Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-04-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-04-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend, however unevenly steady to weak undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality this week was mostly plain and significantly lower than last week. Feeder cattle were mostly offered in small size packages with no load lots on offer. Demand was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Quality today kept many buyers on the sidelines. Some local ranchers helped support the market as they purchased limited quantities of feeders to run on grass this summer. Market activity today was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand for moderate offerings. Packers and feeding buyers were both aggressive early in the sale as they fought over offerings, however as the sale progressed and feeding buyers filled loads cow prices slipped lower. Both slaughter and feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average throughout the day. Weigh up conditions were lower in the afternoon as warm weather caused cows to push heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower. Bull quality was average to very attractive this week and high quality bulls sold fully steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold fully steady. Quality this sale was average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $149.48/cwt on 392 head.

Average price

$149.48

392 head · 513 lb average

Value per head Derived

$766

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$525

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$58.41/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.64

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	485	160.41	778	11thin
Medium and Large 1	583	149.96	875	82
Medium and Large 2	425	149.68	636	86
Medium and Large 1-2	515	149.65	771	204
Medium 2	402	138.00	555	6thin
Large 1	1,277	102.00	1,303	3thin

One grade step is worth $58.41/cwt here — about −$525 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 sale392 hd

149.48

—

MT average3 barns · 1,167 hd

151.12

−1.64

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	—	Average	1,840	86.63	1,594	43
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,638	68.08	1,115	31
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,451	66.23	961	121
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,193	63.55	758	173

Every lot, as filed

95 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	810	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	988	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,154	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	706	137.35/cwt	134.00–139.00	970	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	341	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	563	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	728	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	888	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	584	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	835	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	473	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	790	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	522	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	814	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	640	168.50/cwt	168.50–168.50	1,078	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	363	186.28/cwt	182.50–187.00	676	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	535	150.36/cwt	142.00–158.00	804	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	412	183.11/cwt	180.00–187.50	754	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	688	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	949	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	669	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	937	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	913	125.50/cwt	125.50–125.50	1,146	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	641	157.99/cwt	156.00–160.00	1,013	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	720	146.50/cwt	146.00–147.00	1,055	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	513	175.66/cwt	175.00–177.00	901	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	342	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	650	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	870	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,061	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	611	152.59/cwt	145.00–154.00	932	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	474	157.91/cwt	155.00–161.50	748	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	669	134.01/cwt	133.00–134.50	897	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	677	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	860	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	759	143.32/cwt	139.00–145.50	1,088	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	560	182.78/cwt	182.00–186.00	1,024	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	960	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,018	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	825	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,040	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	579	157.91/cwt	155.00–159.00	914	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	728	155.35/cwt	150.00–160.00	1,131	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,434	900.00/cwt	900.00–900.00	12,906	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	400	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	740	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,075	74.20/cwt	62.00–93.00	798	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	323	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	533	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	390	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	647	22
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	593	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	860	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	487	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	906	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	960	125.63/cwt	125.00–127.00	1,206	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	669	157.69/cwt	156.00–161.00	1,055	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	980	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	1,205	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	79	264.72/cwt	250.00–275.00	209	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,484	62.54/cwt	60.00–64.00	928	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,423	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	996	2
Bulls	—	—	2,440	81.50/cwt	81.50–81.50	1,989	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,780	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	2,280	1
Bulls	—	—	1,859	86.92/cwt	84.00–92.50	1,616	15
Bulls	—	—	1,579	76.66/cwt	67.50–80.50	1,210	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,659	70.49/cwt	69.00–71.50	1,169	10
Bulls	—	—	2,160	96.94/cwt	93.00–100.50	2,094	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,455	64.13/cwt	59.00–65.50	933	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,517	72.59/cwt	68.00–74.00	1,101	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,398	78.92/cwt	75.00–82.00	1,103	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,178	62.48/cwt	58.00–64.00	736	50
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,477	66.73/cwt	65.00–68.50	986	19
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,230	88.24/cwt	83.00–91.00	1,085	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,209	67.01/cwt	65.00–69.50	810	58
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	928	58.29/cwt	54.00–61.00	541	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,249	65.98/cwt	65.00–68.00	824	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,429	66.98/cwt	64.00–69.50	957	39
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,190	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,309	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,678	64.84/cwt	61.00–67.50	1,088	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,193	61.48/cwt	57.00–64.50	733	45
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,652	64.00/cwt	64.00–64.00	1,057	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,125	73.00/cwt	73.00–73.00	821	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,225	51.64/cwt	47.50–53.00	633	6
Heifers	Medium 1	—	448	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	726	6
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,505	94.50/cwt	94.50–94.50	2,367	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,092	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	1,267	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,140	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,254	2
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,277	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,303	3
Steers	Large 1	—	1,042	122.33/cwt	122.00–122.50	1,275	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,018	80.80/cwt	72.00–86.00	823	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,439	71.30/cwt	70.00–75.00	1,026	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	961	103.32/cwt	81.00–121.00	993	141
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,209	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,535	5
Heifers	Medium 2	—	402	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	555	6
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	508	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	724	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	438	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	679	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	529	158.50/cwt	158.50–158.50	838	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	490	182.85/cwt	176.00–184.00	896	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	720	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	835	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,464	1,575.00/cwt	1,575.00–1,575.00	23,058	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,130	69.00/cwt	69.00–69.00	780	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	651	148.16/cwt	145.00–155.00	965	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,315	1,153.48/cwt	1,100.00–1,200.00	15,168	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	332	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	598	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	775	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	961	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	674	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	940	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	376	156.32/cwt	155.00–159.00	588	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	762	124.02/cwt	122.00–126.00	945	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	905	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,059	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	368	154.47/cwt	153.00–162.50	568	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	450	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	675	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	298	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	477	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	533	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	730	15

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 →