Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-04-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-04-29

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and offered in mostly very small packages or as singles. Warm weather had many feeders pushing heavy amounts of fill. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Market activity this week was slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed mostly good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher on lean and boning cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to trend as most fleshy offerings sold to feed. Feeding cow demand was moderate to good this week and buyers pushed packers on high quality cows throughout the sale. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today as warm weather had most cows tanked up and very full. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher. Cow and bull quality this week was average to attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Young age cows sold steady to 5.00 higher with higher quality, re-breed type cows showing the biggest increase in price this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $119.10/cwt on 40 head.

Average price

$119.10

40 head · 542 lb average

Value per head Derived

$646

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$1

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

$18.32/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−10.27

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	457	136.00	622	3thin
Medium 1	653	118.00	771	6thin
Medium and Large 2	529	117.68	623	31

One grade step is worth $18.32/cwt here — about −$1 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 sale40 hd

119.10

—

MT average2 barns · 875 hd

129.37

−10.27

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	1,746	78.69	1,374	52
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,448	56.81	822	92
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,784	55.28	986	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,258	54.24	682	107

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	Medium and Large 1Full	—	767	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	897	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	837	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	904	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	725	125.60/cwt	125.00–126.50	911	5
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,008	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	927	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,081	96.21/cwt	93.50–98.00	1,040	5
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,035	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	900	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	808	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	824	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	98	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	270	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	718	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	754	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	585	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	831	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,182	68.23/cwt	57.00–86.00	806	55
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	780	81.00/cwt	81.00–81.00	632	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,292	54.29/cwt	53.00–56.50	701	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,434	58.76/cwt	57.50–62.50	843	41
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,056	85.36/cwt	74.00–107.00	901	78
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,265	52.94/cwt	48.00–56.00	670	63
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	457	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	622	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	441	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	529	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	565	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	655	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	539	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	636	14
Heifers	Medium 1	—	653	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	771	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,915	57.72/cwt	55.50–58.50	1,105	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,697	53.65/cwt	53.50–54.00	910	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,269	62.16/cwt	61.50–63.50	789	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,060	42.60/cwt	41.00–45.00	452	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,533	63.52/cwt	63.00–64.00	974	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,444	54.68/cwt	50.00–56.50	790	40
Bulls	—	—	1,644	75.20/cwt	71.50–78.00	1,236	21
Bulls	—	—	1,786	79.97/cwt	78.50–86.50	1,428	23
Bulls	—	—	2,099	89.22/cwt	87.00–91.50	1,873	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	430	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	613	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,280	57.61/cwt	56.00–61.00	737	35
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,447	58.24/cwt	56.50–61.00	843	50
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,106	47.50/cwt	47.50–47.50	525	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	993	53.59/cwt	52.00–56.00	532	4
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,290	69.00/cwt	69.00–69.00	890	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	52.50/cwt	52.50–52.50	522	1

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 →