Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-08-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-08-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(8-16-23): Yearling steers sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Yearling heifers all sold 3.00-4.00 lower. Demand for feeders was mostly good. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Yearlings were offered in small to moderate size packages this week with a number of very small packages and singles on offer as well. Singles and very small packages sold with a discount to cattle which buyers could purchase in partial load quantities. Most cattle were in light flesh and coming off grass. Market activity remains active with bidders rapidly bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed. Boning cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 lower, Lean cows sold steady to 1.00 lower on a lower yielding offering. Several packages of cows were seen out of country that has been plagued by grasshoppers. Most of these cows were in very light flesh, and yields were poor as a result. Eastern packers opted to send all offerings to slaughter this week. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to trend as most cows were purchased for immediate harvest, however lower undertones were noticed. Cow quality today was mostly plain to average and lower overall compared to last sale. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today. Many thin cows and cows coming out of dry country were pushing heavy amounts of fill come sale time. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly average this sale.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $223.63/cwt on 367 head.

Average price

$223.63

367 head · 843 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,886

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$373

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$37.69/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−9.05

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	677	242.18	1,639	66
Medium 1-2	659	236.17	1,557	12thin
Medium and Large 1	875	221.35	1,936	242
Medium and Large 1-2	883	211.90	1,871	10thin
Large 1	984	204.49	2,012	37

One grade step is worth $37.69/cwt here — about −$373 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 sale367 hd

223.63

—

MT average3 barns · 816 hd

232.67

−9.05

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	1,750	114.93	2,011	61
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,567	108.19	1,696	9thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,452	102.49	1,488	63
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,190	89.93	1,070	187

Every lot, as filed

87 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
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,143	68.91/cwt	64.00–78.00	788	41
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,537	106.45/cwt	105.00–108.50	1,636	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,213	91.22/cwt	80.00–96.00	1,106	54
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,233	101.97/cwt	97.00–107.00	1,257	60
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,399	105.90/cwt	103.00–111.00	1,482	26
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,466	113.24/cwt	112.00–115.00	1,660	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,209	106.00/cwt	105.00–107.00	1,282	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,630	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,777	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,078	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	884	3
Bulls	Large 1Fancy	—	1,225	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	2,242	1
Bulls	Large 1Full	—	1,138	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	1,832	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	408	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,295	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	390	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,248	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,178	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,908	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,012	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	1,913	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	876	231.03/cwt	225.00–235.00	2,024	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	771	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	1,989	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	712	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,901	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	947	229.50/cwt	229.50–229.50	2,173	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,398	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	976	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,245	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	645	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,780	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	500	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,400	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	373	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,240	2
Steers	Medium 1	—	723	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,858	2
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	549	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,466	5
Steers	Large 1Full	—	1,048	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,148	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	913	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,009	5
Steers	Large 1	—	1,032	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,219	3
Steers	Medium 1	—	679	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,806	4
Steers	Large 1	—	1,053	212.33/cwt	210.00–214.00	2,236	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	783	245.45/cwt	242.00–251.00	1,922	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	961	210.40/cwt	202.50–213.00	2,022	58
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,163	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	2,140	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	744	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,912	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	651	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,797	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	956	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	2,208	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	425	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,177	1
Heifers	Medium 1	—	662	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,609	12
Heifers	Large 1	—	866	218.50/cwt	218.50–218.50	1,892	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	861	235.73/cwt	233.00–238.00	2,030	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	305	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,068	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,365	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	782	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,806	16
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	623	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,511	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	778	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,731	3
Heifers	Large 1	—	835	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,837	10
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,078	193.39/cwt	186.50–199.00	2,085	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	340	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,037	1
Heifers	Medium 1	—	597	252.02/cwt	247.50–255.00	1,505	10
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	675	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,566	2
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	788	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,694	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	860	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,823	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	917	215.19/cwt	209.50–222.00	1,973	27
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,008	202.75/cwt	202.00–203.00	2,044	4
Heifers	Medium 1	—	511	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,456	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	945	210.50/cwt	210.50–210.50	1,989	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	710	237.50/cwt	235.00–240.00	1,686	4
Heifers	Medium 1	—	618	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,551	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	865	225.68/cwt	219.00–227.50	1,952	72
Heifers	Medium 1	—	791	225.92/cwt	225.00–227.00	1,787	13
Heifers	Medium 1	—	811	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	1,760	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	925	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,035	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	468	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,217	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	874	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,870	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	832	225.02/cwt	223.00–231.50	1,872	54
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,100	193.50/cwt	193.50–193.50	2,129	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	1,921	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,276	132.46/cwt	125.00–157.00	1,690	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,184	119.56/cwt	118.00–122.00	1,416	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,038	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,573	107.00/cwt	102.00–114.00	1,683	14
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,647	117.55/cwt	114.00–121.00	1,936	15
Bulls	—	—	2,037	127.76/cwt	124.00–135.00	2,602	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,156	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	670	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,046	110.74/cwt	110.00–111.00	1,158	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,410	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	1,607	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,582	80.50/cwt	80.50–80.50	1,274	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	840	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	664	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,435	98.00/cwt	98.00–98.00	1,406	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,473	106.00/cwt	102.00–111.00	1,561	18
Bulls	—	—	2,255	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	2,503	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,457	96.89/cwt	94.00–100.00	1,412	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,695	108.50/cwt	108.50–108.50	1,839	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,465	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,685	1
Bulls	—	—	1,532	104.76/cwt	100.00–109.00	1,605	5
Bulls	—	—	1,893	117.42/cwt	114.00–121.00	2,223	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 →