Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-10-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-10-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer calves all traded unevenly steady. Yearling steers were scarcely traded. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison, heifers over 450 lbs sold unevenly steady. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light to moderate offerings. Many buyers filled loads or finished loads from yesterdays sale and exited the market, this led to uneven prices. Calves with fall preconditioning shots continue to sell with the best demand. Many sets of calves this week only offered spring vaccinations. Market activity this week was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light offerings. The best demand seen was for cows suitable to feed which sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed as buyers pushed to fill loads for the week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $205.88/cwt on 867 head.

Average price

$205.88

867 head · 541 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,114

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$360

per head · Medium 1-2 over Large 1

$59.34/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.46

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1-2	370	227.50	842	13thin
Medium and Large 1	543	208.20	1,130	718
Medium and Large 1-2	529	195.26	1,034	89
Medium 1	536	191.42	1,026	33
Large 1	714	168.16	1,201	14thin

One grade step is worth $59.34/cwt here — about −$360 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 sale867 hd

205.88

—

MT average5 barns · 3,186 hd

210.34

−4.46

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	1,791	92.76	1,661	8thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,435	70.27	1,008	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,180	52.33	617	65

Every lot, as filed

78 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
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,510	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	1,012	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	984	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	531	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,206	66.63/cwt	63.00–68.50	804	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,187	57.16/cwt	56.00–61.00	678	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,444	82.81/cwt	81.50–84.00	1,196	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,477	75.85/cwt	74.00–80.50	1,120	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,179	40.56/cwt	32.50–48.00	478	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,170	54.01/cwt	51.00–58.50	632	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,270	63.02/cwt	60.50–65.50	800	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,448	56.36/cwt	53.50–62.00	816	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,350	65.02/cwt	58.50–70.00	878	9
Bulls	—	—	2,190	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	2,081	1
Bulls	—	—	1,885	100.87/cwt	99.00–103.00	1,901	2
Bulls	—	—	1,820	93.16/cwt	92.00–94.00	1,696	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,650	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	1,502	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,538	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	1,292	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	679	160.50/cwt	160.50–160.50	1,090	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	388	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	854	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	633	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	994	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	378	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	851	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	811	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	998	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	567	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	970	3
Dairy Steers	Large 2	—	868	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,276	2
Dairy Steers	Large 2	—	655	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	1,041	14
Dairy Steers	Large 2	—	741	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,171	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	524	208.23/cwt	200.00–216.00	1,091	228
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	530	191.50/cwt	191.50–191.50	1,015	16
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	726	168.69/cwt	164.00–171.00	1,225	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	711	176.50/cwt	176.50–176.50	1,255	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	324	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	923	15
Dairy Heifers	Large 2	—	700	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	987	20
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	370	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	842	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	426	254.42/cwt	240.00–274.00	1,084	26
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	711	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	1,216	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	616	171.06/cwt	168.00–177.00	1,054	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	578	184.48/cwt	176.00–187.50	1,066	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	694	170.01/cwt	167.00–171.00	1,180	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	326	244.03/cwt	220.00–250.00	796	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	264.43/cwt	249.50–277.50	1,018	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	419	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	930	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	395	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	948	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	496	206.13/cwt	205.50–210.00	1,022	7
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	645	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,064	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	467	229.44/cwt	212.00–239.00	1,071	59
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	630	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,027	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	667	177.41/cwt	172.50–182.00	1,183	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	620	188.40/cwt	180.00–193.00	1,168	113
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,035	61.51/cwt	61.00–62.00	637	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	892	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,383	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,051	82.92/cwt	70.00–95.00	871	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	859	95.66/cwt	81.00–102.50	822	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	901	110.76/cwt	89.00–118.50	998	23
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	830	158.50/cwt	158.50–158.50	1,316	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	344	228.16/cwt	219.00–244.00	785	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	591	195.87/cwt	195.50–198.50	1,158	91
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	951	143.50/cwt	143.50–143.50	1,365	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	735	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,323	81
Heifers	Medium 1	—	683	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	1,147	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	360	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	612	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	483	171.02/cwt	161.00–181.00	826	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	614	170.27/cwt	159.00–175.00	1,045	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	435	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	740	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	385	210.37/cwt	208.00–213.00	810	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	473	188.84/cwt	185.00–197.00	893	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	413	209.23/cwt	200.00–222.00	864	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	367	219.22/cwt	207.50–229.00	805	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	322	213.12/cwt	211.00–217.50	686	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	567	177.92/cwt	169.00–186.00	1,009	77
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	568	157.67/cwt	151.00–168.00	896	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	515	174.55/cwt	171.00–176.00	899	14
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	346	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	779	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	563	193.50/cwt	193.50–193.50	1,089	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	512	183.19/cwt	179.00–184.50	938	137
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	620	153.72/cwt	152.00–156.00	953	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	414	187.67/cwt	185.00–191.00	777	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	613	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	920	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	535	187.09/cwt	186.00–190.00	1,001	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	578	196.46/cwt	188.00–202.00	1,136	179

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 →