Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-11-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-11-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves were both too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on steer calves under 550 lbs and steady to higher undertones were noticed on steers over 550 lbs; Heifer calves under 550 lbs sold with higher undertones and heifers over 550 lbs sold with steady to lower undertones. Quality today was mostly plain to average and better than last week. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. Most feeders were offered in small package or as singles. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and heavy offerings. The majority of the cow offering was purchased to feed this week, either to feed and hold for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday or to feed to premium white. Short term feeding cows sold slightly higher with most sales steady to 3.00 higher. Most of these cows are located in the report as low dressing lean or boning cows returning to feed. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher on boning and lean cows. The only decline in slaughter cows was for very low dressing cows as packers showed light demand for very thin and severely crippled cows, which sold mostly 3.00-4.00 lower. Breaking cows sold steady to firm. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. Cow quality was average to attractive today, and slightly higher than last week. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average this sale. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly moderate to good demand. These offerings sold steady to firm. Good demand continues to be seen for high quality rebreed type offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $166.71/cwt on 240 head.

Average price

$166.71

240 head · 696 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,160

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$575

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1-2

$31.43/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−23.90

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	558	175.93	981	21
Medium and Large 1	649	168.90	1,095	183
Medium 1	681	156.00	1,062	4thin
Large 1	1,055	149.99	1,583	29
Large 1-2	1,077	144.50	1,556	3thin

One grade step is worth $31.43/cwt here — about −$575 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 sale240 hd

166.71

—

MT average5 barns · 3,236 hd

190.61

−23.90

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	1,737	87.07	1,512	75
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,591	78.66	1,251	48
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,425	72.96	1,040	320
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,203	60.18	724	393

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,311	$1,315	11
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,127	$1,267	12
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,133	$1,254	15
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,385	$1,000	6
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,261	$866	37
Bred Heifers	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,030	$1,400	3thin

Every lot, as filed

88 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 and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	470	179.95/cwt	178.00–181.00	846	11
Heifers	Medium 1	—	681	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	1,062	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,073	149.25/cwt	149.25–149.25	1,601	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	863	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,329	3
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,077	144.50/cwt	144.50–144.50	1,556	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	745	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	1,199	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	265	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	616	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	158.84/cwt	157.00–160.00	915	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	629	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	975	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	862	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,431	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	428	195.46/cwt	195.00–197.00	837	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	670	155.20/cwt	151.00–160.00	1,040	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	679	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	1,168	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	839	186.07/cwt	185.50–186.50	1,561	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	961	159.58/cwt	154.00–160.50	1,534	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	430	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	828	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	818	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	1,317	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	300	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	741	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	684	173.36/cwt	172.50–175.50	1,186	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	622	184.14/cwt	176.50–189.50	1,145	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	387	217.57/cwt	214.00–222.00	842	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	531	174.59/cwt	173.00–180.00	927	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	493	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	912	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	616	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	1,096	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	750	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	1,260	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	570	188.11/cwt	185.00–194.00	1,072	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	482	214.39/cwt	211.00–220.00	1,033	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	792	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,315	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	355	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	772	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	718	169.79/cwt	169.50–171.00	1,219	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	414	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	890	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	301	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	771	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	569	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	1,030	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	367	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	908	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	528	189.50/cwt	189.50–189.50	1,001	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	530	197.03/cwt	190.50–207.00	1,044	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	340	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	901	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	414	233.88/cwt	230.00–237.50	968	8
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,180	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,204	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,224	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	1,236	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	365	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	894	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	620	163.35/cwt	161.00–165.00	1,013	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	511	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	920	5
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,175	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,293	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,626	72.09/cwt	66.00–76.00	1,172	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,551	83.75/cwt	83.75–83.75	1,299	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,588	81.16/cwt	80.50–82.50	1,289	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,444	61.18/cwt	55.00–66.75	883	56
Bulls	—	—	1,719	81.23/cwt	66.00–86.00	1,396	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,437	83.58/cwt	80.50–85.00	1,201	59
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	898	55.62/cwt	54.00–57.00	499	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	900	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	378	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,565	72.97/cwt	70.00–76.00	1,142	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,421	75.16/cwt	68.00–80.00	1,068	153
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,582	80.15/cwt	79.00–82.00	1,268	14
Bulls	—	—	2,011	101.35/cwt	101.00–103.00	2,038	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,439	69.90/cwt	66.50–75.00	1,006	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,638	79.56/cwt	77.00–82.00	1,303	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,286	63.94/cwt	62.50–66.00	822	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,182	54.38/cwt	48.00–61.00	643	79
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	42.11/cwt	32.00–47.00	505	30
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	65.33/cwt	57.00–67.00	898	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,187	59.19/cwt	52.00–63.00	703	96
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,247	72.94/cwt	72.50–73.50	910	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,219	65.86/cwt	63.00–70.00	803	156
Bulls	—	—	1,880	92.91/cwt	88.00–98.00	1,747	21
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,431	90.99/cwt	89.00–94.00	1,302	9
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,609	79.79/cwt	72.00–86.50	1,284	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,221	72.40/cwt	63.00–77.00	884	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,107	87.26/cwt	70.00–105.00	966	120
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	916	92.11/cwt	80.00–111.00	844	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	951	114.79/cwt	86.00–129.00	1,092	169
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	913	52.54/cwt	52.00–53.00	480	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,030	1,400.00/head	1,400.00–1,400.00	1,400	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,385	1,000.00/head	1,000.00–1,000.00	1,000	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,311	1,315.29/head	1,275.00–1,335.00	1,315	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,030	1,100.00/head	1,100.00–1,100.00	1,100	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,146	1,300.00/head	1,300.00–1,300.00	1,300	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,218	1,075.00/head	1,075.00–1,075.00	1,075	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,120	1,281.41/head	1,275.00–1,300.00	1,281	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,272	935.48/head	835.00–960.00	935	21
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,247	775.00/head	775.00–775.00	775	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	712	162.22/cwt	158.50–166.00	1,155	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	591	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	946	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,021	151.40/cwt	150.50–152.00	1,546	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	993	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,460	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	897	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,050	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,124	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 →