Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-07-14
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-07-14

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (6-30-21): Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality this week was average to attractive. Several sets of un-weaned calves were seen this week. Most were split off pairs that would not bring enough to leave as a pair. Demand was mostly good for yearlings and light to moderate for calves. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows continue to comprised most of the sale as drought conditions are driving cows to market. Packers showed stronger demand for both feeding and slaughter cows this week. The cutter cow cutout continues to climb despite very high slaughter volumes for cows and bulls in the region. The cutter cow cutout settled today at 230.13. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher on all classes, however the biggest advance was seen for fleshy, breaking cows as packers search for fat to blend down heavy lean supplies. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Packers continue to put cows away on feed as many worry heavy supplies early in the season will lead to tighter supplies in the fall. Slaughter bulls generally steady to weak. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this sale as most cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Young age cows sold generally steady. Many sets of young cows sold to packers this week as demand for feeding cows was significantly stronger than demand for re-breed cattle. Cow calf pairs sold on light to moderate demand this sale, however demand was slightly stronger than the last few sales.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $148.53/cwt on 220 head.

Average price

$148.53

220 head · 626 lb average

Value per head Derived

$930

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$252

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

$12.17/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.38

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	634	150.67	956	167
Large 1	578	142.41	823	29
Medium and Large 1-2	660	141.70	935	19thin
Medium 1-2	508	138.50	704	5thin

One grade step is worth $12.17/cwt here — about $252 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 sale220 hd

148.53

—

MT average3 barns · 747 hd

146.15

+2.38

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	1,876	88.91	1,668	101
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,604	72.57	1,164	94
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,402	66.66	935	285
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,215	61.58	748	212

Every lot, as filed

75 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 1	—	1,074	71.33/cwt	62.00–75.00	766	41
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,170	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,287	1
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	925	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	671	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,247	64.12/cwt	63.00–66.50	800	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	820	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,074	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	868	131.05/cwt	128.00–132.00	1,138	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	875	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,146	16
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	287	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	474	7
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,043	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,272	29
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	300	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	443	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,006	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	1,273	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	696	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,044	41
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	936	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,189	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,103	83.37/cwt	69.00–104.00	920	35
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,677	1,305.00/cwt	1,210.00–1,325.00	21,885	16
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,714	1,500.00/cwt	1,500.00–1,500.00	25,710	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	469	168.91/cwt	162.50–170.00	792	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	563	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	929	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	569	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	945	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	697	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,011	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	663	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	918	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	823	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	979	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	235	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	482	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	930	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,274	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	745	161.03/cwt	161.00–162.00	1,200	33
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	860	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	499	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	721	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,009	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,464	64.72/cwt	62.00–67.00	948	70
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,685	80.27/cwt	76.00–84.50	1,353	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,239	63.43/cwt	61.00–66.00	786	71
Steers	Large 1	—	1,040	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,321	1
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	508	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	704	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,367	1,653.28/cwt	1,650.00–1,675.00	22,600	28
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,636	72.05/cwt	70.75–74.50	1,179	38
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,326	61.28/cwt	58.00–62.50	813	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	864	54.27/cwt	53.00–55.00	469	7
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,212	98.70/cwt	98.00–99.00	1,196	10
Heifers	Large 1Fancy	—	1,114	120.50/cwt	120.50–120.50	1,342	10
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,060	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,240	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,575	89.00/cwt	89.00–89.00	2,292	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,720	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	963	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,494	59.76/cwt	57.00–62.00	893	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,438	72.96/cwt	71.00–80.00	1,049	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,525	68.85/cwt	62.50–70.00	1,050	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	932	58.65/cwt	57.00–60.00	547	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,230	58.85/cwt	51.00–62.00	724	70
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,580	85.97/cwt	83.00–88.50	1,358	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,162	70.40/cwt	69.00–72.00	818	3
Bulls	—	—	2,180	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	1,984	1
Bulls	—	—	2,355	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	2,002	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,103	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	496	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	966	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,280	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	591	145.93/cwt	144.00–154.00	862	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	613	158.59/cwt	154.50–165.00	972	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	662	159.50/cwt	159.50–159.50	1,056	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	599	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	809	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	236	173.74/cwt	172.50–180.00	410	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	433	152.10/cwt	151.00–154.00	659	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	149.28/cwt	149.00–149.50	1,079	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	959	126.52/cwt	125.00–127.25	1,213	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	384	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	541	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	262	191.37/cwt	180.00–196.00	501	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	264	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	396	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	624	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	1,129	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	756	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,210	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	435	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	718	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	664	176.49/cwt	173.00–178.00	1,172	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	573	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,089	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	507	142.33/cwt	142.00–143.00	722	6
Bulls	—	—	1,830	88.00/cwt	83.00–92.50	1,610	47
Bulls	—	—	1,712	77.20/cwt	73.00–82.50	1,322	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,378	68.06/cwt	64.00–70.50	938	154
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,388	68.73/cwt	68.00–70.00	954	4
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,185	71.24/cwt	71.00–71.50	844	2
Bulls	—	—	2,028	96.77/cwt	93.00–103.00	1,962	31

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 →