Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-01-24
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-01-24

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were limited today as todays sale featured bred cows and weigh ups. Quality was plain to average. Demand was light to moderate as quality hampered demand. Offerings were light. Market activity was slow. Weigh up cows comprised most of the sale this week. Packers remain short bought and were aggressive as they tried to buy cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher on breaking and boning cows; lean cows sold 3.00-5.00 higher. Packers showed good demand for high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white as they continue to put cows away on feed. Both private feeders and packers were very aggressive as they bid on very high quality cows. Cow quality today was mostly attractive to very attractive. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Weigh up conditions were average to above average in the morning as many sets of open cows were preg checked through the chute. Afternoon weigh conditions moderated slightly. Slaughter bulls were not well compared as last week saw very light volume, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average to attractive today. Bred cow quality was mostly average today. Demand for bred cows was moderate.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $243.32/cwt on 83 head.

Average price

$243.32

83 head · 756 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,839

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$328

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

$64.91/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−43.67

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	543	294.69	1,599	16thin
Medium 1	580	263.00	1,525	1thin
Large 1	650	235.00	1,528	10thin
Medium and Large 1	839	229.78	1,927	56

One grade step is worth $64.91/cwt here — about −$328 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 sale83 hd

243.32

—

MT average4 barns · 1,493 hd

286.99

−43.67

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	—	Average	1,764	112.94	1,992	64
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Low	1,621	102.48	1,661	25
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,544	102.01	1,575	84
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,397	98.02	1,369	257
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,169	92.12	1,077	380

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 (2-4 yrs)	1,247	$2,000	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,428	$1,846	12
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,109	$1,741	22
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,442	$1,646	19
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,418	$1,487	20
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,310	$1,475	1thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	974	$1,348	11
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	583	$425	3thin

Every lot, as filed

73 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	956	100.18/cwt	95.00–105.00	958	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,370	1,425.00/head	1,425.00–1,425.00	1,425	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,065	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,289	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,014	152.38/cwt	110.00–188.00	1,545	65
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,256	1,809.54/head	1,550.00–1,900.00	1,810	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,099	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	9
Stock Cows	Small 3	—	601	45.06/cwt	38.00–49.00	271	158
Bred Cows	Small 3	—	583	425.00/head	425.00–425.00	425	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,114	105.55/cwt	101.00–117.50	1,176	41
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,450	1,672.40/head	1,600.00–1,700.00	1,672	17
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,310	1,475.00/head	1,475.00–1,475.00	1,475	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,434	1,512.44/head	1,500.00–1,525.00	1,512	12
Bred Cows	Small 3Non-Legible BANGS	—	650	435.00/head	435.00–435.00	435	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,350	1,575.00/head	1,575.00–1,575.00	1,575	2
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	971	1,375.00/head	1,375.00–1,375.00	1,375	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	523	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	1,425	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	442	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,437	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,032	185.66/cwt	185.00–186.00	1,916	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	584	260.80/cwt	260.00–261.00	1,523	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	665	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,656	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	569	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,536	6
Steers	Large 1	—	650	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,528	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	679	255.51/cwt	255.00–259.00	1,735	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	981	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,070	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	484	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,283	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	996	189.50/cwt	189.50–189.50	1,887	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	667	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,507	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	760	228.70/cwt	225.00–231.00	1,738	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	536	297.00/cwt	297.00–297.00	1,592	7
Steers	Medium 1	—	580	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	1,525	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	764	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,673	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	838	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,902	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	900	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,881	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	738	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,513	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	938	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,829	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	640	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,568	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,543	95.26/cwt	94.00–100.00	1,470	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,385	97.61/cwt	94.50–102.50	1,352	52
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,504	103.76/cwt	103.50–104.00	1,561	13
Bulls	—	—	1,824	116.74/cwt	115.00–118.00	2,129	13
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,712	101.37/cwt	100.00–101.50	1,735	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,536	105.86/cwt	104.50–106.00	1,626	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,138	86.74/cwt	80.00–90.50	987	90
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,218	102.04/cwt	101.00–103.00	1,243	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,454	103.73/cwt	103.00–105.00	1,508	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,443	103.89/cwt	103.50–104.50	1,499	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,404	92.63/cwt	92.50–93.00	1,301	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,386	98.38/cwt	93.50–103.00	1,364	129
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	915	92.95/cwt	91.00–95.00	850	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,085	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	2,022	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,417	91.49/cwt	85.00–93.50	1,296	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,575	92.92/cwt	88.00–96.50	1,463	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,502	106.20/cwt	104.50–107.50	1,595	17
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,579	101.44/cwt	99.00–103.00	1,602	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	940	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	912	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	900	59.99/cwt	55.00–62.50	540	3
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,537	103.50/cwt	103.50–103.50	1,591	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,165	92.85/cwt	90.00–97.00	1,082	141
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,127	72.29/cwt	65.00–78.00	815	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	913	78.67/cwt	75.00–86.00	718	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,051	90.15/cwt	87.50–91.00	947	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,206	103.14/cwt	100.00–106.00	1,244	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,231	95.72/cwt	92.00–99.50	1,178	100
Bulls	—	—	1,861	125.62/cwt	122.00–129.00	2,338	12
Bulls	—	—	1,809	114.84/cwt	111.00–120.00	2,077	19
Bulls	—	—	1,734	97.49/cwt	90.00–111.00	1,690	11
Bulls	—	—	2,013	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	2,416	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,375	102.76/cwt	101.50–106.00	1,413	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,140	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,049	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,247	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	3
Bred Cows	Medium 1-2	—	979	1,300.00/head	1,300.00–1,300.00	1,300	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,444	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,394	1,450.00/head	1,450.00–1,450.00	1,450	8

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 →