Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-11-15
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-11-15

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested this week or last to develop any market trend. Both steer and heifer calves were scarcely tested last week as that sale featured mostly bred heifers and cows. Feeder quality today was mixed from plain to average, with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light to moderate offerings. Buyer participation was mostly active this sale with buyers both ringside and on the internet actively bidding on offerings. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for heavy offerings. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-3.00 lower on all cows destined for immediate harvest. Demand for feeding cows was mostly moderate to good. Buyer participation was good again this week, as several buyers were active in buying cows to feed. Thin cows purchased to feed or turn out on corn stalks this winter sold 2.00-3.00 lower. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold 1.00-3.00 lower. Quality this week was average to very attractive with many long strings of reputation cows seen. Heavy supplies of cows continue to be seen a many ranchers are selling many open cows after preg. checking this fall. Some ranchers report astoundingly high open percentages as the breed up this year was very poor. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a higher quality offering. Feeding buyers helped create competition which pushed slaughter bull prices higher. Young age cows sold mostly steady. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Demand for these offerings was stronger this week as feeding buyers and rebreed buyers competed over offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $223.98/cwt on 204 head.

Average price

$223.98

204 head · 679 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,521

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$1,066

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$52.53/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−30.28

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	730	227.53	1,661	122
Medium and Large 1-2	614	227.21	1,395	63
Medium 1	455	215.00	978	1thin
Medium and Large 2	504	196.47	990	7thin
Large 1	954	195.60	1,866	5thin
Medium 2	340	175.00	595	6thin

One grade step is worth $52.53/cwt here — about $1,066 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 sale204 hd

223.98

—

MT average5 barns · 5,526 hd

254.26

−30.28

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	1,802	109.97	1,982	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,709	92.96	1,589	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,398	89.03	1,244	343
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,180	77.80	918	382

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)	1,149	$1,788	18
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,071	$1,723	23
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,328	$1,455	16
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,293	$1,425	11
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,316	$1,400	7
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,107	$1,975	5

Every lot, as filed

79 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	571	266.96/cwt	254.00–273.00	1,524	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	602	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,529	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	421	310.93/cwt	300.00–317.50	1,309	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	638	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,448	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	620	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,380	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	372	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	986	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	361	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,191	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	584	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,425	4
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	431	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	668	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	335	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,131	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	742	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,588	14
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	593	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,186	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	511	302.25/cwt	290.00–315.00	1,544	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	472	294.96/cwt	285.00–300.00	1,392	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	436	334.26/cwt	330.00–337.50	1,457	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	466	307.93/cwt	305.00–315.00	1,435	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	386	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,312	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	413	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	991	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	439	258.03/cwt	245.00–272.50	1,133	15
Heifers	Medium 2	—	340	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	595	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	972	202.41/cwt	198.50–204.00	1,967	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	858	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	1,733	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	640	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,363	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	463	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,412	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	102.70/cwt	98.50–106.00	1,437	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,704	89.23/cwt	88.50–92.00	1,520	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,380	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	1,208	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,130	59.39/cwt	47.50–65.00	671	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,186	73.77/cwt	68.00–79.00	875	53
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,235	80.71/cwt	79.00–86.00	997	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,454	79.48/cwt	74.00–84.00	1,156	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	913	63.52/cwt	60.00–74.00	580	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	976	62.82/cwt	62.00–63.00	613	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,140	74.11/cwt	64.00–79.00	845	83
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,630	102.50/cwt	102.50–102.50	1,671	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	941	40.94/cwt	40.00–45.00	385	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,184	97.05/cwt	92.00–100.00	1,149	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,394	82.32/cwt	76.00–85.50	1,148	34
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,392	90.75/cwt	85.00–96.50	1,263	273
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,222	83.06/cwt	79.50–90.00	1,015	165
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,618	91.54/cwt	91.00–93.00	1,481	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,005	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	1,955	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	746	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,739	95.90/cwt	95.50–98.00	1,668	6
Bulls	—	—	1,995	126.94/cwt	120.00–130.00	2,532	5
Bulls	—	—	1,914	111.29/cwt	109.00–114.00	2,130	6
Bulls	—	—	1,747	104.02/cwt	93.00–107.00	1,817	13
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,620	106.90/cwt	106.00–108.00	1,732	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	955	127.80/cwt	112.50–140.00	1,220	18
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,107	1,975.00/head	1,975.00–1,975.00	1,975	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,293	1,425.00/head	1,425.00–1,425.00	1,425	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,074	1,956.89/head	1,875.00–2,050.00	1,957	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,017	122.29/cwt	89.00–152.50	1,244	60
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,187	1,857.35/head	1,725.00–1,975.00	1,857	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	923	161.44/cwt	112.50–172.00	1,490	129
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,483	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	1,439	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,328	1,454.67/head	1,350.00–1,500.00	1,455	16
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,018	1,545.33/head	1,450.00–1,650.00	1,545	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,316	1,400.00/head	1,400.00–1,400.00	1,400	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	836	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,630	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	967	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	967	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,067	1,418.83/head	1,400.00–1,500.00	1,419	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	640	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,408	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	899	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	1,870	15
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,118	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	2,079	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	504	196.47/cwt	191.00–210.00	990	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	672	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	1,398	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	471	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,260	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	923	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	1,869	4
Heifers	Medium 1	—	455	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	978	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,068	191.59/cwt	188.00–194.50	2,046	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	673	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,467	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	810	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,766	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	479	237.87/cwt	225.00–249.00	1,139	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	557	246.84/cwt	243.00–247.50	1,375	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	621	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,459	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	536	247.92/cwt	246.00–252.00	1,329	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	522	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,430	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	708	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,487	2

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 →