Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-05-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-05-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Feeder cattle quality was average to attractive and much higher than last week. Demand was mostly moderate to good for moderate to heavy offerings. Local ranchers showed very good demand for feeders today as they attempted to buy feeders to finish filling summer pasture and range. Order buyers were forced to fill loads later in the sale and pushed all cattle higher to do so. CME feeder cattle contracts traded with triple digit gains today. The May contract closed 1.425 higher to settle at 136.75, while the August contract closed 1.675 higher at 150.525. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand today for light offerings. Packers were very aggressive as they bid on cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher on boning and lean cows, breaking cows sold mostly 1.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 higher. Lean cows saw the biggest increase in demand this week. The cutter cow cutout continues to climb higher, todays close was 204.16. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher. Demand for cow calf pairs was mostly light. Higher feed costs and drought conditions, which are bringing these offerings to market, are also what is hindering demand. Demand for bred cows is also light as it is getting late in the breeding season. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to firm. Quality this week was average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $146.48/cwt on 1,309 head.

Average price

$146.48

1,309 head · 606 lb average

Value per head Derived

$888

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$355

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

$27.56/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.86

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	625	147.56	923	1,051
Medium and Large 1-2	547	144.80	791	186
Medium and Large 2	450	140.77	633	26
Medium 1	495	132.86	657	42
Medium 1-2	473	120.00	568	4thin

One grade step is worth $27.56/cwt here — about $355 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 sale1,309 hd

146.48

—

MT average3 barns · 1,991 hd

142.62

+3.86

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	1,888	87.40	1,650	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,655	66.86	1,107	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,417	64.52	915	137
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,169	59.34	694	96

Every lot, as filed

81 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 1Replacement	—	816	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,040	26
Steers	Large 1	—	637	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	1,026	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	624	147.01/cwt	145.00–148.00	917	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	878	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,054	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	451	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	722	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	663	143.00/cwt	141.00–147.00	948	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	467	148.49/cwt	147.00–151.00	693	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	570	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	841	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	667	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	997	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	679	133.59/cwt	127.00–136.50	907	143
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	674	157.36/cwt	151.00–163.00	1,061	80
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	386	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	579	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	632	147.56/cwt	142.50–149.00	933	235
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	441	156.74/cwt	155.00–157.50	691	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	514	152.61/cwt	150.00–158.00	784	87
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,224	1,200.00/cwt	1,200.00–1,200.00	14,688	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,383	1,072.04/cwt	1,050.00–1,100.00	14,826	59
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	733	142.93/cwt	141.00–144.00	1,048	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	762	135.00/cwt	133.00–143.00	1,029	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	564	156.99/cwt	147.00–159.50	885	287
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,392	1,035.00/cwt	1,035.00–1,035.00	14,407	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,406	943.73/cwt	910.00–1,050.00	13,269	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,030	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	670	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	897	125.99/cwt	125.00–126.00	1,130	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	831	130.88/cwt	125.00–134.00	1,088	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	614	170.93/cwt	166.00–176.00	1,050	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,303	1,082.55/cwt	1,060.00–1,100.00	14,106	44
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,343	1,000.00/cwt	1,000.00–1,000.00	13,430	13
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	988	1,375.00/cwt	1,375.00–1,375.00	13,585	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	615	157.96/cwt	157.00–158.75	971	119
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	508	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	919	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	125	289.97/cwt	250.00–350.00	362	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	792	119.11/cwt	118.00–121.50	943	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	701	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	960	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	551	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	953	12
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,525	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	2,424	1
Bulls	—	—	1,721	80.79/cwt	74.00–83.50	1,390	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,248	63.47/cwt	63.00–64.50	792	13
Bulls	—	—	1,965	90.07/cwt	86.00–92.00	1,770	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,635	71.47/cwt	71.00–72.00	1,169	2
Bulls	—	—	2,076	97.50/cwt	94.00–103.00	2,024	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,453	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	1,053	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,406	60.57/cwt	57.00–62.00	852	33
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,640	64.92/cwt	63.00–66.50	1,065	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,158	57.87/cwt	52.00–61.50	670	43
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,222	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	849	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,618	65.90/cwt	64.00–68.50	1,066	7
Heifers	Medium 1	—	512	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	653	24
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	473	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	568	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,082	49.42/cwt	49.00–49.50	535	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,838	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	1,277	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,392	60.72/cwt	58.00–63.00	845	19
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,205	1,425.00/cwt	1,425.00–1,425.00	17,171	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,125	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	810	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,244	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	13,062	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,482	64.68/cwt	63.75–68.00	959	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,220	63.97/cwt	63.50–66.00	780	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	865	56.47/cwt	56.00–57.00	488	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	830	118.50/cwt	118.50–118.50	984	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	720	136.30/cwt	135.00–140.00	981	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	468	158.06/cwt	157.50–162.00	740	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,152	58.34/cwt	54.00–62.00	672	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,455	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	1,033	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	67.13/cwt	64.00–69.50	939	53
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	561	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	808	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	524	145.63/cwt	145.00–147.00	763	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	582	143.39/cwt	132.00–147.00	835	125
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,127	89.92/cwt	74.00–100.00	1,013	29
Steers	Medium 2	—	493	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	727	7
Heifers	Medium 1	—	472	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	661	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	97	216.90/cwt	200.00–250.00	210	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	820	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	976	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	560	177.26/cwt	170.00–184.00	993	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	420	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	599	20
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,113	75.96/cwt	68.00–88.00	845	33
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,208	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	11,476	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	616	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,109	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	560	188.46/cwt	188.00–190.00	1,055	88
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	126.47/cwt	122.00–129.00	914	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	548	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	740	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	519	159.90/cwt	156.00–167.00	830	45

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 →