Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-11-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-11-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves were were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a much higher quality offering. Quality today was average to attractive. A larger buyer pool was active in bidding on todays offering. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Cow quality today was mostly plain to average and not as attractive as last week. Most of the cow offering continues to be purchased to feed, either for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, to turn out on corn stalks, or to feed to premium white. Short term feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Most of these cows are located in the report as low dressing lean or boning cows returning to feed. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 1.00-2.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold generally steady to weak. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this sale. A cold front pushed through late afternoon and snowy, extremely cold conditions are expected tonight. Most cows were tanked up on feed as a result. Cow prices fell as buyers filled loads and the sale pushed into the evening. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $174.93/cwt on 358 head.

Average price

$174.93

358 head · 621 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,087

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$673

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

$35.54/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−12.75

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	478	185.04	885	28
Medium 1	395	185.00	731	7thin
Medium and Large 1	618	175.34	1,084	302
Medium and Large 2	481	164.00	789	4thin
Large 1	1,042	149.50	1,558	17thin

One grade step is worth $35.54/cwt here — about −$673 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 sale358 hd

174.93

—

MT average5 barns · 3,827 hd

187.68

−12.75

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	1,671	85.75	1,433	39
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,450	84.50	1,225	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,590	71.44	1,136	36
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,427	70.72	1,009	238
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,209	59.00	713	336

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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,048	$1,300	12
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,066	$1,265	20
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,418	$1,150	6
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,381	$1,100	15
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,439	$1,100	7
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	947	$1,288	10

Every lot, as filed

77 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 1	—	505	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	934	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	902	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,371	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	343	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	712	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,042	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	1,558	17
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	395	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	731	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	530	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	928	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	468	192.62/cwt	185.00–197.00	901	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	382	214.90/cwt	214.00–215.00	821	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	511	175.76/cwt	174.00–176.00	898	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	923	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,477	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	562	174.11/cwt	173.00–175.00	978	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	672	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,062	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	558	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	870	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	627	169.59/cwt	166.00–174.00	1,063	73
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	536	184.23/cwt	175.00–195.00	987	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	493	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	853	8
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	591	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	1,046	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	671	175.24/cwt	173.00–177.00	1,176	59
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	827	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,406	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	694	174.50/cwt	174.50–174.50	1,211	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	328	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	828	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	420	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	809	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	607	174.43/cwt	174.00–175.00	1,059	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	584	189.38/cwt	185.00–191.00	1,106	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	683	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,134	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	433	228.34/cwt	217.00–238.00	989	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	515	207.52/cwt	205.00–210.00	1,069	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	496	214.34/cwt	214.00–214.50	1,063	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	408	241.43/cwt	241.00–245.00	985	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	629	176.16/cwt	175.00–177.00	1,108	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	340	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	918	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	370	262.16/cwt	260.00–270.00	970	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	898	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,392	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	980	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,480	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	927	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,344	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	826	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,346	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	994	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,183	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	450	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	979	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,672	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	1,204	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,154	40.48/cwt	31.00–48.00	467	24
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,583	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	1,251	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,435	75.81/cwt	69.50–79.00	1,088	136
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,237	62.54/cwt	60.00–70.00	774	136
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,136	57.46/cwt	52.00–60.00	653	89
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	945	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	425	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	975	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	410	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,364	61.43/cwt	57.00–67.00	838	45
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,450	84.50/cwt	84.50–84.50	1,225	13
Bulls	—	—	2,040	98.00/cwt	98.00–98.00	1,999	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,264	60.84/cwt	59.00–62.50	769	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,433	58.78/cwt	52.00–64.50	842	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,220	54.71/cwt	49.00–59.00	667	49
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,609	72.87/cwt	71.00–78.00	1,172	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,277	72.90/cwt	72.00–75.50	931	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,551	71.54/cwt	65.00–75.00	1,110	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,544	66.50/cwt	66.50–66.50	1,027	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,463	83.00/cwt	82.00–85.00	1,214	12
Bulls	—	—	1,797	92.26/cwt	86.00–96.00	1,658	18
Bulls	—	—	1,624	76.11/cwt	71.00–83.00	1,236	14
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,355	78.99/cwt	76.00–82.00	1,070	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,338	90.50/cwt	90.50–90.50	1,211	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,381	1,100.00/head	1,100.00–1,100.00	1,100	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,023	87.47/cwt	63.00–107.50	895	76
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	960	106.21/cwt	81.00–129.00	1,020	156
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	881	1,210.00/head	1,210.00–1,210.00	1,210	8
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,213	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,418	1,150.00/head	1,150.00–1,150.00	1,150	6
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	877	1,100.00/head	1,100.00–1,100.00	1,100	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,105	1,366.01/head	1,285.00–1,400.00	1,366	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,439	1,100.00/head	1,100.00–1,100.00	1,100	7
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	899	1,175.00/head	1,175.00–1,175.00	1,175	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,137	1,303.93/head	1,250.00–1,335.00	1,304	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,574	95.50/cwt	95.50–95.50	1,503	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	481	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	789	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	305	221.81/cwt	220.00–222.50	677	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	370	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	751	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	631	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,041	18

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 →