Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2019-05-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-05-29

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend. Rain and flooded creeks kept receipts light again this week on all offerings. Demand for feeders was light to moderate on very light offerings. Market activity was slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Demand started the sale light however very quickly improved as offerings were light. Packers passed on many cows early in the morning allowing feeding buyers to purchase the majority of cows to feed, however by late morning packers were back in the market pushing to own the majority of the cows. This forced feeders mostly out of the market as cow prices improved 3.00-4.00 during the sale. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold unevenly steady from 3.00 lower to 1.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady, however bulls were pushing excess fill again this week. Young age cows sold with steady to higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Demand for re-breeding cows helped push this market higher. Quality was average to attractive.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $131.79/cwt on 37 head.

Average price

$131.79

37 head · 811 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,069

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$248

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

$29.14/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−11.79

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	726	137.14	996	29
Large 1	1,098	115.00	1,263	5thin
Large 1-2	1,152	108.00	1,244	3thin

One grade step is worth $29.14/cwt here — about −$248 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 sale37 hd

131.79

—

MT average3 barns · 94 hd

143.58

−11.79

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	—	High	1,766	83.23	1,470	25
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,659	67.71	1,123	8thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,429	65.93	942	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,250	63.47	793	93

Every lot, as filed

37 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
Steers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,098	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,263	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	769	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	977	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	866	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,022	6
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,140	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	1,151	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,030	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	999	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	595	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	910	1
Bulls	—	—	2,043	93.25/cwt	91.50–95.50	1,905	3
Bulls	—	—	1,746	86.04/cwt	83.00–88.50	1,502	10
Bulls	—	—	1,714	78.39/cwt	71.00–82.00	1,344	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	975	100.27/cwt	82.00–117.00	978	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,185	74.70/cwt	65.00–84.00	885	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,099	56.83/cwt	56.00–58.00	625	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,288	61.70/cwt	61.00–62.00	795	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	855	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	778	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,319	63.76/cwt	60.00–66.00	841	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,030	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	670	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,441	66.25/cwt	63.00–69.00	955	27
Steers	Large 1-2	—	1,152	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,244	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	713	133.60/cwt	128.00–139.00	953	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	978	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,164	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	552	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	867	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	678	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	990	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,458	68.17/cwt	64.00–71.00	994	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,286	64.73/cwt	63.00–68.00	832	52
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,703	68.97/cwt	68.00–70.00	1,175	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	806	113.37/cwt	113.00–114.00	914	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	680	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	870	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	514	140.84/cwt	140.00–143.00	724	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	629	129.20/cwt	129.00–130.00	813	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,400	65.82/cwt	64.00–67.50	921	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,585	65.60/cwt	62.00–67.00	1,040	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,484	60.77/cwt	58.00–63.00	902	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,451	70.40/cwt	69.00–74.00	1,022	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,238	71.83/cwt	70.00–72.50	889	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	57.59/cwt	54.00–61.00	556	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	940	64.00/cwt	64.00–64.00	602	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,219	59.43/cwt	54.00–62.50	724	30

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 →