Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-09-01
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-09-01

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers sold fully steady in a narrow comparison. Steer calves under 400 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower, steer calves over 400-499 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher, steer calves over 500 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Heifer calves sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Quality this week was average to attractive for both yearlings and calves. Demand for high quality calves was very good with many buyers showing interest in these offerings. Packages of calves were met with light to moderate demand. Yearlings were mostly offered in small to moderate size packages with one load lot on offer. Demand for yearlings was mostly good. Market activity this week was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Cows continue to come off range and pastures in thin body condition. Many have freshy weaned calves off. Cow yields remain low as a result. Slaughter cows sold 1.00-3.00 lower on breaking cows and lean cows, boning cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00. Feeding cows sold 1.00-2.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00-2.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this sale as most cows and bulls filled up on hay after coming off pasture and range. Young age cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Demand for these offerings as well as older replacement offerings was moderate to good.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $177.27/cwt on 844 head.

Average price

$177.27

844 head · 590 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,046

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$375

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$46.35/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−17.23

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	580	180.30	1,046	692
Medium and Large 1-2	578	173.85	1,004	59
Medium 1	593	166.44	987	52
Medium 1-2	630	154.87	976	6thin
Medium and Large 2	703	146.18	1,028	26
Large 1	1,061	133.94	1,421	9thin

One grade step is worth $46.35/cwt here — about −$375 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 sale844 hd

177.27

—

MT average2 barns · 1,971 hd

194.50

−17.23

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	1,680	80.51	1,353	76
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,587	73.06	1,159	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,405	59.91	842	69
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,214	52.97	643	193

Every lot, as filed

89 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 1Unweaned	—	470	169.89/cwt	164.00–170.00	798	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	178.38/cwt	176.00–187.50	767	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	536	160.50/cwt	155.00–166.00	860	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	338	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	592	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	493	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	779	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	390	172.90/cwt	163.00–174.50	674	35
Steers	Large 1	—	1,030	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,416	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	795	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,208	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	954	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,336	5
Steers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,065	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	1,422	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	923	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,329	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	501	188.50/cwt	188.50–188.50	944	63
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	783	141.70/cwt	140.00–149.00	1,110	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	747	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,210	10
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	630	154.87/cwt	150.00–160.00	976	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	759	147.09/cwt	145.00–155.00	1,116	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	879	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,231	5
Steers	Medium 1	—	658	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,086	5
Steers	Medium 1	—	633	162.23/cwt	161.00–168.00	1,027	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	775	165.13/cwt	164.50–171.00	1,280	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	911	152.79/cwt	150.00–154.25	1,392	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	821	162.00/cwt	156.75–166.00	1,330	53
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	989	134.50/cwt	134.50–134.50	1,330	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	741	170.31/cwt	166.00–171.00	1,262	83
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	367	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	606	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	395	186.37/cwt	175.00–191.00	736	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	381	200.15/cwt	190.00–214.00	763	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	278	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	598	6
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	387	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	716	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	644	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,095	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	527	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	917	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	570	168.85/cwt	167.00–171.00	962	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	427	197.13/cwt	185.00–201.00	842	85
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	464	187.82/cwt	186.50–194.00	871	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	328	210.62/cwt	205.00–225.00	691	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	628	162.67/cwt	162.50–163.00	1,022	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	327	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	687	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	255	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	561	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	877	137.20/cwt	137.00–138.00	1,203	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	870	145.38/cwt	142.50–146.75	1,265	70
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,125	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,170	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	978	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,193	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	296	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	511	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	425	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	735	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,630	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	1,288	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,387	54.94/cwt	50.00–56.00	762	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,401	59.59/cwt	57.00–63.00	835	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,160	45.45/cwt	44.50–48.00	527	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,197	52.64/cwt	49.00–54.50	630	128
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,580	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	1,248	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,638	68.97/cwt	66.00–72.00	1,130	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	527	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,290	56.66/cwt	55.00–58.50	731	46
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,565	73.46/cwt	72.50–75.00	1,150	11
Bulls	—	—	1,868	84.52/cwt	81.00–87.50	1,579	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,401	71.15/cwt	70.00–72.00	997	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,428	62.77/cwt	59.50–69.00	896	24
Bulls	—	—	2,030	92.09/cwt	88.00–97.25	1,869	10
Bulls	—	—	1,796	75.20/cwt	70.00–79.00	1,351	9
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,469	75.33/cwt	71.00–79.00	1,107	31
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,645	83.63/cwt	80.50–86.00	1,376	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,350	53.28/cwt	53.00–55.50	719	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	918	93.10/cwt	74.00–97.00	855	48
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,245	55.46/cwt	54.50–57.00	690	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,352	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	717	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,061	69.65/cwt	65.00–93.00	739	47
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	991	59.91/cwt	55.00–65.00	594	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,100	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	583	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,118	1,029.17/cwt	1,000.00–1,075.00	11,506	32
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,352	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	811	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	824	148.98/cwt	145.00–149.50	1,228	57
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	396	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	669	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	975	137.75/cwt	135.00–138.50	1,343	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	792	150.10/cwt	149.00–150.50	1,189	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	285	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	522	7
Heifers	Medium 1	—	730	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,037	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,008	133.90/cwt	133.50–134.50	1,350	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	678	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,031	11
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,104	119.73/cwt	119.50–123.00	1,322	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	922	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,199	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	736	154.70/cwt	154.00–154.75	1,139	70
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	927	140.91/cwt	139.25–143.50	1,306	56
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	681	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,056	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	352	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	651	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	293	173.21/cwt	169.00–185.00	508	11
Heifers	Medium 1	—	634	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	983	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	610	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	903	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	310	187.78/cwt	180.00–200.00	582	33
Heifers	Medium 1	—	537	155.50/cwt	155.50–155.50	835	6

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 →