Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-10-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-11

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 higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers under 500 lbs, and lower undertones were noticed on both sexes of calves heavier than 500 lbs. Yearlings were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality today was mostly plain to average and most calves were offered in small packages or as singles. Demand was mostly light to moderate on all feeders over 500 lbs. Good demand was seen for all calves under 500 lbs. Buyer participation was light today as both quality and volume kept some buyers from starting loads. CME positions rebounded slightly today with the nearby October gaining 2.225 and November gaining 1.65 to settle at 250.175 and 252.00 respectively. Market activity was mostly moderate this sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold on lighter demand again this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Feeding cow demand was moderate this sale. Several buyers were active in buying thin cows to feed or turn out on corn stalks this winter. Most of these cows were purchased as slaughter cows last week thus no comparisons are available. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold 2.00-3.00 lower. Packers showed lighter demand for feeding cows this week, however competition with independent feeders and order-buyers kept prices from falling off sharply. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady on a higher quality offering. Weigh up conditions were mixed. 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 generally steady.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $286.92/cwt on 176 head.

Average price

$286.92

176 head · 563 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,616

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$138

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$75.20/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.66

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	400	340.00	1,360	3thin
Medium and Large 1-2	414	319.54	1,323	18thin
Medium and Large 1	586	284.67	1,669	135
Large 1	566	264.80	1,498	20

One grade step is worth $75.20/cwt here — about −$138 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 sale176 hd

286.92

—

MT average5 barns · 1,937 hd

295.58

−8.66

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	1,644	109.73	1,803	55
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,555	110.57	1,720	70
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,405	100.72	1,415	281
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,197	89.44	1,071	189

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 Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,250	$1,890	18
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,142	$1,789	14
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,425	$1,485	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,417	$1,475	15

Every lot, as filed

73 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	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,377	101.97/cwt	97.00–107.50	1,404	162
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,400	93.67/cwt	88.00–98.50	1,311	40
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,105	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	1,890	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,193	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,479	6
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,094	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,805	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,028	201.68/cwt	200.00–205.00	2,073	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	300.35/cwt	291.00–313.00	1,252	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	967	217.15/cwt	216.00–217.50	2,100	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	575	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,507	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	378	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	1,408	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	539	278.91/cwt	276.50–283.00	1,503	37
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	520	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,404	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	276	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	994	4
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	400	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,360	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	363	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,234	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	553	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,477	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	544	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,387	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	674	241.39/cwt	241.00–242.00	1,627	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	571	268.78/cwt	264.00–274.00	1,535	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	411	354.15/cwt	347.50–360.00	1,456	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	1,092	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,326	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	788	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	2,135	12
Steers	Large 1	—	1,205	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	2,253	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,085	216.50/cwt	216.50–216.50	2,349	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	644	263.65/cwt	261.00–264.00	1,698	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	326	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,206	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	580	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,415	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	482	258.97/cwt	257.00–260.00	1,248	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	399	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,247	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	508	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,194	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	410	335.67/cwt	332.50–355.00	1,376	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	708	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,682	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	965	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	1,949	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	896	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,917	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	331	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,059	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	554	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,396	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	474	311.33/cwt	291.00–322.50	1,476	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	279.83/cwt	265.00–290.00	1,329	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,026	211.09/cwt	210.50–211.50	2,166	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	922	210.87/cwt	209.50–213.00	1,944	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	820	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,763	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	639	242.62/cwt	241.00–246.00	1,550	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	547	252.11/cwt	250.00–256.00	1,379	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,080	196.50/cwt	196.50–196.50	2,122	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,142	1,789.39/head	1,775.00–1,800.00	1,789	14
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	690	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	828	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,463	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,317	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,417	1,475.00/head	1,475.00–1,475.00	1,475	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	961	147.78/cwt	131.00–162.00	1,420	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,425	1,485.00/head	1,485.00–1,485.00	1,485	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,250	1,889.84/head	1,850.00–1,900.00	1,890	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,041	155.61/cwt	129.00–180.00	1,620	83
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,045	107.37/cwt	107.00–107.50	1,122	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,114	128.52/cwt	104.00–155.00	1,432	65
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,455	99.34/cwt	91.00–105.00	1,445	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,340	119.14/cwt	115.00–120.00	1,596	12
Bulls	—	—	1,782	97.15/cwt	89.00–103.00	1,731	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,608	109.23/cwt	108.00–111.00	1,756	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,265	96.60/cwt	94.00–101.00	1,222	3
Bulls	—	—	1,767	111.93/cwt	109.00–117.00	1,978	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	900	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	738	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,530	101.76/cwt	98.50–104.50	1,557	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,421	91.81/cwt	85.00–95.50	1,305	39
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,216	100.71/cwt	94.00–106.00	1,225	54
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,720	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,789	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,233	85.72/cwt	81.00–93.00	1,057	40
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,100	74.88/cwt	65.00–77.00	824	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,212	89.25/cwt	82.00–94.00	1,082	57
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,504	112.50/cwt	109.00–114.00	1,692	36
Bulls	—	—	1,987	120.50/cwt	119.50–121.50	2,394	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,180	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,263	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,532	111.23/cwt	110.50–111.25	1,704	55
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,704	106.50/cwt	106.50–106.50	1,815	4

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 →