Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-09-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-09-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder Steers not enough comparable weights to make an accurate market trend, higher undertone noted. Feeder Heifers sold steady to 1.00 higher. Boning and Breaker cows sold steady. Lean cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $136.51/cwt on 540 head.

Average price

$136.51

540 head · 731 lb average

Value per head Derived

$998

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$233

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$16.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.27

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	730	138.43	1,010	449
Medium and Large 1-2	615	129.04	794	63
Large 1	1,016	122.44	1,244	28

One grade step is worth $16.00/cwt here — about −$233 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 sale540 hd

136.51

—

MT average3 barns · 1,537 hd

134.24

+2.27

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	—	High	1,763	79.26	1,398	46
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,544	64.46	995	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,419	61.24	869	108
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,242	55.67	691	153

Every lot, as filed

56 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,059	75.70/cwt	70.00–87.00	802	32
Bulls	—	—	1,351	90.92/cwt	90.50–92.00	1,228	5
Bulls	—	—	1,640	73.59/cwt	64.50–76.00	1,207	14
Bulls	—	—	1,954	80.47/cwt	78.00–85.50	1,572	24
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,590	81.75/cwt	81.75–81.75	1,300	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,455	74.09/cwt	72.50–75.50	1,078	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,365	67.50/cwt	67.50–67.50	921	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,544	64.46/cwt	59.00–68.50	995	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,469	62.85/cwt	61.50–65.00	923	37
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	55.69/cwt	53.00–57.00	791	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,374	62.44/cwt	58.00–66.50	858	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	676	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	902	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	864	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,106	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	792	148.10/cwt	139.00–149.25	1,173	85
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	966	131.59/cwt	127.00–133.00	1,271	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	874	137.54/cwt	137.00–138.00	1,202	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	536	157.60/cwt	157.50–158.00	845	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	452	176.75/cwt	166.00–179.50	799	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	913	133.27/cwt	132.00–134.00	1,217	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	581	156.35/cwt	154.00–157.00	908	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	387	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	751	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	606	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	909	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	337	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	661	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	713	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,048	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	921	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	1,276	19
Steers	Large 1	—	1,072	123.03/cwt	122.50–123.50	1,319	15
Steers	Large 1	—	1,101	118.50/cwt	118.50–118.50	1,305	10
Steers	Large 1	—	1,031	127.25/cwt	127.25–127.25	1,312	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Spayed	—	667	129.50/cwt	129.50–129.50	864	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	570	123.37/cwt	121.00–125.00	703	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	435	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	613	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	788	124.27/cwt	124.00–125.00	979	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	647	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	848	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	665	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	838	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Spayed	—	749	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	1,045	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,259	57.21/cwt	54.00–60.00	720	91
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,343	58.50/cwt	58.50–58.50	786	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	476	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	766	7
Heifers	Large 1	—	996	113.50/cwt	113.50–113.50	1,130	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,020	124.38/cwt	119.25–126.25	1,269	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	815	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	1,088	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	378	150.29/cwt	145.00–155.00	568	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	516	140.71/cwt	138.00–144.00	726	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	637	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	879	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	494	144.50/cwt	144.50–144.50	714	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	982	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,267	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	877	128.53/cwt	127.00–130.00	1,127	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	423	159.12/cwt	159.00–159.50	673	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	573	140.85/cwt	140.00–141.25	807	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	766	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,065	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	925	130.28/cwt	127.50–130.75	1,205	80
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	716	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	999	96
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Spayed	—	966	129.25/cwt	129.25–129.25	1,249	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	733	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	1,012	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,204	48.93/cwt	48.50–49.00	589	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,183	52.71/cwt	50.00–54.50	624	43

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 →