Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-10-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-10-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Unweaned calves were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings and calves was light to moderate on light offerings. Quality this week was plain to average on yearlings and calves. Yearlings and calves were both offered in mostly mostly small packages with no load lots seen this week. All feeders on offer were in light flesh. Limited offerings made it difficult for buyers to put together loads which hindered demand. Yearling weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand and light to moderate offerings. Packer buyers and feeding buyers both showed strong demand for boning and breaking flesh cows suitable to feed. Lean, thin cows sold on very light to light demand, creating a two tier market. Feeding cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher on medium and fleshy cows while thin cows sold mostly 3.00-4.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher on breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold 3.00-6.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 lower. Cow quality this week was mostly plain to average. Many cows were coming out of dry country and were very thin thin. Many cows had freshly weaned calves pulled off them and had heavy bags as a result. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week as many cows were very full. Young age 2-3 year old cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold 6.00-7.00 higher. Quality this week was average to attractive. Many of these cows had freshly weaned calves off them and were tested open. Demand was good to very good with several buyers competing over these offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $131.69/cwt on 157 head.

Average price

$131.69

157 head · 740 lb average

Value per head Derived

$974

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$393

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$14.15/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.15

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	658	135.72	893	97
Medium and Large 1-2	670	130.25	872	20
Medium 1	375	130.00	488	5thin
Large 1	1,058	121.57	1,287	35

One grade step is worth $14.15/cwt here — about −$393 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 sale157 hd

131.69

—

MT average3 barns · 1,988 hd

139.84

−8.15

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	1,764	72.68	1,282	60
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,556	65.94	1,026	61
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,424	59.18	843	115
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,220	48.54	592	316

Every lot, as filed

74 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 1Unweaned	—	669	142.87/cwt	142.50–146.00	956	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	515	132.72/cwt	130.50–135.00	684	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,213	1,060.00/cwt	1,060.00–1,060.00	12,858	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,125	53.96/cwt	53.00–55.00	607	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	772	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,081	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,069	74.68/cwt	56.00–92.00	798	95
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	670	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,018	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	918	128.50/cwt	128.50–128.50	1,180	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	965	92.19/cwt	68.50–103.00	890	161
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,070	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	717	1
Heifers	Medium 1	—	375	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	488	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	428	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	565	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	355	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	577	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,125	1,000.00/cwt	1,000.00–1,000.00	11,250	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	847	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,110	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	514	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	776	4
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,125	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,013	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,350	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	1,107	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,274	49.00/cwt	49.00–49.00	624	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,368	835.00/cwt	835.00–835.00	11,423	3
Heifers	Large 1Full	—	1,021	122.12/cwt	119.50–122.75	1,247	15
Steers	Large 1Full	—	1,118	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,308	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,248	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	1,048	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,019	125.50/cwt	125.50–125.50	1,279	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	875	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,199	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	960	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,133	3
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,126	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,340	6
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,090	120.70/cwt	120.50–122.50	1,316	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	471	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	631	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	383	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	640	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	578	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	746	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	873	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	1,218	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	408	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	755	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	715	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	987	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,144	37.05/cwt	31.00–44.00	424	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,127	42.79/cwt	41.00–43.50	482	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	930	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	391	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,456	48.36/cwt	45.00–49.00	704	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,580	52.50/cwt	52.50–52.50	830	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,628	71.90/cwt	65.00–74.00	1,171	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,236	47.29/cwt	45.00–49.00	585	20
Bulls	—	—	1,679	69.61/cwt	60.00–73.50	1,169	29
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,545	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	1,832	1
Bulls	—	—	2,068	82.44/cwt	80.50–86.00	1,705	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,193	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	740	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,597	61.44/cwt	58.00–63.00	981	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,393	50.82/cwt	48.00–52.00	708	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,234	48.74/cwt	47.00–55.00	601	125
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,418	61.40/cwt	52.75–63.50	871	46
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,397	51.01/cwt	49.50–52.00	713	12
Bulls	—	—	1,862	76.06/cwt	74.00–79.00	1,416	17
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,830	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	1,281	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,430	67.04/cwt	64.00–69.00	959	32
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,247	63.50/cwt	63.50–63.50	792	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	570	146.58/cwt	145.50–147.50	836	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	935	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	1,057	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,253	49.91/cwt	49.00–51.00	625	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,507	68.31/cwt	66.00–69.50	1,029	34
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,626	65.32/cwt	64.00–68.00	1,062	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,225	51.01/cwt	49.00–58.00	625	124
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	336	153.60/cwt	150.00–162.50	516	26
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	683	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	833	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	578	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	751	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	597	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	794	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	916	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,237	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	609	142.92/cwt	139.00–144.00	870	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	369	178.65/cwt	178.00–179.00	659	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	957	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,268	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	465	160.28/cwt	160.00–160.50	745	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	624	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	786	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	890	130.50/cwt	130.50–130.50	1,161	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	974	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	1,198	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	909	125.61/cwt	125.50–126.00	1,142	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	816	128.56/cwt	127.50–131.00	1,049	10

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 →