Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-08-24
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-08-24

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (8-10-22): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to establish an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Demand for all feeder cattle was good to very good. Lots of yearlings were seen today and most were offered in small packages. Demand for larger packages was very good for all weights and sexes. A large crowd was on hand for todays sale and market activity was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for mostly light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was moderate to good. Western packers continue to be active participants in the market as they buy cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower on all classes as eastern packers took a step back and allowed prices to slide lower. Feeding cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Several independent feeding cow buyers were active in buying offerings this week. Feeding cows have not been tested in recent weeks as most have sold to slaughter buyers. No trend is available as a result. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Feeding bull buyers pushed to own many of the light weight thinner fleshed bulls that would gain quickly on feed. This pressured slaughter bull buyers as they searched for offerings for immediate harvest. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today with most cows and bulls pushing heavy amounts of fill. Cow and bull quality was average to attractive this sale. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate to good demand today. This class was too lightly tested to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $171.88/cwt on 506 head.

Average price

$171.88

506 head · 873 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,500

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$415

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

$12.99/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.69

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	720	176.85	1,273	33
Medium and Large 1	836	174.53	1,459	324
Medium 1	642	173.94	1,118	17thin
Large 1	1,030	163.86	1,688	132

One grade step is worth $12.99/cwt here — about −$415 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 sale506 hd

171.88

—

MT average2 barns · 938 hd

171.19

+0.69

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	—	Low	1,774	108.70	1,929	94
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,712	89.63	1,534	8thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,400	85.87	1,202	64
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,192	81.19	968	20

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,554	$1,471	10

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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	818	185.97/cwt	181.00–187.50	1,521	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	838	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	1,534	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	877	181.90/cwt	179.00–182.50	1,595	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	946	175.38/cwt	174.00–175.50	1,659	25
Heifers	Large 1	—	797	164.50/cwt	164.50–164.50	1,311	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	744	189.82/cwt	189.50–194.00	1,412	14
Steers	Large 1	—	1,105	154.50/cwt	154.50–154.50	1,707	24
Heifers	Medium 1	—	634	173.36/cwt	172.00–175.00	1,099	11
Heifers	Large 1Replacement	—	1,056	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	1,769	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	636	180.25/cwt	179.00–181.00	1,146	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	781	176.35/cwt	175.50–180.00	1,377	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	627	192.94/cwt	192.00–201.50	1,210	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	975	174.11/cwt	173.50–174.25	1,698	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	384	223.85/cwt	221.00–232.50	860	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,118	153.86/cwt	145.50–158.00	1,720	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	965	170.41/cwt	169.00–172.00	1,644	52
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,061	160.73/cwt	160.50–161.00	1,705	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	467	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	981	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	356	227.94/cwt	227.50–228.00	811	10
Steers	Large 1	—	1,079	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,759	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	766	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	1,386	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	453	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	942	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	372	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	792	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	771	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	1,434	6
Steers	Large 1-2	—	1,100	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	1,623	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	650	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	1,284	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	420	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	920	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	525	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,024	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	484	220.80/cwt	215.00–225.00	1,069	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	514	208.46/cwt	207.00–213.00	1,071	4
Steers	Large 1	—	1,037	172.01/cwt	169.00–173.50	1,784	15
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,184	150.50/cwt	150.50–150.50	1,782	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	970	162.19/cwt	161.50–163.50	1,573	35
Heifers	Medium 1	—	658	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,152	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	825	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,370	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,095	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	1,347	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	578	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	959	2
Bulls	—	—	1,812	97.56/cwt	90.00–104.00	1,768	7
Bulls	—	—	2,013	112.14/cwt	111.00–114.00	2,257	5
Bulls	—	—	1,843	106.56/cwt	103.00–110.00	1,964	38
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,568	92.49/cwt	90.00–95.50	1,450	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	77.36/cwt	74.00–83.00	928	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,264	81.05/cwt	79.00–82.00	1,024	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	828	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	522	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,740	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,618	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,362	86.20/cwt	83.50–89.00	1,174	34
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	81.00/cwt	81.00–81.00	1,114	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,340	89.74/cwt	89.50–90.00	1,203	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,214	85.75/cwt	84.00–87.00	1,041	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,740	87.00/cwt	87.00–87.00	1,514	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,708	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,537	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,389	85.61/cwt	84.00–89.00	1,189	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,463	81.39/cwt	77.00–83.00	1,191	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,216	86.35/cwt	84.50–87.00	1,050	4
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,860	117.70/cwt	117.00–118.50	2,189	23
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,383	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	1,279	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,555	98.00/cwt	98.00–98.00	1,524	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,493	108.03/cwt	102.00–113.50	1,613	16
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,635	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	1,864	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,107	109.98/cwt	98.00–113.00	1,217	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,165	92.67/cwt	90.00–96.00	1,080	22
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	930	96.50/cwt	96.50–96.50	897	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,554	1,470.53/head	1,400.00–1,500.00	1,471	10
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,018	161.17/cwt	156.00–164.00	1,641	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	889	170.87/cwt	169.50–172.00	1,519	56
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	827	176.29/cwt	174.00–181.00	1,458	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	695	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,251	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	940	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,523	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	979	157.41/cwt	156.00–160.00	1,541	10
Heifers	Large 1Replacement	—	1,008	169.73/cwt	169.50–169.75	1,711	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	569	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	1,098	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	716	171.08/cwt	169.00–172.00	1,225	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	918	162.91/cwt	162.50–163.50	1,496	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	928	168.82/cwt	166.50–170.25	1,567	36

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 →