Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-01-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-01-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all feeders on offer. Quality this week was plain to average. The best demand for cattle was for lightweight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Cattle were offered in mostly small packages. Demand overall was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for heavy offerings. Quality this sale was average to attractive. Packers showed mostly light to moderate demand for cows this week which allowed feeding buyers to purchase most of the cow offering. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher this sale. Cows were in noticeably heavier flesh overall compared to last sale. Many cows have put on weight after having calves weaned off them and many consignments have fed offerings. Several sets of cows were hard fed and buyers showed good demand for these offerings, however feeding buyers purchased most of these offerings and are listed as fleshy below. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower on boning and lean cows. However, the quality of cows going to harvest was lower this sale compared to last making slaughter cows higher on a dressed basis. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady on like quality offerings. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold with higher undertones. Quality was mostly average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $166.28/cwt on 241 head.

Average price

$166.28

241 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$902

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$59

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

$31.34/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.46

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	536	170.74	915	169
Medium and Large 1-2	526	161.85	851	47
Medium 1	631	149.00	940	12thin
Large 1-2	617	143.00	882	3thin
Medium and Large 2	614	139.40	856	10thin

One grade step is worth $31.34/cwt here — about $59 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 sale241 hd

166.28

—

MT average2 barns · 951 hd

171.73

−5.46

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	1,937	77.13	1,494	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,610	57.25	922	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,528	47.67	729	3thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,262	39.42	497	75

Every lot, as filed

78 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 1	—	576	164.02/cwt	162.00–171.00	945	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	428	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	805	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	474	175.33/cwt	174.00–177.00	831	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	518	179.37/cwt	175.00–180.00	929	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	451	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	758	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	636	150.50/cwt	150.50–150.50	957	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	169.40/cwt	169.00–169.50	861	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	577	165.65/cwt	162.50–167.00	956	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	485	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	669	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	355	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	550	5
Steers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	617	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	882	3
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	631	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	940	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	730	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,088	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	660	149.20/cwt	147.00–152.00	985	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	598	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	909	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	760	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,041	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	433	175.83/cwt	174.00–179.00	761	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	587	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	822	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	677	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	934	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,466	54.70/cwt	54.00–55.00	802	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,540	58.50/cwt	58.50–58.50	901	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,086	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	10,317	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,156	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	12,138	4
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	586	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	803	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,358	43.00/cwt	43.00–43.00	584	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,624	62.92/cwt	61.00–63.50	1,022	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	578	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	798	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	918	134.32/cwt	134.25–134.50	1,233	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	460	164.87/cwt	163.00–166.00	758	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	625	138.60/cwt	135.00–142.00	866	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	349	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	604	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	985	133.24/cwt	133.00–134.00	1,312	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	573	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	802	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	448	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	730	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,575	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	709	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,053	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,232	3
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,032	130.70/cwt	129.50–131.50	1,349	10
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,070	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,359	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	760	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	935	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	719	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	942	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	658	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	862	5
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,075	103.00/cwt	103.00–103.00	1,107	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	645	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	845	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	648	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	959	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	460	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	782	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	419	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	744	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	589	154.50/cwt	154.50–154.50	910	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	720	138.68/cwt	138.00–140.00	998	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	462	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	711	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	720	144.38/cwt	141.50–147.00	1,040	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,026	76.36/cwt	60.00–95.00	783	156
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,407	61.39/cwt	56.00–67.00	864	118
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,397	57.27/cwt	51.50–62.50	800	114
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,738	66.41/cwt	64.00–68.00	1,154	20
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,548	66.82/cwt	61.50–68.25	1,034	63
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,232	46.40/cwt	35.50–51.00	572	80
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,205	49.68/cwt	44.00–53.00	599	42
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,133	54.76/cwt	53.00–58.00	620	4
Bulls	—	—	1,714	64.30/cwt	61.00–69.50	1,102	5
Bulls	—	—	2,224	86.91/cwt	85.00–92.50	1,933	5
Bulls	—	—	1,925	77.72/cwt	72.50–83.50	1,496	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	526	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	757	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,505	49.01/cwt	48.00–50.00	738	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,603	63.02/cwt	60.00–66.00	1,010	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,615	53.40/cwt	50.00–57.50	862	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,217	35.49/cwt	30.00–36.50	432	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,280	40.13/cwt	37.00–47.50	514	63
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	915	36.61/cwt	35.00–38.00	335	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	703	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	900	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	524	161.13/cwt	160.00–162.00	844	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	424	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	666	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	513	150.00/cwt	147.00–160.00	770	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	910	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,138	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	420	157.55/cwt	155.00–162.00	662	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	498	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	742	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	645	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	839	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	655	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	799	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,279	635.00/cwt	635.00–635.00	8,122	7

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 →