed good demand for these cows. Some will get calved out while on feed. While others will be slaughter before calving just depending on the packer or feeder program. Slaughter cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold steady on both feeding and slaughter bulls. Young age 2-3 year olds sold generally steady. Quality was mixed from plain to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $137.71/cwt on 169 head.

Average price

$137.71

169 head · 584 lb average

Value per head Derived

$804

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$433

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$28.64/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−6.21

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	541	141.10	763	136
Medium and Large 1-2	588	130.17	766	21
Large 1	1,063	112.46	1,196	12thin

One grade step is worth $28.64/cwt here — about −$433 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 sale169 hd

137.71

—

MT average5 barns · 4,010 hd

143.92

−6.21

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	1,806	76.54	1,382	25
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,563	61.01	954	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,395	53.75	750	383
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,190	47.20	562	465

Every lot, as filed

70 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
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,330	47.61/cwt	43.00–50.00	633	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,153	44.84/cwt	40.50–48.00	517	124
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,144	32.38/cwt	28.50–37.00	370	27
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,595	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	1,148	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,522	51.00/cwt	51.00–51.00	776	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,678	55.67/cwt	55.00–57.00	934	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,520	62.49/cwt	61.00–63.00	950	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,281	49.20/cwt	47.00–50.50	630	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,410	45.15/cwt	41.00–47.00	637	47
Bulls	—	—	1,627	69.97/cwt	64.00–73.00	1,138	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,137	43.03/cwt	39.00–46.00	489	62
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	34.50/cwt	34.50–34.50	342	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,414	54.68/cwt	50.00–60.00	773	199
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,210	656.69/cwt	650.00–685.00	7,946	40
Bulls	—	—	2,003	83.74/cwt	83.50–84.00	1,677	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,639	66.76/cwt	66.25–67.00	1,094	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,371	61.42/cwt	60.00–64.25	842	70
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,045	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	1,181	4
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,078	91.50/cwt	91.50–91.50	986	7
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,121	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	1,020	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,007	115.67/cwt	115.50–116.00	1,165	3
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,168	107.50/cwt	107.50–107.50	1,256	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,074	111.83/cwt	110.50–114.50	1,201	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,206	900.00/cwt	900.00–900.00	10,854	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,317	958.16/cwt	935.00–1,010.00	12,619	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	765	62.50/cwt	62.50–62.50	478	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	997	76.63/cwt	64.00–85.50	764	105
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	510	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	689	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	971	121.78/cwt	119.50–123.00	1,182	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	950	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,197	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	855	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,176	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	376	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	681	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	531	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	810	16
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	631	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	846	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	666	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	879	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	812	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,056	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	660	136.64/cwt	134.00–137.50	902	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	766	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	942	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	365	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	551	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	570	133.87/cwt	132.00–135.00	763	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	137.33/cwt	137.00–138.00	865	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	310	179.87/cwt	179.00–181.00	558	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	497	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	691	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,187	58.88/cwt	57.00–64.00	699	14
Steers	Large 1-2	—	1,028	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,213	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	872	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,064	3
Bulls	—	—	1,963	77.37/cwt	75.00–81.00	1,519	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,841	79.33/cwt	75.50–82.50	1,460	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,225	50.68/cwt	47.00–56.00	621	222
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,377	50.80/cwt	49.00–55.00	700	29
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,101	53.00/cwt	51.00–55.00	584	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	438	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	714	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,393	735.00/cwt	735.00–735.00	10,239	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,106	1,059.05/cwt	1,000.00–1,110.00	11,713	26
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,335	885.00/cwt	885.00–885.00	11,815	1
Dairy Steers	Large 4	—	645	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	271	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	821	136.50/cwt	136.50–136.50	1,121	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	288	158.84/cwt	155.00–161.00	457	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	843	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,003	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	523	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	669	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	695	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	931	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,082	64.40/cwt	55.00–75.00	697	62
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	479	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	580	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	560	145.85/cwt	144.00–146.50	817	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	515	131.68/cwt	130.50–132.00	678	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	420	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	601	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	534	147.85/cwt	147.00–153.00	790	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	428	166.69/cwt	166.00–168.00	713	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	420	144.86/cwt	144.00–145.50	608	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	655	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	910	3

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 →