Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-02-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-02-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were limited this week. All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality today was mostly plain to average, with a very limited offering of attractive feeders seen. Most cattle were offered in small packages or as singles. Many blemished offerings were seen today with lots of short ears or tails and lame offerings noticed. Demand was mostly good for all feeders despite light offerings. The best demand continues to be for light fleshed cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. Market activity today was mostly moderate to active with an small buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers tried to balance buying both feeding and slaughter cows again this week. Packers continue to show need for cows for immediate harvest and to feed. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 2.00-5.00 higher. Packers showed good demand for high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Both private feeders and packers bid aggressively over high quality cows again this week. These offerings sold 3.00-5.00 higher. Cow quality today was mostly average to attractive, and overall more attractive than last weeks sale. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Young age cows sold mostly 10.00 higher. Demand from feeding cow buyers was very good. Many of these offerings were purchased to feed as live cattle contract prices continue to push higher. Most of these offerings are still eligible to grade choice if fed hard enough.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $276.21/cwt on 104 head.

Average price

$276.21

104 head · 680 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,878

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$366

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

$34.40/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−34.92

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	605	291.80	1,764	53
Medium 2	436	272.22	1,187	9thin
Medium and Large 1	827	257.40	2,130	42

One grade step is worth $34.40/cwt here — about −$366 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 sale104 hd

276.21

—

MT average3 barns · 1,240 hd

311.13

−34.92

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	—	Average	1,770	106.51	1,885	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,630	102.57	1,672	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,417	99.44	1,409	73
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,127	93.24	1,051	88

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,385	$1,800	3thin

Every lot, as filed

54 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	457	246.38/cwt	242.50–254.00	1,126	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	596	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,445	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	522	286.08/cwt	283.50–289.00	1,493	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	517	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,396	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	343	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,132	2
Heifers	Medium 1	—	674	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,618	4
Steers	Medium 2	—	500	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,250	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	440	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,518	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,038	209.50/cwt	209.50–209.50	2,175	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	568	316.52/cwt	313.00–331.00	1,798	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	582	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,472	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	608	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,435	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	594	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,782	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	520	319.66/cwt	310.00–324.00	1,662	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	331	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,159	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	920	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,932	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	809	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,877	6
Steers	Medium 2	—	385	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,117	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	485	327.96/cwt	325.00–330.00	1,591	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	663	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,823	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	642	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	1,791	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	620	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,612	11
Heifers	Medium 1	—	538	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,517	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	599	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,677	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	715	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,466	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	710	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,598	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Full	—	900	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,890	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,390	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,473	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,158	97.82/cwt	97.00–99.50	1,133	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,370	102.05/cwt	94.00–104.50	1,398	35
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,431	109.87/cwt	107.50–111.50	1,572	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,587	109.01/cwt	107.50–115.00	1,730	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,515	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,394	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,179	98.87/cwt	94.00–101.50	1,166	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	869	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	948	62.50/cwt	62.50–62.50	593	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,163	86.14/cwt	79.00–91.00	1,002	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	96.45/cwt	94.00–103.00	1,355	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,539	87.45/cwt	85.00–91.00	1,346	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,589	94.25/cwt	93.50–95.00	1,498	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,655	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,854	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,688	105.35/cwt	104.00–106.50	1,778	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,030	89.50/cwt	87.00–92.00	922	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,152	104.05/cwt	103.50–105.00	1,199	5
Bulls	—	—	1,918	116.00/cwt	113.00–121.00	2,225	8
Bulls	—	—	1,795	103.08/cwt	91.00–111.00	1,850	8
Bulls	—	—	2,170	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	2,496	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,333	93.42/cwt	90.00–95.50	1,245	5
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	880	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	1,694	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	986	119.17/cwt	103.00–143.00	1,175	26
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	865	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	1,449	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,006	197.36/cwt	161.00–217.50	1,985	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,415	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,406	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,385	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	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 →