Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-05-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-05-22

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Todays sale featured weigh up cows, breds and cow-calf pairs. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers showed very good demand for cows for immediate harvest with cows going to slaughter in several different states. Several packers were present this week with some buying over the internet. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00 to 2.00 higher. Cow quality was average to attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mostly mixed with both full and empty cows seen. Slaughter bulls sold 3.00 to 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Several very high yielding bulls were seen this sale and these offerings were met with very good demand. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 5.00-10.00 higher. Cows which lost calves sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding quality cows sold at a discount to cows suitable to rebreed. Most young cows that had not had a calf sold 10.00-15.00 behind wet bagged cows. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Over 600 pairs sold on todays sale and demand was mostly moderate. Pair quality was mixed from average to attractive. A moderate size crowd was on hand for todays pair special.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 600–700 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

600–700 lb bulls averaged $280.00/cwt on 1 head. That ranks 1 of 4 comparable sales and sits −124.86 against this barn's trailing median of $404.86.

Average price

$280.00

1 head · 625 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,750

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+14.89

vs MT average

What quality paid 600–700 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Large 1	625	280.00	1,750	1thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 600–700 lb

4 sales

Bulls 600–700 lb: high $414.41, low $388.03, median $404.86 across 4 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 600–700 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale1 hd

280.00

—

MT average3 barns · 9 hd

265.11

+14.89

This barn, trailing median4 sales

404.86

−124.86

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	1,916	160.17	3,069	41
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,636	139.31	2,279	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,394	138.66	1,932	92
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,170	126.38	1,479	93

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,253	$2,372	13
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,406	$1,855	8
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,346	$1,800	10
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,380	$1,700	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,227	$3,030	201
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,471	$2,879	35
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,586	$2,838	94
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,452	$2,490	102
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,198	$3,263	105
Stock Cows	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,603	$2,775	3thin

Every lot, as filed

61 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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,323	3,135.94/head	3,000.00–3,500.00	3,136	127
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,224	3,310.23/head	3,100.00–3,800.00	3,310	93
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,653	2,768.81/head	2,725.00–2,825.00	2,769	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	563	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,717	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,398	2,150.00/head	2,150.00–2,150.00	2,150	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,006	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	31
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,627	2,913.32/head	2,750.00–2,975.00	2,913	62
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,380	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,346	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,415	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,434	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	25
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,236	2,954.58/head	2,950.00–2,975.00	2,955	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	972	201.94/cwt	163.00–222.50	1,963	73
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,879	3,250.00/head	3,250.00–3,250.00	3,250	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	783	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,605	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,285	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	2,120	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,603	2,775.00/head	2,775.00–2,775.00	2,775	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,475	2,425.00/head	2,425.00–2,425.00	2,425	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	949	180.06/cwt	155.00–200.00	1,709	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,429	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	1,836	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,406	1,854.60/head	1,775.00–1,900.00	1,855	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,105	172.97/cwt	140.00–210.00	1,911	47
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,253	2,372.34/head	2,200.00–2,450.00	2,372	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,553	137.84/cwt	137.00–139.00	2,141	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,379	135.29/cwt	128.50–140.00	1,866	17
Bulls	—	—	1,735	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	2,724	1
Bulls	—	—	1,816	152.75/cwt	146.00–159.00	2,774	4
Bulls	—	—	1,612	140.02/cwt	135.00–143.00	2,257	9
Bulls	—	—	2,039	168.10/cwt	161.00–179.75	3,428	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	100–150	127	533.33/head	500.00–600.00	533	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,349	143.54/cwt	140.00–144.00	1,936	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,132	117.74/cwt	106.50–125.00	1,333	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	945	115.50/cwt	110.00–121.00	1,091	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,080	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,307	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,765	144.88/cwt	144.50–145.00	2,557	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,666	132.14/cwt	131.00–135.00	2,201	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,435	125.21/cwt	116.00–128.00	1,797	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,523	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,919	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,550	145.34/cwt	143.50–147.00	2,253	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,590	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	2,242	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,420	145.24/cwt	141.50–149.00	2,062	31
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,353	137.53/cwt	130.00–140.00	1,861	24
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,077	215.71/cwt	213.00–221.00	2,323	3
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,068	174.20/cwt	162.50–182.50	1,860	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	129.30/cwt	126.00–132.00	1,550	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,200	132.66/cwt	127.00–133.50	1,592	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,182	136.04/cwt	135.00–140.00	1,608	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,232	136.62/cwt	134.00–137.00	1,683	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,087	2,922.97/head	2,875.00–3,025.00	2,923	16
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1-2	—	891	2,050.00/head	2,050.00–2,050.00	2,050	5
Bulls	Large 1	1000–1050	1,040	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	2,314	1
Bulls	Large 1	600–650	625	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,750	1
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,248	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	2,271	9
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,164	199.98/cwt	197.50–207.50	2,328	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,361	2,399.63/head	2,350.00–2,475.00	2,400	48
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,349	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,475	2,525.00/head	2,525.00–2,525.00	2,525	18
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	588	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	1,691	2
Heifer Pairs	Medium 1	—	997	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	12
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,068	2,675.00/head	2,675.00–2,675.00	2,675	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,473	2,886.88/head	2,700.00–3,100.00	2,887	34

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 →