Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-09-13
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-09-13

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(8-02-23): Feeder steers were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Yearling heifers offered the best comparison this week. Most offerings sold 8.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for feeders was mostly good. Quality this week was mostly plain to average, with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. A large portion of the offering this week was comprised of cutbacks off summer video sales. Many small packages of cattle were seen this week. Most yearlings were coming off grass and all calves were straight off the cow. Market activity remains active with buyers bidding rapidly over offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Slaughter cows and feeding cows both sold fully steady this week in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls and feeding bulls both sold steady as well. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Cow quality today was mostly average to attractive. Several packages of young age cows sold this week. Demand for these offerings was mostly good as feeding and rebreeding buyers competed over attractive offerings. Not enough young age cows were seen last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $247.48/cwt on 240 head.

Average price

$247.48

240 head · 707 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,749

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$32

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$44.31/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+8.61

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	694	254.12	1,763	182
Medium and Large 2	388	245.00	951	3thin
Medium 1-2	681	241.00	1,641	4thin
Medium and Large 1-2	713	235.37	1,679	26
Medium 1	719	230.00	1,654	4thin
Large 1	856	209.81	1,795	21

One grade step is worth $44.31/cwt here — about −$32 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 sale240 hd

247.48

—

MT average3 barns · 1,601 hd

238.86

+8.61

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	1,800	116.26	2,093	38
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,685	112.00	1,887	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,419	106.09	1,505	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,204	93.38	1,125	28

Every lot, as filed

62 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 1-2Unweaned	—	568	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,318	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	275.94/cwt	267.00–279.00	1,402	10
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	681	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,641	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	898	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,985	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	835	234.76/cwt	232.00–236.00	1,960	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	872	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	2,071	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	962	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,972	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	768	248.91/cwt	239.00–250.00	1,912	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	916	227.77/cwt	224.00–229.00	2,086	48
Heifers	Medium 1	—	719	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,654	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	963	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	2,176	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,035	205.50/cwt	205.50–205.50	2,127	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	905	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,199	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,098	150.03/cwt	124.00–182.50	1,647	52
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,193	115.25/cwt	109.00–119.00	1,375	40
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,765	117.28/cwt	115.00–120.00	2,070	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,409	108.94/cwt	95.00–114.00	1,535	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,232	98.66/cwt	91.00–100.00	1,215	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,172	101.15/cwt	99.00–102.00	1,185	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	98.39/cwt	95.00–101.00	1,382	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,760	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,848	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,075	74.14/cwt	69.00–80.00	797	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	103.62/cwt	101.00–109.50	1,456	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,430	106.58/cwt	98.00–109.00	1,524	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,443	115.85/cwt	114.00–119.00	1,672	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,580	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,706	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,714	111.15/cwt	108.00–113.50	1,905	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	850	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	468	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,627	117.63/cwt	116.50–119.00	1,914	3
Bulls	—	—	2,009	125.64/cwt	125.00–128.00	2,524	8
Bulls	—	—	1,770	107.67/cwt	105.00–111.00	1,906	3
Bulls	—	—	1,926	117.18/cwt	113.00–123.00	2,257	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,269	90.33/cwt	85.00–95.00	1,146	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,355	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	1,314	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,174	101.74/cwt	99.00–105.00	1,194	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	795	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,876	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,094	197.39/cwt	196.00–198.00	2,159	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	388	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	951	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	541	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,412	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	490	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,210	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	465	280.84/cwt	276.00–295.00	1,306	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,188	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	312	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	967	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	397	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,080	6
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	468	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,076	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	605	234.50/cwt	234.50–234.50	1,419	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	390	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,268	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	547	298.47/cwt	287.50–299.00	1,633	85
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	680	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,673	5
Steers	Large 1	—	804	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,721	4
Steers	Large 1	—	988	214.50/cwt	214.50–214.50	2,119	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	870	240.82/cwt	240.50–242.00	2,095	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	472	314.17/cwt	300.00–315.00	1,483	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	429	324.66/cwt	320.00–330.00	1,393	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	540	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,382	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	685	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,452	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	832	214.84/cwt	212.50–216.00	1,787	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,200	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,800	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	564	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,410	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	413	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,198	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	518	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,321	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	421	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,274	8

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 →