Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-08-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-08-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (7/31/24): The last sale was nearly a month ago so no true market comparisons can be made, however lower undertones were noticed on all offerings. CME positions took a nose dive at the end of July and the market has been adjusting to lower contract prices since then. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Many packages of yearlings were seen this week with some as big as a half a load. Flesh conditions were mostly light to moderate with most consignments coming off grass. Market activity was mostly active with active bidding seen both ringside as well as over the internet. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed lighter demand for all offerings this week. Slaughter cows sold 3.00-6.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 5.00-10.00 lower. Additional packer buyers that had been active in the market this summer were absent this sale and all cow prices moved lower as a result. Feeding cows sold on mostly good demand. Several private feeding cow buyers were in the market this week and helped keep prices from selling off sharply. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. Cow quality this sale was mostly average. Yielding conditions continue to deteriorate as dry conditions and big calves are pulling cow yields. Most cows were in lower body condition scores than last sale. Weigh conditions overall were mixed but most cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00-6.00 lower. Feeding demand caused bulls to sell unevenly at times as feeding bull buyers were mostly looking for lighter weight lower yielding bulls to put on feed and packer buyers showed strong demand for all bulls for immediate harvest. Quality today was mostly average for all bulls on offer. Feeding bulls sold steady to 4.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for very high quality offering was mostly good.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $238.00/cwt on 23 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −183.54 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$238.00

23 head · 567 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,349

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$32

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$5.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−20.50

vs MT average

−3.88 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	548	242.00	1,326	4thin
Medium 1-2	570	237.21	1,351	14thin
Medium 2	573	237.00	1,358	5thin

One grade step is worth $5.00/cwt here — about −$32 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 800–900 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

19 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $464.07, low $350.88, median $421.54 across 19 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale23 hd

238.00

—

MT average3 barns · 107 hd

258.50

−20.50

National average160 barns · 7,566 hd

241.88

−3.88

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−183.54

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	1,762	153.06	2,697	70
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,417	133.64	1,893	124
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,633	130.38	2,129	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,194	122.65	1,464	56
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,414	100.33	1,418	3thin

Every lot, as filed

74 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 1-2	800–850	847	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,889	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	992	221.50/cwt	221.50–221.50	2,197	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	786	243.50/cwt	243.50–243.50	1,914	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	872	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,866	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	341	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,023	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	959	224.38/cwt	222.00–225.00	2,152	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	778	236.37/cwt	232.00–240.00	1,839	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	824	244.80/cwt	243.75–247.00	2,017	72
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	971	212.67/cwt	205.50–219.00	2,065	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	548	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,326	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	384	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,085	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,030	220.57/cwt	220.00–222.00	2,272	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,041	197.86/cwt	197.00–198.00	2,060	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,129	169.54/cwt	162.00–180.00	1,914	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	733	238.92/cwt	238.00–241.00	1,751	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	778	253.34/cwt	250.50–260.50	1,971	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	685	261.98/cwt	260.00–264.00	1,795	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	528	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,331	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	425	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,148	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	150–200	178	225.00/head	225.00–225.00	225	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,060	141.43/cwt	139.00–144.00	1,499	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	445	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,202	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	508	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,372	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	815	237.90/cwt	236.00–240.00	1,939	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	870	233.17/cwt	231.50–236.00	2,029	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	623	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,570	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	715	235.50/cwt	235.00–236.00	1,684	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,028	164.70/cwt	157.00–171.00	1,693	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	828	229.19/cwt	227.00–230.00	1,898	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	873	223.57/cwt	221.00–226.00	1,952	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	572	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,441	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,765	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	2,471	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,356	125.70/cwt	115.00–132.00	1,704	16
Bulls	—	—	1,822	144.39/cwt	128.00–152.00	2,631	26
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,338	128.87/cwt	125.00–133.00	1,724	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,850	148.93/cwt	148.00–150.00	2,755	2
Bulls	—	—	1,878	157.48/cwt	153.00–165.00	2,957	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,508	146.56/cwt	144.00–149.00	2,210	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	910	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,047	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,250	134.09/cwt	126.00–134.50	1,676	22
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,485	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	1,233	1
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,378	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,502	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,642	136.55/cwt	135.00–137.00	2,242	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,161	108.73/cwt	100.00–117.00	1,262	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,425	114.83/cwt	107.00–122.00	1,636	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,405	138.12/cwt	131.00–143.00	1,941	81
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,438	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	2,085	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,610	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,803	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,669	129.44/cwt	127.00–133.00	2,160	6
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 2	700–750	718	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,651	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,231	121.05/cwt	119.00–124.00	1,490	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,117	124.86/cwt	124.00–125.00	1,395	8
Bulls	—	—	2,020	169.61/cwt	166.00–173.00	3,426	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,622	129.16/cwt	121.00–133.00	2,095	13
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,534	158.56/cwt	152.00–163.00	2,432	19
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,085	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,279	1
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 1-2	750–800	756	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,792	8
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	800–850	836	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,981	32
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	950–1000	981	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,178	8
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 1-2	800–850	834	227.95/cwt	225.00–229.00	1,901	62
Heifers	Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,010	189.14/cwt	182.00–191.00	1,910	5
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,175	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	2,350	1
Bulls	Large 1	1000–1050	1,043	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	2,216	3
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,200	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	2,280	1
Steers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,136	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	2,295	4
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,070	197.37/cwt	194.00–198.50	2,112	19
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	700–750	701	255.50/cwt	255.50–255.50	1,791	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	779	228.16/cwt	227.00–230.00	1,777	10
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	610	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	1,574	3
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	653	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,619	14
Heifers	Medium 1-2	550–600	590	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,410	9
Heifers	Medium 1-2	500–550	533	234.00/cwt	234.00–234.00	1,247	5
Heifers	Medium 2	550–600	573	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,358	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	919	219.87/cwt	214.00–224.00	2,021	92

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 →