Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-12-14
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-12-14

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to two weeks ago: Last week Public auction yards held their annual blue ribbon sale and sold no feeders or weigh up cows. As a result all comparisons are to two weeks ago. Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however unevenly steady undertones were noticed on all feeder offerings. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Quality today was mostly plain to average. Feedlots in the corn-belt and Western Nebraska were mostly out of the market until later in the week when roads open up. Roads remain icy and treacherous which kept some buyers out of the market. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed mostly light demand for both feeding and slaughter cows this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-5.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 2.00-3.00 lower. Feeding cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower on all classes. Packers have filled feedlots all fall with high quality cows and with only a few sales left for the year packers showed light demand for all high quality cows to feed to premium white. Most feeding cows were purchased by private feeders this sale. Packers did purchase most of the bull offering to feed this sale, however at lower prices. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00 lower. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold sharply lower. Again much of this is weather related as buyers in the plains and corn-belt are out of the market due to heavy snow and poor road conditions.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $163.08/cwt on 110 head.

Average price

$163.08

110 head · 599 lb average

Value per head Derived

$977

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$300

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

$26.45/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−15.63

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	542	168.15	912	66
Medium and Large 1	616	164.18	1,012	26
Large 1	594	146.00	867	5thin
Medium 1	855	141.69	1,212	13thin

One grade step is worth $26.45/cwt here — about −$300 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 sale110 hd

163.08

—

MT average4 barns · 2,735 hd

178.71

−15.63

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	1,797	81.49	1,464	90
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,667	67.82	1,131	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,408	63.12	889	266
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,189	54.70	650	497

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/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,315	$1,200	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,241	$847	17
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,227	$783	12

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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	975	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,082	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	593	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	1,014	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	684	163.50/cwt	163.50–163.50	1,118	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	434	218.19/cwt	210.00–230.00	947	7
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,088	107.50/cwt	107.50–107.50	1,170	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	389	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	729	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	370	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	781	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	343	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	772	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	365	241.48/cwt	235.00–255.00	881	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	409	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	757	4
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	594	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	867	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	435	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	914	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	629	171.80/cwt	170.00–173.00	1,081	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	462	216.06/cwt	210.00–225.00	998	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	702	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	1,179	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	540	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	913	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	372	188.99/cwt	187.50–190.00	703	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	543	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	1,018	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	325	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	813	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	670	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,085	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	563	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	963	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	989	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,355	7
Heifers	Medium 1	—	828	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,209	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	554	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	1,064	7
Steers	Medium 1	—	360	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	756	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	514	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	1,049	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	612	180.00/cwt	179.00–183.00	1,102	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	543	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	842	6
Heifers	Medium 1	—	916	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,209	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	451	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	744	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	400	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	780	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	675	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,006	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	540	158.56/cwt	150.00–161.00	856	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	823	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,276	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	571	153.10/cwt	150.00–159.00	874	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	893	45.58/cwt	42.00–48.50	407	19
Bulls	—	—	2,015	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	1,914	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,169	50.39/cwt	45.00–54.50	589	68
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,145	39.34/cwt	36.50–42.00	450	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	968	53.40/cwt	51.00–57.00	517	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	58.91/cwt	55.00–64.00	814	63
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,196	57.28/cwt	55.00–61.00	685	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,202	53.44/cwt	50.00–55.00	642	142
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,216	68.69/cwt	67.00–70.00	835	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,675	66.48/cwt	62.50–68.50	1,114	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,521	65.02/cwt	61.00–70.00	989	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,389	57.66/cwt	51.00–63.00	801	71
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,657	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	1,152	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	714	32.41/cwt	30.00–42.50	231	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,242	58.49/cwt	55.00–62.50	726	202
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,421	68.39/cwt	64.00–74.00	972	119
Bulls	—	—	1,960	87.39/cwt	85.00–92.00	1,713	17
Bulls	—	—	1,906	78.21/cwt	63.00–84.00	1,491	15
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,700	78.53/cwt	69.00–83.00	1,335	43
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,763	85.97/cwt	85.00–88.00	1,516	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,349	937.69/head	925.00–975.00	938	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,145	650.00/head	650.00–650.00	650	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,095	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	657	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,104	74.41/cwt	59.00–95.00	821	91
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	796	90.67/cwt	87.50–103.00	722	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	955	76.72/cwt	72.00–80.00	733	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	988	94.81/cwt	80.00–110.00	937	99
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,315	1,200.00/head	1,200.00–1,200.00	1,200	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,330	1,025.00/head	1,025.00–1,025.00	1,025	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,193	750.00/head	750.00–750.00	750	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,199	800.00/head	800.00–800.00	800	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	625	164.32/cwt	163.00–168.00	1,027	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	663	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,048	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	700	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	1,071	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	325	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	642	7

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 →