Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-10-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-10-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Public auction yards held their first Friday sale of the fall marketing season today. This was the first Friday sale of the season so no comparisons can be made. Demand was mostly moderate to good for moderate to heavy offerings. Quality today was mostly average to very attractive. Calves were offered in mostly medium to large packages. The best demand seen today was for light calves which could be developed into yearlings, or heavy calves which buyers could feed hard and market against the April contract. Order buyers purchasing calves for packers showed very good demand for very attractive heavy weight cattle this sale. Heavier calves often sold for the same price per cwt. as their lighter mates as high feed costs make it more advantageous to buy weight than to feed it. A big crowd was on hand for todays sale. Market activity was mostly active this sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for very light offerings. Packer buyers needing to fill loads for the week showed good demand for limited offerings. Too few weigh up cows and bulls were sold to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $197.30/cwt on 1,334 head.

Average price

$197.30

1,334 head · 568 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,121

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$284

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

$36.97/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.52

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	566	201.24	1,140	1,066
Medium and Large 1-2	548	188.10	1,031	160
Medium 1	654	175.77	1,150	13thin
Large 1	649	173.60	1,127	69
Medium and Large 2	488	173.00	844	4thin
Large 1-2	521	164.27	856	22

One grade step is worth $36.97/cwt here — about $284 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 sale1,334 hd

197.30

—

MT average4 barns · 2,360 hd

196.77

+0.52

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	1,722	85.42	1,471	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,443	76.92	1,110	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,800	74.00	1,332	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,056	63.74	673	14

Every lot, as filed

89 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	305	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	732	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	523	191.17/cwt	187.50–192.00	1,000	11
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	488	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	844	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	718	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	1,239	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	486	191.73/cwt	185.00–198.00	932	53
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	224.92/cwt	214.00–227.00	967	94
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	619	196.13/cwt	186.00–203.00	1,214	209
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	991	164.50/cwt	164.50–164.50	1,630	8
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	567	180.28/cwt	180.00–182.00	1,022	7
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	545	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	954	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	655	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,146	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	613	181.74/cwt	180.00–184.00	1,114	9
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	425	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	795	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	746	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,343	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	825	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	1,469	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	180.57/cwt	180.00–184.50	937	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	870	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,418	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	930	164.50/cwt	164.50–164.50	1,530	5
Steers	Medium 1	—	704	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	1,218	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	425	201.54/cwt	192.50–212.00	857	253
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	640	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,056	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	384	194.50/cwt	194.50–194.50	747	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	575	199.22/cwt	190.50–202.00	1,146	212
Steers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	551	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	887	14
Steers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	468	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	796	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	731	175.60/cwt	171.00–181.00	1,284	58
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	662	190.72/cwt	186.00–196.50	1,263	46
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	633	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	994	8
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	525	187.09/cwt	186.00–187.50	982	7
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	484	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	900	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	565	183.02/cwt	171.00–189.00	1,034	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	200.84/cwt	193.00–206.50	1,048	223
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	375	215.61/cwt	212.00–217.00	809	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	205.81/cwt	198.50–213.50	967	77
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	671	169.50/cwt	169.50–169.50	1,137	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	382	232.64/cwt	227.50–238.00	889	73
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	738	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,070	4
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	488	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	903	3
Heifers	Medium 1	—	612	176.50/cwt	176.50–176.50	1,080	24
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	605	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,089	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	330	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	690	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	479	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	829	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	357	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	741	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	660	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,148	4
Bulls	—	—	1,624	78.28/cwt	74.50–80.50	1,271	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,665	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	1,382	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,474	74.92/cwt	74.00–75.50	1,104	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,105	64.34/cwt	60.50–66.00	711	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,270	73.00/cwt	73.00–73.00	927	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,800	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	1,332	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,409	67.26/cwt	67.00–68.00	948	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	940	52.50/cwt	52.50–52.50	494	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	934	63.02/cwt	58.00–64.50	589	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,468	81.37/cwt	81.00–82.50	1,195	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,337	84.50/cwt	84.50–84.50	1,130	3
Bulls	—	—	2,255	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	2,278	1
Bulls	—	—	1,790	88.40/cwt	87.50–91.00	1,582	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,410	81.50/cwt	81.50–81.50	1,149	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,177	77.00/cwt	77.00–77.00	906	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,151	86.23/cwt	80.00–89.50	993	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	852	86.37/cwt	80.00–93.00	736	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,240	75.50/cwt	75.50–75.50	936	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	757	173.42/cwt	172.00–178.00	1,313	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	670	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	1,219	3
Heifers	Medium 1	—	682	169.88/cwt	167.00–174.50	1,159	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	925	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,434	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	865	168.67/cwt	164.00–170.00	1,459	22
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,095	150.25/cwt	150.25–150.25	1,645	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	434	181.62/cwt	180.00–188.00	788	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	539	171.02/cwt	166.00–178.00	922	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	512	198.50/cwt	198.50–198.50	1,016	112
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	965	163.62/cwt	160.00–164.50	1,579	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	333	209.16/cwt	207.00–212.00	697	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	476	183.22/cwt	177.50–191.00	872	162
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	675	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,046	24
Heifers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	505	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	707	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	343	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	652	3
Heifers	Medium 1	—	722	173.75/cwt	173.75–173.75	1,254	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	577	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	964	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	483	174.32/cwt	169.00–176.00	842	66
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	581	179.87/cwt	172.00–184.00	1,045	134
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	717	156.36/cwt	150.00–164.00	1,121	9
Heifers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	436	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	728	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	724	178.56/cwt	175.00–181.50	1,293	68
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	620	178.58/cwt	167.00–181.00	1,107	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	361	210.22/cwt	204.00–212.00	759	53
Steers	Large 1	—	1,000	165.50/cwt	165.50–165.50	1,655	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	857	176.25/cwt	170.00–176.50	1,510	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	707	195.50/cwt	195.50–195.50	1,382	28

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 →