Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-01-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-01-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

The last Friday feeder special sale was 5 weeks ago therefore an accurate market trend cannot be established. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Many packages of calves were on offer however load lots were limited. Demand for grass cattle was mostly light, however quality was mostly average on cattle suitable to run as yearlings. The best quality this sale was seen on cattle weighting over 650 lbs. CME positions traded lower throughout much of the day before ending the day higher. Market activity this sale was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for very light offerings. Packers showed good demand for both slaughter and feeding cows this sale. All cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trends.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $160.55/cwt on 1,089 head.

Average price

$160.55

1,089 head · 624 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,001

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$185

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

$35.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.39

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	429	176.00	755	4thin
Medium and Large 1	626	161.56	1,011	910
Medium and Large 1-2	575	159.30	916	129
Large 1	741	142.81	1,058	43
Large 1-2	667	141.00	940	3thin

One grade step is worth $35.00/cwt here — about −$185 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 sale1,089 hd

160.55

—

MT average4 barns · 1,841 hd

165.94

−5.39

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	1,784	84.83	1,514	6thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,330	54.00	718	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,153	47.00	542	3thin

Every lot, as filed

74 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Fri)

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	—	754	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	973	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	520	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	770	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	491	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	737	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	710	129.50/cwt	129.50–129.50	919	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	698	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	914	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,625	59.50/cwt	59.50–59.50	967	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,470	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	867	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,354	63.75/cwt	63.75–63.75	863	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,116	69.37/cwt	64.00–79.00	774	18
Bulls	—	—	1,440	76.98/cwt	76.50–77.50	1,109	2
Bulls	—	—	1,788	86.45/cwt	86.00–87.00	1,546	2
Bulls	—	—	2,125	91.06/cwt	88.00–94.50	1,935	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,330	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	718	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,175	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,293	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	838	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,081	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	413	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	743	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	748	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,025	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	666	136.64/cwt	136.00–137.50	910	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	493	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	764	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	952	133.25/cwt	133.25–133.25	1,269	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	488	182.29/cwt	179.00–189.00	890	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	422	148.03/cwt	147.00–153.00	625	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	473	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	710	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	317	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	412	6
Steers	Large 1	—	518	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	896	3
Steers	Large 1	—	1,060	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,346	3
Steers	Large 1	—	612	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	955	9
Steers	Large 1	—	772	137.03/cwt	133.00–139.00	1,058	28
Steers	Large 1-2	—	667	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	940	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	804	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,182	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	891	134.50/cwt	134.50–134.50	1,198	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	566	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	1,002	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	483	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	947	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	590	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	903	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	868	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	835	134.50/cwt	134.50–134.50	1,123	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	654	151.50/cwt	151.50–151.50	991	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	600	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	948	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	333	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	599	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	474	170.90/cwt	170.00–172.50	810	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	388	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	706	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	745	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,050	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	536	163.66/cwt	159.00–170.00	877	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	661	146.57/cwt	141.00–149.00	969	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	585	158.64/cwt	145.00–163.00	928	54
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	465	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	804	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	429	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	755	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	713	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	966	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	914	131.96/cwt	130.00–134.50	1,206	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	823	129.50/cwt	129.50–129.50	1,066	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	480	163.49/cwt	160.00–170.50	785	60
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	672	137.07/cwt	132.00–140.00	921	79
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	524	157.13/cwt	150.00–160.50	823	96
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	579	147.42/cwt	142.00–151.50	854	166
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	627	143.81/cwt	139.50–146.50	902	176
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	497	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	805	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	573	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	796	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	722	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	910	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	879	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,121	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	538	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	732	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	843	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,071	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	604	131.43/cwt	128.00–136.00	794	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	393	151.22/cwt	151.00–152.50	594	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	776	143.44/cwt	141.50–144.50	1,113	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	814	140.21/cwt	138.50–141.00	1,141	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	425	190.61/cwt	189.00–200.00	810	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	517	175.54/cwt	167.00–182.50	908	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	611	161.34/cwt	156.00–164.00	986	76
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	707	147.41/cwt	140.00–150.00	1,042	80
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	671	155.29/cwt	147.00–159.00	1,042	190
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	580	166.62/cwt	159.00–172.00	966	210
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	636	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,130	44.00/cwt	44.00–44.00	497	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	536	143.44/cwt	140.00–144.00	769	21

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 →