Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-11-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-11-22

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Feeder Steers and Heifers sold mostly 20.00-30.00 lower on a lighter run. Slaughter Cows sold 3.00-5.00 lower on a lighter run.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $215.91/cwt on 192 head.

Average price

$215.91

192 head · 610 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,318

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$233

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

$26.12/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−46.67

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	622	224.75	1,399	127
Medium and Large 2	587	198.62	1,166	65

One grade step is worth $26.12/cwt here — about $233 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 sale192 hd

215.91

—

MT average4 barns · 2,867 hd

262.57

−46.67

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	1,587	106.94	1,697	73
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,451	99.18	1,439	53
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,281	83.62	1,071	326
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,166	75.76	884	132

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)	1,111	$2,070	45
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,146	$1,538	9
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,216	$1,350	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,278	$1,193	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 1	—	527	235.42/cwt	224.00–250.00	1,241	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	465	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,302	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	267	273.17/cwt	245.00–300.00	729	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	331	302.95/cwt	295.00–320.00	1,003	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	573	215.26/cwt	210.00–216.00	1,233	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,037	183.06/cwt	160.00–194.50	1,898	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,178	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,146	1,537.68/head	1,500.00–1,650.00	1,538	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,228	1,100.00/head	1,100.00–1,100.00	1,100	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	942	154.85/cwt	125.00–182.50	1,459	77
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,218	1,166.79/head	1,100.00–1,275.00	1,167	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,111	2,070.17/head	1,500.00–2,225.00	2,070	45
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	894	156.90/cwt	140.00–162.50	1,403	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	762	131.49/cwt	130.00–136.00	1,002	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	990	113.43/cwt	105.00–132.50	1,123	14
Bulls	—	—	1,162	121.63/cwt	120.00–122.00	1,413	5
Bulls	—	—	1,662	106.28/cwt	102.50–110.00	1,766	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,246	77.27/cwt	72.00–81.00	963	17
Bulls	—	—	1,401	141.92/cwt	123.00–167.50	1,988	4
Bulls	—	—	1,671	109.27/cwt	92.00–112.00	1,826	33
Bulls	—	—	1,490	90.03/cwt	79.00–103.00	1,341	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,161	76.69/cwt	68.00–81.00	890	97
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,288	82.89/cwt	78.00–96.50	1,068	252
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,202	72.92/cwt	68.00–78.00	876	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,167	110.50/cwt	110.50–110.50	1,290	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,190	65.54/cwt	65.00–66.00	780	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	840	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	714	2
Bulls	—	—	1,750	85.04/cwt	80.00–89.00	1,488	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,570	95.92/cwt	91.00–100.50	1,506	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,270	99.84/cwt	89.50–110.00	1,268	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,258	82.76/cwt	79.00–93.00	1,041	37
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,101	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,211	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,528	95.14/cwt	92.00–103.00	1,454	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	468	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,147	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	527	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,238	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	550	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,166	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	633	182.45/cwt	180.00–185.00	1,155	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	880	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,364	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	750	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,425	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	565	235.73/cwt	224.00–239.00	1,332	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	809	212.97/cwt	210.00–219.00	1,723	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	950	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	1,829	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	633	216.06/cwt	212.50–231.00	1,368	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	687	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	1,491	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	387	279.34/cwt	250.00–285.00	1,081	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	385	283.04/cwt	250.00–300.00	1,090	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	428	284.49/cwt	240.00–300.00	1,218	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,065	187.64/cwt	182.00–190.50	1,998	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	750	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,613	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	461	195.83/cwt	150.00–230.00	903	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	472	236.56/cwt	217.00–245.00	1,117	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	381	246.78/cwt	205.00–260.00	940	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	740	172.36/cwt	162.50–190.00	1,275	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	728	210.52/cwt	202.00–215.00	1,533	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	423	256.67/cwt	222.50–264.00	1,086	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	518	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,207	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	619	218.44/cwt	185.00–223.00	1,352	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,160	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	1,653	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	672	172.85/cwt	155.00–177.00	1,162	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	582	227.58/cwt	216.00–252.50	1,325	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	395	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	830	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	516	231.89/cwt	221.00–240.00	1,197	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	930	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,628	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	912	204.66/cwt	201.00–207.00	1,866	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	460	227.61/cwt	214.00–245.00	1,047	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	816	193.30/cwt	182.00–198.00	1,577	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	627	192.86/cwt	177.50–207.50	1,209	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	322	215.62/cwt	190.00–265.00	694	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	579	199.25/cwt	194.00–209.00	1,154	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	443	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,041	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	982	183.87/cwt	154.00–194.00	1,806	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	863	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,830	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	428	205.03/cwt	200.00–210.00	878	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	675	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,519	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	733	220.53/cwt	212.00–225.00	1,616	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	620	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,426	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	315	251.72/cwt	250.00–255.00	793	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	682	210.75/cwt	197.50–217.00	1,437	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,520	1,300.00/head	1,300.00–1,300.00	1,300	1

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 →