Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-10-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-10-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not well compared as last weeks sale focused mostly on weigh ups and bred cows. Feeder cattle today were of mostly plain quality. Most cattle were offered in very small packages or as singles. A lot of cut back calves off summer videos were seen this week. Not many buyers were on hand this sale as trucks remain very tight. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for heavy offerings. An additional packer buyers was on hand this sale and buyers showed stronger demand as they competed over market share. The cutter cow cutout remains seasonally high as demand for ground beef is especially good. The cutter cow cutout was 230.21 as of todays close, 1.61 lower than yesterday. Packers were especially aggressive in buying feeding cows this week pushing them back to price levels seen two weeks ago before prices turned lower. Heavy supplies continue to be seen and packers continue to work through large supplies as cows and bull harvest has been running around 24,000-27,000 head per day nationally. Slaughter cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher on breaking cows, boning cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher, lean cows sold steady to 3.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-6.00 higher. Cow quality this week was very attractive with many high quality cows selling off reputation ranches. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average this week. Weigh conditions overall were more favorable to buyers and buyers bid more aggressively on high quality cows. Cows were mixed for flesh this week, however boning flesh cows continue to sell with the best demand as packers plan on feeding these cows to premium white. Thin feeding cow buyers were active this week to as buyers searched for cows to turn out on corn stalks in the corn belt or hold until the holidays. Buyers looking for ranch tested bred or cows they could test sold on good demand. These buyers were competitive with both packer buyers and other feeding buyers. Slaughter bulls sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Young age cows sold mostly 5.00-7.00 lower. Most of these offerings are being purchased for southern fall breeding programs.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $141.18/cwt on 235 head.

Average price

$141.18

235 head · 579 lb average

Value per head Derived

$818

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$286

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$17.39/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−16.26

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	456	143.73	655	36
Medium and Large 1	621	143.70	893	143
Large 1-2	392	140.00	549	8thin
Medium 1-2	421	136.00	573	6thin
Medium and Large 1-2	559	134.57	753	23
Medium and Large 2	448	130.00	582	6thin
Large 1	745	126.35	941	13thin

One grade step is worth $17.39/cwt here — about −$286 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 sale235 hd

141.18

—

MT average4 barns · 5,075 hd

157.43

−16.26

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	—	Low	1,846	75.54	1,394	43
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,646	66.81	1,100	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,409	58.69	827	361
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,218	47.55	579	505

Every lot, as filed

84 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
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	393	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	715	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	366	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	622	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	421	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	636	21
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	678	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	786	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	636	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	827	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	530	124.14/cwt	123.00–126.00	658	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	563	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	687	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	681	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	865	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	396	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	693	4
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	491	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	727	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	530	155.30/cwt	155.00–156.00	823	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	409	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	622	9
Steers	Medium 2	—	384	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	622	8
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	484	162.53/cwt	162.00–165.00	787	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	591	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	839	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	569	149.40/cwt	141.00–150.00	850	59
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	411	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	627	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	276	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	527	13
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	559	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	704	5
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	436	147.72/cwt	140.00–152.00	644	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,690	59.31/cwt	51.50–65.00	1,002	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,228	49.86/cwt	47.00–55.00	612	242
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,125	36.90/cwt	36.50–38.00	415	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,199	42.81/cwt	38.00–46.50	513	102
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,233	62.61/cwt	58.00–65.50	772	40
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,582	68.66/cwt	68.00–69.00	1,086	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,172	32.93/cwt	31.00–36.00	386	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,586	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	952	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,436	47.42/cwt	43.00–53.00	681	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,270	51.09/cwt	46.50–55.00	649	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,237	42.69/cwt	38.00–46.00	528	63
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,230	57.50/cwt	57.50–57.50	707	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	448	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,385	61.94/cwt	55.00–64.50	858	188
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,390	49.60/cwt	44.00–54.00	689	78
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,457	68.41/cwt	66.00–72.00	997	45
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,750	76.37/cwt	74.00–79.25	1,336	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,588	67.60/cwt	66.00–68.50	1,073	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,489	54.33/cwt	53.00–57.00	809	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	840	34.00/cwt	34.00–34.00	286	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,690	61.00/cwt	61.00–61.00	1,031	1
Bulls	—	—	1,929	70.72/cwt	62.00–75.00	1,364	19
Bulls	—	—	2,040	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,877	1
Bulls	—	—	1,839	83.23/cwt	80.00–86.00	1,531	9
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,726	74.11/cwt	73.00–76.50	1,279	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,717	80.60/cwt	78.00–83.00	1,384	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	997	48.00/cwt	48.00–48.00	479	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	962	53.97/cwt	52.00–55.00	519	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	931	93.33/cwt	73.00–109.00	869	234
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,190	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	12,495	20
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,118	900.00/cwt	900.00–900.00	10,062	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,329	902.82/cwt	885.00–910.00	11,998	41
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,067	72.57/cwt	59.00–83.00	774	40
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,015	75.31/cwt	71.00–82.00	764	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,297	775.00/cwt	775.00–775.00	10,052	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,166	44.72/cwt	44.00–48.00	521	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,104	1,188.35/cwt	1,175.00–1,200.00	13,119	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,305	1,139.07/cwt	1,100.00–1,150.00	14,865	41
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,366	50.15/cwt	48.00–51.00	685	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,118	1,200.00/cwt	1,200.00–1,200.00	13,416	16
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,343	750.00/cwt	750.00–750.00	10,073	41
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,328	48.00/cwt	48.00–48.00	637	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	338	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	608	5
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	461	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	641	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	560	129.63/cwt	123.00–135.00	726	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	873	137.86/cwt	131.00–138.00	1,204	50
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,030	127.92/cwt	127.50–128.00	1,318	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	567	130.79/cwt	129.00–132.00	742	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	538	128.80/cwt	127.00–130.00	693	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	489	144.50/cwt	144.50–144.50	707	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	448	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	582	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	477	140.82/cwt	139.00–142.00	672	5
Heifers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	392	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	549	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	751	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	999	5
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	501	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	626	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	518	137.93/cwt	125.00–143.00	714	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	438	165.50/cwt	165.50–165.50	725	15
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	421	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	573	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	448	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	654	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	364	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	622	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	373	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	750	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	400	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	760	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	575	127.47/cwt	127.00–130.00	733	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	467	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	845	3

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 →