Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-09-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-09-22

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed. Quality this sale was mostly plain to average. Calves were mostly offered in small lots or as singles. Demand was light to moderate for light offerings. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Ranches continue to cull cows hard as high hay prices are forcing ranchers to thin down herds. Packers showed slightly stronger demand for slaughter cows this week compared to last week. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on boning and lean cows, breaking cows sold steady to weak. Feeding cow demand remains mostly good. However the quality of feeding cows was not as attractive this week. Feeding cows sold generally steady. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week with most cows pushing heavy amounts of fill. Young age cows suitable to rebreed sold on good demand, with several buyers actively bidding on this class of cow. This class of cows sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $145.06/cwt on 215 head.

Average price

$145.06

215 head · 668 lb average

Value per head Derived

$969

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$451

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$19.18/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−17.69

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	616	148.09	912	143
Medium and Large 1-2	605	144.86	876	43
Medium 1-2	682	144.00	982	3thin
Large 1	1,058	128.90	1,364	26

One grade step is worth $19.18/cwt here — about −$451 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 sale215 hd

145.06

—

MT average3 barns · 1,785 hd

162.75

−17.69

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	1,626	82.61	1,343	56
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,596	75.40	1,203	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,416	65.52	928	373
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,198	52.67	631	460

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 1Full	—	542	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	775	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	943	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,179	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	375	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	581	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	529	152.43/cwt	150.00–158.00	806	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	816	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,167	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	970	118.50/cwt	118.50–118.50	1,149	6
Heifers	Large 1Full	—	1,025	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,307	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	965	132.78/cwt	130.50–134.00	1,281	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	968	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,316	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	542	144.63/cwt	144.00–146.00	784	19
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,075	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,387	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,141	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,438	8
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	682	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	982	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	465	154.03/cwt	149.00–158.00	716	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	900	135.75/cwt	132.00–139.50	1,222	2
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	628	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	980	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	600	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	864	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	568	148.75/cwt	147.00–150.00	845	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	460	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	745	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	938	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,351	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	581	154.47/cwt	153.00–156.00	897	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	394	185.28/cwt	182.50–188.00	730	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	413	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	657	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	391	174.50/cwt	174.50–174.50	682	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	428	164.00/cwt	162.50–165.50	702	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	592	160.37/cwt	160.00–160.50	949	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	513	167.17/cwt	164.00–168.00	858	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	643	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	1,022	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	723	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	1,150	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	899	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	1,335	11
Steers	Large 1	—	1,037	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,421	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	610	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	927	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	410	179.18/cwt	178.00–180.00	735	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	495	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	817	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	628	139.80/cwt	138.00–141.00	878	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	365	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	639	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	475	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	765	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	491	156.49/cwt	154.00–163.00	768	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	553	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	802	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	505	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	778	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,667	77.23/cwt	75.50–78.50	1,287	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,410	54.19/cwt	51.00–57.50	764	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,260	55.87/cwt	54.00–60.00	704	50
Bulls	—	—	2,002	91.01/cwt	88.00–95.50	1,822	6
Bulls	—	—	1,795	85.54/cwt	80.00–88.00	1,535	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	65.33/cwt	61.00–70.00	914	198
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,440	72.50/cwt	70.50–79.00	1,044	86
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,580	81.27/cwt	81.00–82.00	1,284	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,538	69.34/cwt	65.00–74.00	1,066	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,544	72.06/cwt	70.50–76.50	1,113	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,523	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	1,066	2
Bulls	—	—	2,068	71.03/cwt	70.00–72.00	1,469	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,484	62.06/cwt	59.00–64.50	921	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	418	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	963	47.20/cwt	46.00–52.00	455	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,186	50.53/cwt	47.00–53.50	599	220
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,392	58.55/cwt	54.00–62.00	815	37
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,229	57.25/cwt	55.00–63.00	704	88
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,179	52.10/cwt	51.00–54.50	614	96
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,605	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	1,876	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,395	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	1,088	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,417	74.09/cwt	72.00–77.00	1,050	13
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,338	86.84/cwt	81.00–88.50	1,162	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,091	1,120.63/cwt	1,100.00–1,135.00	12,226	25
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,041	88.01/cwt	70.00–104.50	916	196
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	815	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	693	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,080	73.16/cwt	62.00–92.00	790	110
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,236	54.50/cwt	54.50–54.50	674	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,317	53.50/cwt	53.50–53.50	705	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	962	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	510	3
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	909	1,110.00/cwt	1,110.00–1,110.00	10,090	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	932	74.01/cwt	71.00–80.00	690	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,410	66.00/cwt	66.00–66.00	931	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	880	67.50/cwt	67.50–67.50	594	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,514	61.00/cwt	61.00–61.00	924	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,260	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	731	24
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,262	52.00/cwt	52.00–52.00	656	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	973	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,168	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	865	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,176	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	936	135.40/cwt	133.00–136.00	1,267	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,013	130.75/cwt	130.75–130.75	1,324	14

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 →