Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-11-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-11-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for yearlings was mostly moderate to good. Unweaned steer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly 10.00-20.00 higher in a narrow comparison; unweaned steers over 550 lbs sold steady to 3.00 higher. Unweaned heifer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly 8.00-9.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand this week was mostly moderate to good. Quality overall was better this week compared to last. Calves were fresher in appearance with most coming fresh off the cow. Market activity this week was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for heavy offerings. Cow quality this week was average to attractive. Many long strings of cows were seen this week and buyers had the opportunity to buy one iron home raised cows. Packers opted to send most cows to feed this sale. Packers purchased cows for both short term, holiday feed, as well as, high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Demand started the sale mostly light but improved to light to moderate as buyers competed over high quality offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower. Feeding cows started out mostly 2.00 lower but improved to near steady as the sale progressed. Buyers looking for exposed cows also helped improve demand to some degree as they purchased cows to feed. Some will calve these cows out, while others will ship these cows before calving. Slaughter bulls sold frim as packers pushed feeding buyers in order to buy some bulls away from feeding buyers. Two year old to young age cows sold on mostly good demand this sale. Quality was average to very attractive. Buyers showed good demand for one iron home raised cows. Several load lots of this class of cows were seen this week. These cows sold 15.00-18.00 higher than last week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $136.00/cwt on 265 head.

Average price

$136.00

265 head · 676 lb average

Value per head Derived

$920

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$15

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

$8.63/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−10.70

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	670	137.56	922	217
Medium and Large 1-2	704	128.93	907	48

One grade step is worth $8.63/cwt here — about $15 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 sale265 hd

136.00

—

MT average5 barns · 5,316 hd

146.70

−10.70

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	1,823	76.28	1,391	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,631	61.74	1,007	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,403	52.41	735	198
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,194	46.86	560	604

Every lot, as filed

77 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
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,145	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	950	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,148	810.00/cwt	810.00–810.00	9,299	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,207	666.68/cwt	635.00–700.00	8,047	24
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	900	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	540	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	865	72.61/cwt	71.00–77.00	628	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,043	57.03/cwt	52.50–62.00	595	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,086	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	771	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,068	935.00/cwt	935.00–935.00	9,986	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	611	127.83/cwt	125.00–130.00	781	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	879	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	1,191	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	774	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,037	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,161	1,079.51/cwt	1,050.00–1,125.00	12,533	34
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,004	77.73/cwt	52.00–100.00	780	103
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	894	124.50/cwt	124.50–124.50	1,113	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	661	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	925	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	457	148.23/cwt	148.00–149.00	677	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,131	985.00/cwt	985.00–985.00	11,140	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	480	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	804	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	630	139.49/cwt	137.00–141.50	879	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	667	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	927	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	143.70/cwt	143.00–145.50	730	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	656	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	899	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,150	700.00/cwt	700.00–700.00	8,050	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	504	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	827	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	740	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	1,032	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	813	131.89/cwt	126.00–135.00	1,072	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	419	188.23/cwt	186.00–189.00	789	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	918	125.32/cwt	124.00–126.00	1,150	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	803	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,004	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	487	170.65/cwt	170.00–176.00	831	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	573	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	791	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	500	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	680	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	382	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	695	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	562	127.31/cwt	127.00–128.00	715	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	635	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	819	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	922	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,153	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	414	152.87/cwt	152.00–153.00	633	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	613	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	797	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,402	46.97/cwt	45.00–48.50	659	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	840	30.38/cwt	29.00–32.00	255	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,150	33.70/cwt	26.00–38.50	388	64
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,525	36.00/cwt	36.00–36.00	549	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	910	37.00/cwt	37.00–37.00	337	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	42.27/cwt	37.00–46.50	507	51
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,716	65.74/cwt	64.50–68.00	1,128	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	40.51/cwt	40.00–41.00	363	2
Bulls	—	—	1,949	72.35/cwt	71.00–75.50	1,410	8
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,690	74.44/cwt	74.00–75.00	1,258	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,640	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	771	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,470	44.61/cwt	42.00–46.75	656	25
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,373	53.26/cwt	47.00–59.50	731	132
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,169	43.39/cwt	37.00–47.00	507	163
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,438	81.24/cwt	80.50–82.00	1,168	2
Bulls	—	—	1,978	83.26/cwt	83.00–83.50	1,647	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	984	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,486	62.39/cwt	59.00–66.50	927	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	474	138.01/cwt	137.00–139.00	654	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,081	60.28/cwt	57.00–63.00	652	40
Bulls	—	—	1,775	74.51/cwt	72.00–75.00	1,323	8
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,755	79.52/cwt	77.00–81.00	1,396	3
Bulls	—	—	1,900	80.20/cwt	77.00–83.00	1,524	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,320	46.99/cwt	46.00–48.00	620	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	434	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	629	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,567	63.10/cwt	60.00–65.50	989	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,472	48.67/cwt	47.00–50.00	716	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,239	51.03/cwt	46.00–56.00	632	278
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	748	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	991	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	773	133.34/cwt	129.00–137.50	1,031	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	712	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	986	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	539	151.71/cwt	145.00–155.00	818	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	895	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,074	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	910	94.60/cwt	67.00–110.00	861	229
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	569	139.62/cwt	132.00–148.00	794	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	396	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	748	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	858	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	918	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,074	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	775	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	946	2

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 →