Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2019-04-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-04-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Quality this week was mostly attractive to very attractive. Cattle were in mostly very light to moderate flesh. Buyers gave strong premiums for thin fleshed cattle this sale as grass buyers were very aggressive in bidding on these offerings. CME contracts finished the day mixed, however with with stronger CME contract prices seen since the last feeder special buyers bid with confidence as they searched for cattle to fill summer pasture and grass leases. Demand was consistent throughout the sale which stretched late into the evening. The stands were full for today's sale with many ranchers and farmer feeders in the seats, as well as traditional order buyers. A strong offering of replacement quality heifers were seen this sale. These offerings sold on good to very good demand as quality ran deep. Market activity was active to very active with many willing market participants for all classes of feeder and replacement cattle. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Quality this sale was plain to average and much lower than last week. Slaughter and feeding cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls were scarcely tested. Young age 2-3 year olds suitable to re-breed sold with lower undertones on a much lower quality offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $149.08/cwt on 2,616 head.

Average price

$149.08

2,616 head · 670 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,000

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$40

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

$15.18/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.58

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	576	152.95	881	250
Medium and Large 1	683	149.17	1,019	2,260
Large 1	654	140.12	917	17thin
Medium and Large 2	610	137.77	841	89

One grade step is worth $15.18/cwt here — about $40 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 sale2,616 hd

149.08

—

MT average3 barns · 2,761 hd

149.66

−0.58

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	1,698	79.38	1,347	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,485	61.97	920	4thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,489	60.13	895	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,146	56.02	642	41

Every lot, as filed

90 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	—	1,379	64.38/cwt	61.00–65.50	888	23
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,175	810.00/cwt	810.00–810.00	9,518	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	528	190.98/cwt	185.00–196.00	1,008	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,274	62.36/cwt	61.50–64.00	794	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	575	173.42/cwt	172.50–174.50	997	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	636	162.23/cwt	154.00–171.00	1,032	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	854	134.25/cwt	134.25–134.25	1,146	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	768	145.59/cwt	144.00–149.00	1,118	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	675	157.03/cwt	155.00–162.00	1,060	22
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	537	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	832	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	663	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	975	68
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	717	132.47/cwt	130.00–138.00	950	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	488	196.05/cwt	194.00–198.00	957	101
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	719	161.16/cwt	155.50–166.00	1,159	136
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	766	153.20/cwt	148.00–155.50	1,174	170
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	629	175.73/cwt	171.50–180.00	1,105	240
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	674	167.75/cwt	163.00–172.50	1,131	276
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	736	151.57/cwt	147.00–153.00	1,116	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	470	190.00/cwt	188.00–193.00	893	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,272	60.23/cwt	57.00–64.50	766	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	524	165.88/cwt	164.50–169.00	869	120
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	867	130.19/cwt	130.00–130.25	1,129	147
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	576	163.32/cwt	159.75–166.50	941	162
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	760	138.49/cwt	134.00–140.00	1,053	279
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	627	158.24/cwt	150.00–162.50	992	394
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	705	145.52/cwt	140.00–148.00	1,026	394
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	681	148.56/cwt	144.00–152.00	1,012	399
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	534	183.20/cwt	183.00–184.00	978	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	424	189.29/cwt	188.00–190.00	803	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	547	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	968	20
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	908	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,180	35
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	550	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	891	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	693	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,053	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	723	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,005	3
Heifers	Large 1	—	565	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	819	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	827	1,191.40/cwt	1,185.00–1,200.00	9,853	130
Heifers	Large 1	—	805	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	982	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	820	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,066	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	774	127.52/cwt	126.00–128.00	987	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	631	144.63/cwt	140.00–147.00	913	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	687	138.34/cwt	137.00–139.50	950	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	931	127.15/cwt	126.00–127.50	1,184	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	463	174.13/cwt	167.00–177.50	806	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	809	143.52/cwt	141.00–146.00	1,161	70
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,068	1,500.00/cwt	1,500.00–1,500.00	16,020	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,035	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,139	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,078	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,186	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,133	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	1,144	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	651	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	1,048	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	797	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,068	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	814	133.42/cwt	131.00–135.00	1,086	94
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	755	1,148.45/cwt	1,100.00–1,150.00	8,671	131
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	736	1,122.17/cwt	1,057.50–1,160.00	8,259	322
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	658	157.50/cwt	157.50–157.50	1,036	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	615	165.07/cwt	163.00–165.75	1,015	72
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	658	145.00/cwt	142.00–148.00	954	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	795	131.60/cwt	131.00–132.00	1,046	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	416	163.87/cwt	162.00–165.00	682	26
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	640	166.86/cwt	166.00–169.00	1,068	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,134	55.11/cwt	50.50–60.00	625	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	916	53.49/cwt	51.00–55.00	490	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	513	162.05/cwt	158.00–163.00	831	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	481	164.13/cwt	162.50–166.00	789	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	640	147.61/cwt	147.00–149.00	945	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	588	153.10/cwt	147.00–158.00	900	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	540	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	783	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	628	135.94/cwt	135.00–136.00	854	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	846	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,121	11
Heifers	Large 1	—	534	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	828	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,033	98.07/cwt	89.00–109.00	1,013	42
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,205	74.85/cwt	62.00–87.00	902	24
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,379	64.93/cwt	63.00–67.00	895	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,148	56.50/cwt	56.50–56.50	649	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	967	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	793	3
Bulls	—	—	1,505	77.00/cwt	77.00–77.00	1,159	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	762	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	1,086	14
Bulls	—	—	1,670	76.50/cwt	76.50–76.50	1,278	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,455	68.00/cwt	68.00–68.00	989	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,505	54.50/cwt	54.50–54.50	820	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,490	62.69/cwt	61.50–64.00	934	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,980	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	1,376	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,325	57.00/cwt	57.00–57.00	755	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,370	41.00/cwt	41.00–41.00	562	1
Bulls	—	—	1,945	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	1,702	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	602	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	999	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	422	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	844	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	982	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,252	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	910	129.87/cwt	129.00–130.00	1,182	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	870	138.82/cwt	137.50–139.50	1,208	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	576	180.04/cwt	178.00–183.00	1,037	41

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 →