Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-09-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-09-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(9-13-23): Feeder steers sold mostly steady, feeder heifers sold unevenly steady, feeder bulls lightly tested. Demand for feeders was mostly good. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive with market activity being mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand, slaughter cows and feeding cows both sold 1.00 to 6.00 lower. Slaughter bulls and feeding bulls both sold 2.00 to 6.00 lower. 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.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $242.35/cwt on 585 head.

Average price

$242.35

585 head · 765 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,855

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$211

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

$29.71/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.55

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	794	245.90	1,953	319
Medium and Large 1-2	710	244.08	1,734	209
Medium and Large 2	806	216.19	1,742	57

One grade step is worth $29.71/cwt here — about $211 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 sale585 hd

242.35

—

MT average3 barns · 1,212 hd

246.91

−4.55

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	1,805	115.33	2,082	39
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,573	111.38	1,752	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,348	103.24	1,392	72
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,253	89.26	1,118	29

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	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,202	$1,409	3thin
Bred Heifers	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	864	$1,704	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,273	$1,850	2thin

Every lot, as filed

88 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,143	134.45/cwt	120.00–157.00	1,537	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,730	111.46/cwt	103.00–118.00	1,928	13
Bulls	—	—	1,738	113.01/cwt	109.00–116.00	1,964	15
Bulls	—	—	1,985	123.05/cwt	120.00–127.00	2,443	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,757	107.44/cwt	107.00–108.50	1,888	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,168	81.87/cwt	81.00–88.00	956	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,273	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	821	236.50/cwt	236.50–236.50	1,942	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	670	248.34/cwt	241.00–251.00	1,664	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	571	239.23/cwt	236.00–244.00	1,366	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	670	232.48/cwt	230.00–235.00	1,558	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	895	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,897	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	645	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,567	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	694	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,631	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	586	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,494	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	830	217.22/cwt	214.00–222.50	1,803	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	619	235.13/cwt	235.00–236.00	1,455	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	687	264.34/cwt	255.00–266.50	1,816	82
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	774	265.02/cwt	260.00–268.00	2,051	59
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	530	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,590	79
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	348	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,209	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	—	731	283.00/cwt	283.00–283.00	2,069	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	672	281.61/cwt	279.00–282.50	1,892	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	429	333.07/cwt	332.50–334.00	1,429	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	554	278.00/cwt	276.00–284.00	1,540	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	473	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,395	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	869	234.21/cwt	227.00–236.00	2,035	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,059	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,330	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	866	252.06/cwt	245.00–257.00	2,183	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	513	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,477	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	730	271.49/cwt	271.00–280.00	1,982	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	977	224.63/cwt	220.00–227.00	2,195	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	676	262.60/cwt	261.00–270.00	1,775	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	461	315.87/cwt	315.00–320.00	1,456	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	758	251.04/cwt	245.00–252.50	1,903	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	918	228.39/cwt	223.00–230.50	2,097	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	433	323.85/cwt	310.00–325.00	1,402	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	825	246.34/cwt	238.00–248.00	2,032	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	836	255.57/cwt	250.00–258.00	2,137	21
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	767	235.30/cwt	235.00–239.00	1,805	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	610	259.48/cwt	258.00–262.50	1,583	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,059	219.67/cwt	217.00–220.00	2,326	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	384	323.91/cwt	320.00–327.50	1,244	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	712	236.25/cwt	235.00–240.00	1,682	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,032	215.82/cwt	215.50–216.50	2,227	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	636	275.19/cwt	273.00–278.00	1,750	23
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	900	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	1,863	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	873	221.43/cwt	218.00–225.00	1,933	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	583	262.70/cwt	260.00–264.00	1,532	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	353	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	1,214	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	786	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,831	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	331	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	1,188	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	962	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	2,290	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	924	242.89/cwt	234.00–245.00	2,244	49
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Fancy	—	1,210	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,198	1,313.52/head	1,125.00–1,475.00	1,314	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	864	1,704.36/head	1,700.00–1,725.00	1,704	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	683	248.86/cwt	242.50–254.50	1,700	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	977	218.28/cwt	217.00–219.25	2,133	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	731	240.99/cwt	235.00–242.00	1,762	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	937	220.84/cwt	219.50–224.00	2,069	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	735	256.83/cwt	247.50–259.00	1,888	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	525	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,483	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	415	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,235	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	352	330.58/cwt	330.00–332.50	1,164	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	949	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	1,907	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	513	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,365	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	778	245.42/cwt	242.00–247.50	1,909	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	881	220.89/cwt	215.00–224.00	1,946	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	872	227.30/cwt	225.00–230.00	1,982	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	990	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	1,990	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	730	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,613	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	433	284.55/cwt	280.00–288.00	1,232	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	633	250.82/cwt	250.00–253.00	1,588	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	984	209.75/cwt	209.75–209.75	2,064	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	462	274.72/cwt	257.00–281.00	1,269	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	920	215.72/cwt	212.00–217.00	1,985	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	818	227.85/cwt	226.00–231.00	1,864	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,232	89.48/cwt	86.00–92.00	1,102	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,564	111.93/cwt	100.00–117.00	1,751	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,660	111.46/cwt	111.00–112.00	1,850	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,585	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,664	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,371	98.41/cwt	96.00–103.00	1,349	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,272	92.71/cwt	85.00–113.00	1,179	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,153	96.52/cwt	96.00–97.00	1,113	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,155	84.28/cwt	77.00–103.00	973	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,448	107.96/cwt	106.00–110.00	1,563	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,357	106.57/cwt	98.00–118.00	1,446	49

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 →