Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-09-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-09-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were scarcely traded this week so no trend is available. Steer calves sold unevenly steady in a very narrow comparison. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on heifers under 850 lbs and lower undertones were noticed on heifers over 850 lbs. Quality this week was mostly plain to average for all feeder cattle on offer. CME positions have been in decline over the past week and a half. Today the September contract closed 0.225 lower at 156.05, while the October closed 0.775 lower at 159.275. Market activity was mostly moderate this week. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand and offerings. Packer buyers continue to show light demand for slaughter cows, however competition from feeding and replacement buyers pushed all cows slightly higher this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00 higher on breaking cows, while boning and lean cows sold steady to 1.00 higher. Feeding cow buyers showed the strongest demand for cows this week as farmers chopping silage are starting to wrap up in the Midwest and farmer feeders are looking for was to use their soft feed. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady, however strong feeding demand helped this market trade near steady. Both cow and bull yields remain seasonally low as ranchers are mostly pulling calves right off the cow. Cows were also very full today as many cows were filling up on clean fresh water and feed after being out on pasture and range. Weigh up conditions were below average. Young age cows and other replacement cows sold on moderate to good demand. These offerings sold near steady on like quality cattle. Quality overall was not as attractive as last week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $160.03/cwt on 271 head.

Average price

$160.03

271 head · 625 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,001

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$902

per head · Medium 1-2 over Large 1

$55.92/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.26

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1-2	252	188.00	474	19thin
Medium and Large 1	594	162.36	964	212
Medium and Large 1-2	718	142.50	1,024	9thin
Large 1	1,042	132.08	1,376	31

One grade step is worth $55.92/cwt here — about −$902 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 sale271 hd

160.03

—

MT average3 barns · 969 hd

156.77

+3.26

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	1,695	82.19	1,393	58
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,623	77.00	1,250	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,384	61.80	855	95
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,190	54.17	645	217

Every lot, as filed

71 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 1-2	—	1,043	69.99/cwt	65.00–74.00	730	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	855	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	453	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,280	1,200.45/cwt	1,075.00–1,225.00	15,366	47
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,106	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,405	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	873	143.73/cwt	141.00–145.25	1,255	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	925	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,175	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,060	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	1,394	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	310	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	577	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	487	164.16/cwt	163.50–168.00	799	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	803	143.50/cwt	143.50–143.50	1,152	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	735	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,095	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	988	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,324	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	940	136.75/cwt	136.75–136.75	1,285	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	781	153.37/cwt	149.00–155.50	1,198	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	368	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	552	2
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	252	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	474	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	296	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	565	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	571	151.30/cwt	148.50–154.00	864	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	411	178.60/cwt	171.00–180.00	734	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	387	183.25/cwt	182.00–183.50	709	15
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	274	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	555	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	369	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	673	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	434	191.59/cwt	190.00–196.00	832	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	175.78/cwt	172.00–177.00	912	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	454	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	851	18
Steers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,063	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,361	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	356	215.89/cwt	215.00–216.00	769	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	687	159.50/cwt	159.50–159.50	1,096	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	465	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	804	2
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	302	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	551	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	564	165.58/cwt	160.00–166.50	934	14
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	242	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	494	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	830	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	1,233	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	990	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,247	3
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,038	130.50/cwt	130.50–130.50	1,355	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,087	107.66/cwt	106.00–111.00	1,170	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	485	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	791	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,188	103.00/cwt	103.00–103.00	1,224	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,062	45.08/cwt	42.00–47.50	479	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,217	52.50/cwt	50.00–55.00	639	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,357	57.42/cwt	53.00–61.00	779	32
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,239	58.24/cwt	56.00–63.00	722	43
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,619	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	1,214	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,532	77.13/cwt	74.00–79.00	1,182	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	795	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	334	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	952	47.50/cwt	45.00–48.00	452	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	950	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	589	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,655	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	1,092	1
Bulls	—	—	1,728	85.10/cwt	82.50–88.50	1,471	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,614	76.55/cwt	75.00–78.00	1,236	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,462	61.24/cwt	58.00–63.00	895	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,644	81.99/cwt	79.00–84.50	1,348	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,211	56.24/cwt	56.00–59.00	681	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,191	53.79/cwt	49.00–57.00	641	92
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,375	56.28/cwt	54.00–57.50	774	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,372	64.20/cwt	63.00–67.00	881	40
Bulls	—	—	2,026	91.30/cwt	88.50–94.00	1,850	8
Bulls	—	—	1,578	77.15/cwt	71.00–80.00	1,217	8
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,215	77.00/cwt	77.00–77.00	936	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,564	75.28/cwt	72.00–78.00	1,177	14
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,708	84.48/cwt	82.00–88.50	1,443	15
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,018	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	9,671	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,005	84.38/cwt	72.00–94.50	848	50
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,246	57.17/cwt	53.00–58.50	712	42
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,062	68.28/cwt	59.00–78.00	725	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,236	848.66/cwt	835.00–860.00	10,489	68
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,121	810.00/cwt	810.00–810.00	9,080	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,206	50.50/cwt	50.50–50.50	609	33
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,301	56.84/cwt	53.00–59.00	739	234
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	526	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	826	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,029	133.15/cwt	132.50–133.25	1,370	23

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 →