Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-02-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-02-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder calves were not tested last week, thus no trend is available. Demand for feeder calves was mostly moderate to good despite light offerings. Many buyers started loads as tomorrows sale will have enough cattle to finish filling out loads. Quality today was plain to average. Many sets of cutback cattle off video sales were seen today. Market activity was mostly moderate today. Weigh up cows comprised most of the sale today. Demand for slaughter cows remains good to very good. A heavy portion of todays offering was comprised of cows that have been on feed. Packers opted to return most of these offerings to feed as most sets only needed 30 days of so of grain to advance to premium white. Both slaughter and feeding cows sold fully steady with last week. Weigh up conditions this week were mostly average to below average and lower than last week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed. Quality today was mostly average to attractive for weigh up cows and bulls. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Packer buyers dipped well into the young cows as they purchased cows to both slaughter and feed. A few heifers that lost calves are starting to sell and these offerings are met with good demand.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $158.38/cwt on 65 head.

Average price

$158.38

65 head · 700 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,109

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$433

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$40.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−10.26

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	587	167.00	980	51
Large 1	1,113	127.00	1,414	14thin

One grade step is worth $40.00/cwt here — about −$433 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 sale65 hd

158.38

—

MT average3 barns · 1,205 hd

168.64

−10.26

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	—	High	1,888	94.87	1,791	31
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	High	1,792	78.18	1,401	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,706	74.83	1,276	36
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,431	70.06	1,003	155
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,212	63.90	775	149

Every lot, as filed

41 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	565	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	1,000	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	700	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,057	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	355	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	678	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	629	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	981	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	743	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	1,100	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	531	175.48/cwt	174.00–176.00	932	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	673	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	1,050	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	577	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	1,079	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	509	201.98/cwt	199.00–205.00	1,028	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	433	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	784	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,113	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,414	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	843	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,307	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	699	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	1,195	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	415	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	913	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	630	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,071	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	791	155.50/cwt	155.50–155.50	1,230	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,053	74.84/cwt	72.00–83.00	788	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,070	88.94/cwt	80.00–109.00	952	57
Bulls	—	—	2,229	104.29/cwt	100.50–108.00	2,325	5
Bulls	—	—	1,695	85.51/cwt	82.00–87.50	1,449	6
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,585	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	1,379	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	70.15/cwt	67.50–73.00	986	43
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,258	67.63/cwt	66.00–73.00	851	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,201	62.79/cwt	59.00–66.00	754	57
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	948	40.00/cwt	40.00–40.00	379	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,217	74.74/cwt	74.50–75.00	910	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,450	72.04/cwt	68.00–76.00	1,045	76
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,535	64.00/cwt	64.00–64.00	982	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,438	76.37/cwt	76.00–77.00	1,098	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,863	77.50/cwt	77.50–77.50	1,444	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,703	74.74/cwt	74.50–75.00	1,273	2
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,808	77.50/cwt	75.00–78.00	1,401	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,340	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	1,018	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,677	71.93/cwt	71.00–73.00	1,206	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,124	55.03/cwt	53.00–55.50	619	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,510	77.50/cwt	77.50–77.50	1,170	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,414	63.62/cwt	57.00–66.50	900	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,226	71.17/cwt	69.00–72.50	873	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,565	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	1,135	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,721	76.49/cwt	75.50–77.75	1,316	19
Bulls	—	—	1,861	95.32/cwt	92.00–100.00	1,774	20

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 →