Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-12-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-12-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Unweaned steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average and offered in small packages. Demand this sale as mostly good despite a light offering of feeder cattle. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly mixed demand and heavy offerings. Demand started the day light to moderate, however demand improved drastically as the sale progressed ending the day mostly moderate to good. Packer buyers showed light demand for slaughter cows to start the sale, buying them mostly lower than last week, however packers became significantly more aggressive as the sale progressed. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-4.00 higher on boning cows and uneven on lean cows with prices from 1.00 lower to 3.00 higher. Breaking cows sold generally steady, however packers opted to send most of these cows to slaughter instead of feed this sale. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher with demand improving as the sale progressed. Cows and bulls offered buyers mostly below average weigh up conditions this sale. Many cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill, especially later in the day. Slaughter bulls sold mostly firm, however, much like cows prices, improved as the sale progressed. Two year old to young age cows sold on mostly moderate demand this sale. Quality was average. This class of cows sold sold generally steady.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $134.79/cwt on 172 head.

Average price

$134.79

172 head · 663 lb average

Value per head Derived

$893

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$246

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$35.36/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−12.45

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	613	139.23	854	144
Medium 1	710	122.00	866	9thin
Medium and Large 1-2	939	117.33	1,101	3thin
Medium and Large 2	863	111.00	958	3thin
Large 1-2	1,160	104.00	1,206	1thin
Large 1	1,058	103.88	1,099	12thin

One grade step is worth $35.36/cwt here — about −$246 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 sale172 hd

134.79

—

MT average3 barns · 1,142 hd

147.23

−12.45

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	1,811	75.39	1,365	49
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,649	61.54	1,015	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,392	54.92	765	213
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,165	45.77	533	317

Every lot, as filed

67 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
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	476	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	714	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	487	178.24/cwt	178.00–180.00	868	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	750	129.50/cwt	129.50–129.50	971	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	623	134.50/cwt	134.00–137.00	838	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	397	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	659	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	529	165.22/cwt	157.00–174.00	874	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,079	63.24/cwt	51.00–77.00	682	83
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	588	130.50/cwt	130.50–130.50	767	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	503	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	865	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	975	122.51/cwt	121.00–124.00	1,194	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	633	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	934	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	438	153.28/cwt	151.00–154.00	671	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	517	144.50/cwt	144.50–144.50	747	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	582	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	832	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	548	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	789	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	406	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	609	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	142.80/cwt	137.00–146.50	741	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	—	620	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	818	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	149.58/cwt	149.00–150.50	711	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	730	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,000	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	421	194.00/cwt	188.00–202.00	817	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	415	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	826	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	824	127.94/cwt	124.00–130.00	1,054	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	962	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,145	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,203	661.53/cwt	660.00–675.00	7,958	32
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	942	77.99/cwt	62.00–90.50	735	159
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	581	140.88/cwt	138.00–147.00	819	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	860	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,015	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	978	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,144	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,122	106.50/cwt	106.50–106.50	1,195	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	863	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	958	3
Heifers	Medium 1	—	710	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	866	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,463	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	819	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	935	47.67/cwt	44.00–51.00	446	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,244	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	13,062	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	942	40.04/cwt	39.00–42.00	377	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,121	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	5,885	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,406	47.57/cwt	44.00–50.00	669	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,470	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	911	1
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,013	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,033	7
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,268	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	1,103	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,166	36.00/cwt	36.00–36.00	420	5
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,160	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,206	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,124	32.75/cwt	28.00–38.00	368	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,276	47.62/cwt	47.00–48.50	608	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,694	63.04/cwt	62.50–65.00	1,068	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,534	57.25/cwt	55.00–60.00	878	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,156	44.51/cwt	38.50–49.00	515	160
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,296	57.50/cwt	57.50–57.50	745	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,516	52.24/cwt	49.00–54.00	792	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,518	63.75/cwt	63.75–63.75	968	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,658	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	1,111	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,810	52.00/cwt	52.00–52.00	941	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,502	46.80/cwt	42.00–50.50	703	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,187	49.90/cwt	47.50–57.00	592	110
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,350	56.43/cwt	51.00–62.00	762	124
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	63.34/cwt	62.00–65.00	871	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,171	43.27/cwt	39.50–47.50	507	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	923	32.48/cwt	22.50–38.00	300	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	663	129.50/cwt	129.50–129.50	859	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	929	123.50/cwt	123.50–123.50	1,147	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,665	71.19/cwt	67.00–74.00	1,185	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,815	78.43/cwt	75.00–81.00	1,424	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,890	83.98/cwt	83.00–85.00	1,587	2
Bulls	—	—	1,840	69.26/cwt	60.00–74.00	1,274	13
Bulls	—	—	2,003	84.34/cwt	84.00–84.50	1,689	3
Bulls	—	—	1,839	79.67/cwt	75.50–83.00	1,465	11

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 →