Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-03-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-03-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were were too lightly tested today to develop any market trend. Todays sale featured mostly bred cows, bred heifers and weigh ups. Feeder offerings were very light this sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for moderate offerings. Cow quality was average to very attractive today. Packers showed very good demand for all cows on offer as they tried to purchase as much of the offering as possible. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher on all classes in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold mostly 5.00-7.00 higher. Demand from private feeders was very good again this week as packers and feeding buyers were very aggressive especially over high quality, high yielding offerings. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Most sets of pregnancy checked open cows which had been run through the chute offered buyers a weigh up in their favor. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, higher undertones were noticed. Demand from feeding and rebreed cow buyers continues to be good. A heavy offering of bred cows was seen for todays calving time classic sale. Demand for bred cows was very good. Quality today was mixed from plain to attractive. Demand for Aged, broken mouth cows was very good as ranchers continue to push this class higher. The price spread between broken mouth cows and young cows was very small, partly due to the fact salvage values for broken mouth cows have improved drastically. Packers gave $1750-$2,000 per head for some weigh cows for slaughter.

Weight class

Steers · summary 700–800 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

700–800 lb steers averaged $237.00/cwt on 2 head. That ranks 1 of 10 comparable sales and sits −153.19 against this barn's trailing median of $390.19.

Average price

$237.00

2 head · 735 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,742

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−22.25

vs MT average

−23.10 vs national

What quality paid 700–800 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	735	237.00	1,742	2thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 700–800 lb

10 sales

Steers 700–800 lb: high $406.45, low $360.18, median $390.19 across 10 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 700–800 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale2 hd

237.00

—

MT average2 barns · 28 hd

259.25

−22.25

National average150 barns · 15,903 hd

260.10

−23.10

This barn, trailing median10 sales

390.19

−153.19

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	1,688	119.01	2,009	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,494	122.38	1,829	93
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Low	1,640	117.50	1,927	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,352	117.17	1,584	117
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,157	104.82	1,213	81
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,985	109.00	2,164	4thin
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,324	100.00	1,324	4thin

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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,208	$2,522	120
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,374	$2,500	7
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,294	$2,485	63
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,315	$2,477	77
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,187	$2,468	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,350	$2,450	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,346	$2,438	28
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,446	$2,389	146
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,333	$2,383	15
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,104	$2,300	6
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,399	$2,145	185
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,343	$1,978	37
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,314	$1,825	4thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,087	$2,780	351
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,008	$2,208	10
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	837	$1,750	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,510	$2,750	1thin

Every lot, as filed

77 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,254	117.82/cwt	117.50–120.00	1,477	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,245	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,325	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,132	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,023	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	2,128	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	780	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,864	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,463	2,405.84/head	2,225.00–2,550.00	2,406	118
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,467	2,246.97/head	2,200.00–2,300.00	2,247	104
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,388	2,032.62/head	1,850.00–2,100.00	2,033	21
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	882	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	1,667	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,374	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,073	145.56/cwt	121.00–177.50	1,562	22
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,304	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	25
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,510	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,346	2,437.80/head	2,200.00–2,475.00	2,438	28
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,371	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,393	2,450.00/head	2,450.00–2,450.00	2,450	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,113	2,841.15/head	2,675.00–2,985.00	2,841	305
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,187	2,467.98/head	2,400.00–2,500.00	2,468	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,216	2,581.14/head	2,500.00–2,800.00	2,581	89
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,435	2,588.93/head	2,550.00–2,625.00	2,589	32
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,037	147.85/cwt	130.00–182.50	1,533	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	907	196.14/cwt	160.00–216.50	1,779	55
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,290	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	385	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,425	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	985	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	2,049	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,520	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,350	2,450.00/head	2,450.00–2,450.00	2,450	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,068	2,368.53/head	2,300.00–2,600.00	2,369	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,189	2,337.16/head	2,225.00–2,425.00	2,337	26
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,335	2,027.71/head	1,900.00–2,100.00	2,028	25
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,396	2,179.12/head	2,050.00–2,300.00	2,179	6
Bulls	—	—	2,033	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	2,765	2
Bulls	—	—	1,792	123.58/cwt	120.00–131.00	2,215	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,179	111.61/cwt	107.00–116.00	1,316	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,050	87.04/cwt	86.00–88.00	914	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,608	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,914	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,105	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	1,061	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,198	99.55/cwt	92.00–105.50	1,193	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	950	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	960	1
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,324	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	1,324	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,384	105.70/cwt	102.00–108.00	1,463	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	936	92.38/cwt	89.00–100.00	865	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,579	109.64/cwt	109.00–110.00	1,731	5
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,985	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	2,164	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,363	121.43/cwt	119.00–124.50	1,655	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,450	113.31/cwt	109.00–116.00	1,643	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,455	122.82/cwt	119.00–126.00	1,787	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,246	110.48/cwt	107.00–114.00	1,377	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,471	120.27/cwt	118.00–124.00	1,769	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,177	119.42/cwt	118.50–121.00	1,406	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,504	123.41/cwt	122.25–124.50	1,856	56
Bulls	—	—	1,573	113.23/cwt	104.00–118.00	1,781	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,440	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,541	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,330	116.37/cwt	110.00–120.00	1,548	74
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,158	103.35/cwt	99.50–106.00	1,197	5
Bred Cows	Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,203	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	5
Bred Cows	Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,320	1,947.50/head	1,900.00–2,000.00	1,948	26
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,249	2,376.39/head	2,350.00–2,400.00	2,376	25
Bred Cows	Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,094	2,350.00/head	2,350.00–2,350.00	2,350	11
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,248	2,463.70/head	2,350.00–2,485.00	2,464	28
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,640	117.50/cwt	114.00–120.00	1,927	14
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	1,098	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,592	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	739	216.58/cwt	216.00–225.00	1,601	16
Bred Cows	Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,322	1,950.00/head	1,950.00–1,950.00	1,950	9
Bred Cows	Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,236	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	7
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,205	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,868	1
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,380	2,334.84/head	2,250.00–2,425.00	2,335	26
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	795	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,232	2
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	1,020	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	3
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	955	2,125.00/head	2,125.00–2,125.00	2,125	7
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	1,104	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	6
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	837	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	10
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	892	2,394.49/head	2,250.00–2,600.00	2,394	39
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,323	2,556.94/head	2,400.00–2,650.00	2,557	38
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	993	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	735	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,742	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 →