Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-10-04
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-04

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested either this sale or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most offerings sold in small packages or as singles this sale. Demand for feeders was light to moderate as not enough feeder cattle were offered to put together loads. CME positions sold off sharply over the past few days and buyers showed slightly lighter demand for all feeder cattle on offer as a result. Market activity was mostly moderate this sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Slaughter cows sold on lighter demand this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Feeding cow demand was lighter this sale as quality limited demand for feeding offerings. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Packers are reluctant to put many wet bagged cows on feed. Most cows sold today still had wet bags, having freshly weaned calves. Slaughter bulls sold sold generally steady to 4.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average to start the sale but improved slightly later in the day. Cow quality today was mostly average today. 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. Young age cows sold 5.00-10.00 higher as demand for this class of cow improved. Bred cow offerings were very attractive this week and sold on very good demand.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $239.87/cwt on 156 head.

Average price

$239.87

156 head · 695 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,667

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$556

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$49.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−10.31

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	679	250.50	1,701	6thin
Medium and Large 1	696	243.50	1,694	91
Medium 1-2	634	240.00	1,522	9thin
Medium and Large 1-2	627	238.14	1,493	38
Medium 2	730	227.50	1,661	5thin
Large 1	1,120	201.50	2,257	7thin

One grade step is worth $49.00/cwt here — about −$556 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 sale156 hd

239.87

—

MT average3 barns · 1,758 hd

250.18

−10.31

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	1,837	106.55	1,958	46
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,677	107.41	1,802	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,446	103.11	1,491	85
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,187	93.76	1,113	59

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 (2-4 yrs)	1,238	$2,653	15
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,510	$2,400	16
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,477	$1,750	7
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,083	$1,600	3thin
Bred Heifers	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,101	$2,500	5

Every lot, as filed

70 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%	—	1,185	87.29/cwt	78.00–95.00	1,034	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,211	98.85/cwt	95.00–102.00	1,197	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,456	105.17/cwt	104.00–109.50	1,531	34
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,585	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	1,522	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,050	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	761	1
Bulls	—	—	1,953	123.77/cwt	122.50–125.00	2,417	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,170	100.09/cwt	96.00–103.00	1,171	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,197	110.48/cwt	110.00–111.00	1,322	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,719	108.82/cwt	107.00–112.50	1,871	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,532	110.66/cwt	110.50–111.00	1,695	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,438	102.80/cwt	98.00–108.00	1,478	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,704	103.64/cwt	100.00–106.50	1,766	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,369	114.34/cwt	111.00–118.00	1,565	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,619	110.62/cwt	108.50–112.50	1,791	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,685	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	1,702	2
Bulls	—	—	1,999	110.38/cwt	107.00–117.00	2,206	18
Bulls	—	—	1,856	104.48/cwt	100.00–106.00	1,939	15
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,564	96.09/cwt	92.00–104.00	1,503	8
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,425	110.28/cwt	107.00–116.00	1,571	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,477	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,270	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,104	124.54/cwt	110.00–159.00	1,375	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	828	136.97/cwt	120.00–150.00	1,134	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	978	105.89/cwt	93.00–110.00	1,036	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,016	163.20/cwt	129.00–188.50	1,658	70
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,101	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,227	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,083	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,510	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,076	208.80/cwt	205.50–215.50	2,247	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	936	220.25/cwt	219.50–221.00	2,062	6
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	634	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,522	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	413	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,177	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	435	251.33/cwt	240.00–260.00	1,093	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	325	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,008	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	982	201.60/cwt	200.00–204.00	1,980	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	582	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,461	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	608	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,465	4
Heifers	Medium 1	—	679	250.50/cwt	250.50–250.50	1,701	6
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,111	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	2,255	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	930	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,000	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	965	225.50/cwt	225.50–225.50	2,176	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	368	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,049	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	272.10/cwt	261.00–282.50	1,292	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	385	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,136	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	974	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	2,114	4
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,175	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	2,262	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	391	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,173	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	405	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,256	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	271.50/cwt	260.00–277.00	1,564	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	340	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,131	6
Heifers	Medium 2	—	730	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,661	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	877	218.73/cwt	217.50–222.50	1,918	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	658	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,599	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	611	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,662	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	484	274.97/cwt	272.50–277.50	1,331	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	515	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,558	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	542	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,333	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	833	222.48/cwt	220.00–225.00	1,853	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	399	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,327	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,437	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	712	246.25/cwt	242.50–247.50	1,753	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	758	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,762	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,029	209.24/cwt	208.50–210.00	2,153	4
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,185	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,955	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,110	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,943	2
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,020	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,887	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,275	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,862	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,170	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	2,018	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,451	93.07/cwt	88.00–98.00	1,350	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 →