Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2019-10-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-10-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer calves sold mostly 4.00-5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Heifer calves were too too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on calves under 450 lbs and steady to higher undertones were noticed on heifers over 450 lbs. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly traded tested to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly plain today. Demand for all feeder cattle was light to moderate on mostly light offerings. Market activity was moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers showed very light to light demand for all offerings not suitable to feed. Seasonably heavy slaughter cow numbers have packers shackle space full. This continues to pressure the slaughter cow market. Slaughter cows sold mostly 8.00-12.00 lower on lean and boning cows. All breaking cows sold as feeding cows again this week. Feeding cows saw vast differences in quality and flesh this week. Packers and feeding cows buyers both showed good demand for large frame, fleshy cows. These offerings sold higher than last week, however these offerings were limited. Despite higher fleshy cows the bulk of cow sales were lower. Feeding cows unevenly steady from 1.00 higher to 5.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold on uneven demand. Bulls were pushing heavy amounts of fill early in the morning and offered better weigh up conditions in the afternoon. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold with lower undertones. Quality this week was mostly average and lower overall than last week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $156.85/cwt on 342 head.

Average price

$156.85

342 head · 510 lb average

Value per head Derived

$800

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$64

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

$3.36/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.90

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	518	157.76	818	249
Medium and Large 1-2	488	154.40	754	93

One grade step is worth $3.36/cwt here — about $64 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 sale342 hd

156.85

—

MT average5 barns · 6,483 hd

152.94

+3.90

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	1,874	69.26	1,298	48
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,456	43.94	640	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,202	40.29	484	232

Every lot, as filed

58 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	773	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	935	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,006	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	1,232	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	970	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,213	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	910	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,156	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,463	43.24/cwt	41.00–46.00	633	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,440	47.29/cwt	46.00–49.00	681	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,430	35.00/cwt	35.00–35.00	501	1
Bulls	—	—	1,812	63.31/cwt	57.00–69.00	1,147	24
Bulls	—	—	1,816	71.58/cwt	69.50–74.50	1,300	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	618	129.70/cwt	129.00–130.00	802	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,161	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	650	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,086	51.46/cwt	47.00–53.00	559	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,417	54.14/cwt	42.50–69.00	767	174
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,421	58.64/cwt	50.00–69.50	833	201
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	899	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,124	17
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,148	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	1,045	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	708	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	807	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	773	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	935	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	712	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	522	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	705	3
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,225	103.50/cwt	103.50–103.50	1,268	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,037	119.88/cwt	119.75–121.00	1,243	35
Bulls	—	—	2,137	81.28/cwt	76.00–90.50	1,737	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,424	875.00/cwt	875.00–875.00	12,460	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,230	1,000.25/cwt	950.00–1,050.00	12,303	20
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,090	1,010.00/cwt	1,010.00–1,010.00	11,009	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	478	151.66/cwt	151.00–154.00	725	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	561	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	813	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,328	47.85/cwt	46.00–50.00	635	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,235	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	667	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,169	33.39/cwt	24.00–37.00	390	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	331	186.57/cwt	185.00–187.50	618	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	607	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	835	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	422	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	717	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	534	153.09/cwt	151.50–163.00	818	119
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	465	162.64/cwt	157.00–168.00	756	61
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	145.02/cwt	144.00–145.50	914	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	386	190.62/cwt	189.00–196.00	736	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	537	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	795	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	654	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	935	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	733	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,019	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	349	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	503	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	397	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	576	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	511	137.43/cwt	132.00–140.00	702	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	441	151.48/cwt	145.00–153.00	668	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	395	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	596	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	694	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	895	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	465	147.63/cwt	146.00–149.00	686	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	559	132.64/cwt	130.00–134.00	741	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,033	81.70/cwt	71.00–86.50	844	60
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,206	41.56/cwt	37.00–46.00	501	142
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	983	36.09/cwt	31.00–38.00	355	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	585	146.59/cwt	146.00–147.00	858	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,156	68.65/cwt	58.00–85.00	794	117
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,334	63.07/cwt	54.00–68.00	841	102
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,569	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	973	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,344	45.51/cwt	43.00–47.50	612	48
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,132	43.95/cwt	42.50–49.50	498	27

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 →