Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-10-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-10-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Unweaned steer calves under 450 lbs sold with steady undertones. 450-599 lbs steers sold mostly 10.00 lower in a narrow comparison. All other weights of steer calves were too lightly tested to trend. Unweaned heifer calves under 450 lbs sold with steady to firm undertones, 450-649 lbs heifers sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. All other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to develop an any market trend. Quality this week was average to attractive. Demand was mostly light to moderate. Lower calf prices are reflective of lower CME positions as contracts have fallen sharply over the last week. Calves continue to be in light flesh as many are coming out of dry country. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Snow and muddy conditions have made it difficult to get offerings to town as many locations saw up to a foot or more snow this past weekend. Packers showed slightly stronger demand this sale for both feeding cows as well as slaughter cows. Slaughter cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher on boning and lean cows breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher as packers pushed feeding buyers to try to secure offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Feeding buyers showed moderate to good demand for sound bulls that would feed.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $130.60/cwt on 368 head.

Average price

$130.60

368 head · 592 lb average

Value per head Derived

$773

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$452

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$14.65/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−9.95

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	583	131.57	767	310
Medium and Large 1-2	450	129.68	584	37
Medium 1	787	121.00	952	5thin
Large 1	1,042	116.92	1,218	16thin

One grade step is worth $14.65/cwt here — about −$452 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 sale368 hd

130.60

—

MT average5 barns · 4,597 hd

140.55

−9.95

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	1,684	78.39	1,320	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,597	67.75	1,082	48
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,388	57.96	805	197
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,222	48.74	596	199

Every lot, as filed

62 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 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,060	51.96/cwt	51.00–53.00	551	2
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,225	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	772	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,042	116.92/cwt	115.50–117.25	1,218	16
Heifers	Medium 1	—	787	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	952	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	995	84.14/cwt	65.00–99.00	837	122
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,091	67.40/cwt	57.00–84.00	735	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	332	199.03/cwt	192.50–202.50	661	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	728	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	852	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	526	131.20/cwt	127.00–135.00	690	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	905	125.02/cwt	121.00–125.50	1,131	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	555	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	741	57
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	149.22/cwt	148.00–150.50	574	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	621	125.20/cwt	122.50–126.75	777	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	402	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	563	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	878	123.50/cwt	123.50–123.50	1,084	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	520	130.15/cwt	125.00–133.00	677	60
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,215	788.94/cwt	750.00–825.00	9,586	25
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,147	775.00/cwt	775.00–775.00	8,889	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,202	1,012.47/cwt	1,000.00–1,025.00	12,170	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	615	134.47/cwt	130.00–135.50	827	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	520	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	603	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	392	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	564	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	518	140.70/cwt	138.50–144.00	729	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	977	118.64/cwt	118.50–119.00	1,159	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	666	135.47/cwt	133.00–138.00	902	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	439	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	597	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,387	791.59/cwt	750.00–835.00	10,979	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,206	750.00/cwt	750.00–750.00	9,045	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	147.49/cwt	146.00–148.50	701	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	566	136.74/cwt	132.00–139.00	774	58
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	466	136.15/cwt	131.50–140.00	634	84
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	445	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	672	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,343	58.70/cwt	53.00–63.50	788	69
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,603	68.95/cwt	65.00–71.00	1,105	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	174.53/cwt	172.50–187.50	728	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	617	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	777	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	467	124.11/cwt	121.00–129.00	580	21
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,392	53.15/cwt	52.00–56.00	740	25
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,504	61.05/cwt	58.00–69.50	918	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,675	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	1,407	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	745	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	961	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	813	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,016	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	320	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	560	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,430	53.82/cwt	52.00–56.50	770	26
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,463	48.63/cwt	46.50–51.50	711	22
Bulls	—	—	1,868	69.61/cwt	65.00–74.00	1,300	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,247	52.75/cwt	51.75–58.00	658	54
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,387	80.87/cwt	80.00–82.00	1,122	6
Bulls	—	—	1,874	78.77/cwt	76.00–80.00	1,476	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,288	50.63/cwt	49.00–55.00	652	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,293	46.58/cwt	45.00–48.00	602	38
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,243	73.42/cwt	72.50–74.00	913	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,260	68.14/cwt	65.00–71.00	859	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,394	66.82/cwt	64.00–72.00	931	49
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,628	72.30/cwt	70.50–74.50	1,177	11
Bulls	—	—	2,023	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	1,699	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,480	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	666	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,033	37.39/cwt	30.00–42.00	386	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,153	47.69/cwt	45.00–52.00	550	50
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,735	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	1,006	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,371	51.33/cwt	49.00–52.00	704	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,554	62.98/cwt	54.00–64.00	979	14

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 →