Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-10-25
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-25

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on all offerings. The first snow storm of the season is underway with freezing rain falling late last night and snow starting this morning. Offerings were light as a result. Quality was mostly plain to average today and mostly offered in very small packages or as singles. With sharply colder temperatures seen today along with rain and snow, many sets of calves were showing signs of stress. Demand for feeders was mostly light. Not as many buyers were active in purchasing feeders this week. Market activity was mostly slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and offerings. Slaughter cows sold on light demand again this week. Packers continue to purchase the majority of the cow offering to put on feed and are only sending very poor or lame cows to immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00 to 3.00 lower on boning and lean cows; breaking cows sold mostly steady to frim. 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. These cows sold 1.00-2.00 lower. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to weak. Weigh up conditions were average to below average this sale. With the change of weather many cows and bulls were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady. Cow quality today was mostly average. Several packages of young age cows sold this week. Demand for these offerings was mostly light to moderate. Demand from feeding buyers lightened significantly this week as CME positions sold off sharply. Young age cows sold 5.00-8.00 lower.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $247.77/cwt on 156 head.

Average price

$247.77

156 head · 600 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,486

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$576

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$67.11/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−14.58

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	529	262.61	1,389	99
Medium and Large 1-2	696	224.55	1,562	52
Large 1	1,005	195.50	1,965	5thin

One grade step is worth $67.11/cwt here — about −$576 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

247.77

—

MT average5 barns · 3,794 hd

262.35

−14.58

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	1,668	99.46	1,659	32
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,617	97.92	1,583	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,371	95.44	1,309	142
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,208	85.40	1,031	261

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,173	$1,799	17
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,068	$1,772	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,235	$1,325	2thin

Every lot, as filed

69 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	975	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,277	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	476	290.50/cwt	290.50–290.50	1,383	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	534	256.01/cwt	252.50–262.50	1,367	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	811	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,776	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	432	289.59/cwt	285.00–292.50	1,251	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	515	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,427	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	623	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,377	4
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	458	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	687	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	553	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,383	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	419	282.08/cwt	270.00–283.00	1,182	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	373	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,044	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	473	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,353	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	320	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	1,144	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	357	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,160	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	701	238.50/cwt	238.50–238.50	1,672	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	715	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	1,630	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	483	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,236	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	519	236.83/cwt	230.00–240.00	1,229	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	376	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,307	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	590	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	1,404	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	566	225.02/cwt	221.00–230.00	1,274	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,108	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	2,028	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,005	195.50/cwt	195.50–195.50	1,965	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,030	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	1,947	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,040	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	2,158	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	931	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	1,899	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	914	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,938	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	860	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,858	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	515	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,293	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	927	201.33/cwt	200.00–204.00	1,866	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	349	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,047	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,246	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	725	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,124	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	860	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	903	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,075	93.08/cwt	90.00–95.50	1,001	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	915	164.89/cwt	120.50–177.50	1,509	89
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	720	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	900	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,027	126.87/cwt	102.00–155.00	1,303	78
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,173	1,798.53/head	1,750.00–1,850.00	1,799	17
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,068	1,772.14/head	1,700.00–1,800.00	1,772	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,235	1,325.00/head	1,325.00–1,325.00	1,325	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,513	94.32/cwt	86.00–102.00	1,427	16
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,713	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,850	2
Bulls	—	—	2,023	108.86/cwt	106.00–115.00	2,202	4
Bulls	—	—	2,135	120.15/cwt	119.50–120.50	2,565	3
Bulls	—	—	1,727	98.38/cwt	94.00–104.00	1,699	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,346	98.77/cwt	94.00–104.50	1,329	84
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,698	105.31/cwt	104.00–106.00	1,788	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,696	92.19/cwt	87.00–95.00	1,564	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,538	94.94/cwt	94.50–95.00	1,460	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	880	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	554	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	501	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,217	90.14/cwt	84.50–96.50	1,097	104
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,173	98.94/cwt	97.50–103.50	1,161	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,217	82.42/cwt	75.00–85.00	1,003	65
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,390	81.03/cwt	72.50–91.00	1,126	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,221	77.61/cwt	71.00–84.00	948	53
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,354	92.72/cwt	92.00–93.00	1,255	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,494	105.57/cwt	105.00–109.00	1,577	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,385	87.59/cwt	80.00–92.00	1,213	29
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,300	84.98/cwt	80.00–90.00	1,105	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,131	64.07/cwt	50.00–73.00	725	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,183	88.49/cwt	88.00–89.00	1,047	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,638	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,785	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,020	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,632	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	648	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,419	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	563	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,244	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	465	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,232	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	620	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	1,228	3

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 →