Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2019-11-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-11-06

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 classes of feeder cattle. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Snow and sleet fell last night and through much of the morning. Many calves showed signs of stress as a result of the weather. Demand for all feeder cattle was light to moderate on mostly light offerings. Market activity was moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for heavy offerings. Packers showed better demand for slaughter cows again this week despite a large offering of cows. All classes of slaughter cows sold on moderate to good demand. The cutter cow cutout has been volatile over the last few days gaining and losing over 4.00 in a single day. The cutter cow cutout as of today's close was 178.20, up 4.42 from yesterdays close. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were scarcely tested last week thus no trend is available. Fleshy cows continue to sell with the best demand. Packers are competing with feeding buyers and farmer feeders across the upper plains as many are buying cows to feed silage or turn out on cornstalks, beets or unharvested wheat. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Thin fleshed cows of all ages sold with stronger demand this week. These cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold generally steady. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $139.20/cwt on 376 head.

Average price

$139.20

376 head · 585 lb average

Value per head Derived

$814

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$572

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

$25.73/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.79

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	425	144.23	613	13thin
Medium and Large 1-2	486	141.31	686	68
Medium and Large 1	578	140.03	809	272
Large 1	1,068	121.10	1,293	15thin
Large 1-2	1,000	118.50	1,185	8thin

One grade step is worth $25.73/cwt here — about −$572 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 sale376 hd

139.20

—

MT average5 barns · 4,056 hd

143.98

−4.79

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	1,833	76.15	1,396	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,584	66.73	1,057	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,449	51.08	740	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,253	45.52	570	103

Every lot, as filed

75 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	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	400	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	640	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	495	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	728	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,105	998.62/cwt	925.00–1,035.00	11,035	35
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,211	1,040.93/cwt	1,000.00–1,075.00	12,606	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	526	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	752	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,135	116.62/cwt	116.50–117.00	1,324	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,050	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,313	6
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,000	118.50/cwt	118.50–118.50	1,185	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	957	131.28/cwt	127.00–133.00	1,256	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	853	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,173	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	920	133.15/cwt	132.00–133.50	1,225	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	360	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	576	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	935	140.10/cwt	138.50–144.00	1,310	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	458	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	639	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	427	149.04/cwt	144.00–156.00	636	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	345	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	535	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	449	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	633	10
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	693	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	942	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	518	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	774	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	653	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	904	17
Bulls	—	—	2,200	84.67/cwt	81.50–87.50	1,863	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	659	129.37/cwt	129.00–129.50	853	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	628	132.20/cwt	131.50–133.00	830	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	432	154.47/cwt	154.00–157.00	667	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	478	148.05/cwt	144.50–155.00	708	59
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	569	135.32/cwt	133.00–136.50	770	123
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	526	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	705	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	576	131.56/cwt	131.00–132.00	758	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	955	80.21/cwt	69.00–92.00	766	171
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,233	850.00/cwt	850.00–850.00	10,481	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,309	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	759	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,331	700.00/cwt	700.00–700.00	9,317	7
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,098	1,063.21/cwt	1,060.00–1,075.00	11,674	18
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,087	67.29/cwt	66.00–70.00	731	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,354	55.55/cwt	51.00–63.00	752	66
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,418	62.97/cwt	52.50–71.50	893	130
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,537	64.82/cwt	63.00–66.00	996	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	558	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	720	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	474	160.05/cwt	155.00–166.00	759	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	416	169.64/cwt	150.00–180.00	706	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	671	125.38/cwt	125.00–126.00	841	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	765	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,010	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	680	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	918	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	738	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	974	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	717	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	613	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	834	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	335	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	637	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	960	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,027	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,235	44.94/cwt	42.00–51.00	555	59
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,313	52.62/cwt	51.50–55.00	691	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,224	37.19/cwt	34.00–40.50	455	18
Heifers	Large 1Full	—	1,035	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,242	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,251	53.97/cwt	53.00–58.00	675	21
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,154	54.84/cwt	49.00–56.00	633	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	845	64.33/cwt	64.00–65.00	544	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,180	51.47/cwt	48.00–53.50	607	28
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,245	49.13/cwt	45.00–52.50	612	143
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,343	64.51/cwt	61.00–72.00	866	24
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,170	67.40/cwt	60.00–77.50	789	103
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	523	148.89/cwt	148.00–149.00	779	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,679	73.01/cwt	71.50–74.00	1,226	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,585	54.50/cwt	54.50–54.50	864	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	910	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	410	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,532	49.80/cwt	45.50–51.00	763	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,448	53.96/cwt	51.00–56.00	781	10
Bulls	—	—	1,839	78.57/cwt	76.00–81.50	1,445	12
Bulls	—	—	1,639	67.05/cwt	63.00–70.50	1,099	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,269	870.21/cwt	775.00–925.00	11,043	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	565	149.61/cwt	146.00–151.50	845	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	385	174.77/cwt	171.50–180.00	673	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	590	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	879	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	612	148.41/cwt	144.25–149.25	908	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	156.11/cwt	152.00–158.00	793	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	460	164.97/cwt	164.00–168.00	759	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	850	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,241	11

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 →