Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-04-13
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-04-13

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder calves were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive and significantly higher than last weeks offering. Offerings this week were mostly in load lots or multiple load lots. Demand was good to very good for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. Demand for cattle too heavy to go to grass was mostly moderate to good. Flesh conditions varied greatly this week, and discounts for over fleshed cattle were heavy at times. Demand for replacement quality heifers was mostly good this week and several consignments were purchased to breed. Market activity was mostly active with a good crowd of order buyers in the stands today actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Feeding and slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed on both slaughter and feeding cows. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average this week with many full cows in the offering. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to trend, steady undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were not well compared this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $172.28/cwt on 2,608 head.

Average price

$172.28

2,608 head · 614 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,057

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 2

$30.67/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.69

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	470	179.00	841	4thin
Medium and Large 1	616	172.59	1,063	2,508
Medium and Large 1-2	551	166.53	918	81
Medium and Large 2	566	148.33	840	15thin

One grade step is worth $30.67/cwt here — about $2 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 sale2,608 hd

172.28

—

MT average2 barns · 2,749 hd

171.59

+0.69

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	—	High	1,633	99.77	1,629	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,421	80.86	1,149	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,147	72.70	834	24

Every lot, as filed

77 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
Heifers	Medium 1	—	470	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	841	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	443	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	828	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	676	166.90/cwt	161.00–169.00	1,128	145
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	794	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	1,187	107
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	663	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	1,120	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	467	190.54/cwt	188.50–194.50	890	178
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	360	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	644	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	913	143.50/cwt	143.50–143.50	1,310	17
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	548	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	926	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	420	221.75/cwt	221.00–226.00	931	14
Steers	Large 1	—	841	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,228	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	630	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	1,109	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	714	154.10/cwt	152.00–157.00	1,100	150
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	731	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	1,148	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	583	196.20/cwt	195.50–200.00	1,144	128
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	364	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	655	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	674	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	1,153	8
Steers	Large 1	—	737	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,164	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	609	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	1,151	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	420	205.50/cwt	205.50–205.50	863	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	524	208.11/cwt	205.00–214.50	1,090	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	559	179.44/cwt	176.00–185.00	1,003	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	505	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	965	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	370	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	792	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	614	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,075	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	706	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,200	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	665	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	1,270	77
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	521	216.42/cwt	216.00–217.50	1,128	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	454	230.50/cwt	230.50–230.50	1,046	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	455	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	937	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	685	177.71/cwt	175.50–186.00	1,217	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	819	151.61/cwt	151.00–154.00	1,242	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	560	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	907	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	770	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,093	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	652	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	958	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	613	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	1,097	799
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,010	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,232	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	943	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,150	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,128	55.31/cwt	55.00–56.00	624	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	935	70.10/cwt	64.00–76.00	655	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,166	73.91/cwt	65.00–78.50	862	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,213	78.94/cwt	77.00–81.00	958	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,422	80.50/cwt	78.00–85.50	1,145	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,005	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	784	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,420	81.63/cwt	79.00–82.00	1,159	9
Bulls	—	—	2,443	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	2,736	2
Bulls	—	—	1,975	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	2,113	2
Bulls	—	—	1,698	92.70/cwt	78.00–98.00	1,574	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,357	100.83/cwt	95.00–102.50	1,368	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,085	80.71/cwt	76.00–83.00	876	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	950	107.47/cwt	102.00–119.00	1,021	18
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	1,089	1,081.64/cwt	1,075.00–1,085.00	11,779	28
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,244	1,471.64/cwt	1,400.00–1,575.00	18,307	31
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,428	1,200.00/cwt	1,200.00–1,200.00	17,136	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,480	1,175.99/cwt	1,160.00–1,185.00	17,405	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,338	1,172.23/cwt	1,150.00–1,175.00	15,684	41
Bred Cows	Medium 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,061	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	10,080	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,279	1,236.54/cwt	1,200.00–1,250.00	15,815	125
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,605	1,185.00/cwt	1,185.00–1,185.00	19,019	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	664	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	896	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	623	165.38/cwt	164.00–166.00	1,030	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	536	184.85/cwt	177.00–185.75	991	226
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	804	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,142	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	737	145.45/cwt	145.00–146.00	1,072	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	641	159.05/cwt	158.50–162.50	1,020	129
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	862	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,181	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	575	175.78/cwt	171.50–179.50	1,011	389
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	588	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	970	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	519	171.59/cwt	167.00–174.50	891	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	679	153.74/cwt	153.50–154.00	1,044	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	414	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	673	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	586	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	879	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	374	186.50/cwt	186.50–186.50	698	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	864	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,201	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	758	147.40/cwt	144.00–149.00	1,117	129
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	618	171.95/cwt	169.00–173.50	1,063	120
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	805	135.67/cwt	135.00–136.00	1,092	6

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 →