Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-11-24
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-11-24

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested either this week or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noted and sharply higher undertones noted at times. Quality this week was mixed from average to attractive. Demand was mostly good to very good. CME positions continue to climb higher. Demand for grass type calves was very good as the August board has pushed into the upper 170's in days. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was stronger this sale as packers pushed to buy for the rest of the holiday break. Very few sales are occurring late in the week due to the holiday. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher on all classes. Packers were less interested in buying high quality feeding cows as they would have to sit in the yards for the rest of the week due to the holiday. Demand for feeding cows was lighter, however quality was mostly plain to average with very few high quality cows on offer. Feeding cows sold generally steady. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to weak.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $182.62/cwt on 205 head.

Average price

$182.62

205 head · 498 lb average

Value per head Derived

$909

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$95

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

$29.98/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+8.18

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	494	188.19	930	162
Medium 1	384	187.50	720	5thin
Medium and Large 1-2	528	158.21	835	38

One grade step is worth $29.98/cwt here — about $95 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 sale205 hd

182.62

—

MT average4 barns · 2,975 hd

174.44

+8.18

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	1,715	80.68	1,384	34
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,557	61.99	965	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,401	47.14	660	139
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,207	41.50	501	327

Every lot, as filed

74 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	—	375	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	628	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,100	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,419	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	444	166.45/cwt	160.00–173.00	739	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	320	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	544	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	644	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	869	21
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,045	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,223	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	154.10/cwt	150.00–157.00	804	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	567	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	799	8
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,059	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,281	4
Heifers	Medium 1	—	361	158.40/cwt	157.50–162.50	572	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	421	202.82/cwt	201.00–203.00	854	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	525	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	730	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	634	136.49/cwt	136.00–138.00	865	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	479	156.64/cwt	152.50–157.00	750	12
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	399	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	618	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	439	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	707	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	338	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	693	3
Steers	Medium 1	—	384	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	720	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	514	182.86/cwt	178.50–184.00	940	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	427	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	726	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	585	175.83/cwt	175.50–178.00	1,029	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	588	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	900	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	616	141.77/cwt	139.00–147.00	873	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	511	190.37/cwt	184.00–193.00	973	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	660	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	990	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	249	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	473	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	612	164.98/cwt	163.00–166.00	1,010	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	714	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	971	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	481	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	914	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	198.78/cwt	188.00–210.00	829	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	540	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	805	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	897	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,166	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	472	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	727	21
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,018	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,384	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	568	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	781	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	558	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	714	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,180	101.50/cwt	101.50–101.50	1,198	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,434	775.00/cwt	775.00–775.00	11,114	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,074	941.98/cwt	800.00–1,085.00	10,117	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	778	83.10/cwt	80.00–85.00	647	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,114	68.26/cwt	55.00–79.00	760	34
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,085	1,150.00/cwt	1,150.00–1,150.00	12,478	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,200	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	648	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	925	97.14/cwt	62.00–111.00	899	112
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	999	800.00/cwt	800.00–800.00	7,992	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,145	1,200.00/cwt	1,200.00–1,200.00	13,740	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,300	810.00/cwt	810.00–810.00	10,530	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,105	50.60/cwt	49.00–60.00	559	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,507	81.69/cwt	77.50–83.00	1,231	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,238	67.67/cwt	62.00–75.00	838	2
Bulls	—	—	1,811	82.76/cwt	78.00–87.50	1,499	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,415	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	877	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,830	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	1,272	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,332	45.50/cwt	45.50–45.50	606	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,419	53.78/cwt	50.00–59.00	763	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	845	31.01/cwt	27.50–33.00	262	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,211	39.91/cwt	35.00–44.50	483	84
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,404	42.86/cwt	40.00–46.00	602	39
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,205	33.12/cwt	27.00–35.00	399	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,510	53.17/cwt	50.00–56.00	803	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,180	57.13/cwt	56.00–59.00	674	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,377	46.72/cwt	43.00–49.00	643	55
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,273	49.66/cwt	46.00–52.00	632	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,508	62.73/cwt	60.00–66.50	946	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,575	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	866	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,678	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	1,057	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,895	67.00/cwt	67.00–67.00	1,270	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	945	37.00/cwt	37.00–37.00	350	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,435	37.30/cwt	36.00–39.00	535	7
Bulls	—	—	1,993	90.62/cwt	89.00–92.00	1,806	5
Bulls	—	—	1,662	73.59/cwt	71.00–77.00	1,223	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,186	39.99/cwt	35.00–44.50	474	149
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,124	33.88/cwt	32.00–35.00	381	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,561	58.50/cwt	58.50–58.50	913	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 →