Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-09-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-09-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. 850-899 lbs yearling steers offered the best comparison this week, selling mostly 3.00-4.00 higher. All other yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers under 800 lbs sold mostly steady to firm in a narrow comparison, while heifers over 850 lbs sold unevenly steady from 2.00 lower to 4.00 higher. Quality was mixed this week from plain to attractive. CME feeder contract positions have moved higher since last week and buyers showed mostly moderate to good demand for all offerings. Mixed quality limited demand for some weights and buyers had to pick through offerings to put together loads. A couple partial load lots of steers were seen this week, however outside of that many sets were comprised of small packages and singles. Many packages of yearlings sold off grass and were in mostly light flesh. A limited selection of backgrounded yearlings were seen and some of these offerings were fleshy. Many sets of yearlings were pushing some fill as rainy and much cooler weather was seen overnight and throughout the day. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today, with a larger buyer pool noticed compared to last sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Packers showed slightly stronger demand for all offerings this week. Slaughter cows sold steady to firm on breaking and boning cows. Lean cows sold with higher undertones. Most lean cows were purchased to feed this week. Feeding cows sold with the best demand again this week. A large percentage of the cow offering was purchased to feed as most sound cows sold to feeding orders. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to firm with the biggest increase seen from low dressing cows. Cow quality was mostly average to attractive. Weigh conditions overall were average to below average. Many sets of cows were full as a colder and rainy weather pattern has been in place since last night. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00 higher. Feeding bull demand was light again this sale as packer buyers were the only buyers to purchase bulls to feed. Quality today was mostly average to attractive for bulls and overall higher quality and higher yielding compared to last weeks offering. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Demand for very high quality offering was mostly good.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $283.97/cwt on 58 head. That ranks 1 of 11 comparable sales and sits −207.48 against this barn's trailing median of $491.45.

Average price

$283.97

58 head · 530 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,505

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+5.88

vs MT average

+17.33 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	530	283.97	1,505	58

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

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

11 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $510.69, low $452.33, median $491.45 across 11 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 sale58 hd

283.97

—

MT average3 barns · 84 hd

278.08

+5.88

National average174 barns · 10,991 hd

266.64

+17.33

This barn, trailing median11 sales

491.45

−207.48

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	1,788	146.83	2,626	33
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,647	133.21	2,194	49
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,407	130.67	1,838	89
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,129	120.42	1,360	77

Every lot, as filed

95 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	1000–1050	1,040	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,924	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	452	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,198	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	441	294.25/cwt	280.00–300.00	1,298	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	850–900	897	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,929	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	200–250	231	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	970	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	421	277.86/cwt	275.00–281.00	1,170	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	478	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,276	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	773	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,894	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,209	145.94/cwt	139.00–156.00	1,764	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	476	301.00/cwt	301.00–301.00	1,433	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	749	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,850	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	574	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,556	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	650	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,495	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	800–850	835	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	1,770	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	360	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	1,305	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,028	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	2,077	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	481	279.01/cwt	277.00–280.00	1,342	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	683	269.50/cwt	269.50–269.50	1,841	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	526	285.19/cwt	284.00–286.00	1,500	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	915	219.92/cwt	215.00–222.00	2,012	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	722	244.75/cwt	242.00–250.00	1,767	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	832	245.50/cwt	245.50–245.50	2,043	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	814	223.14/cwt	219.00–227.00	1,816	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	887	219.43/cwt	219.00–220.00	1,946	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	875	242.61/cwt	241.00–244.50	2,123	105
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	900	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	2,088	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	419	301.22/cwt	300.00–302.00	1,262	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	872	216.88/cwt	215.00–218.00	1,891	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,027	203.92/cwt	199.00–213.00	2,094	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	752	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,673	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	885	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	2,097	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	369	301.43/cwt	290.00–305.00	1,112	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	934	212.24/cwt	210.00–214.00	1,982	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	653	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,541	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	678	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,729	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	826	217.58/cwt	213.00–218.50	1,797	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	251.81/cwt	251.00–252.00	1,737	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	907	219.56/cwt	215.00–222.00	1,991	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	820	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,968	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	298	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,147	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	799	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,766	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,435	126.47/cwt	125.00–131.00	1,815	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	122.35/cwt	121.00–124.00	1,737	7
Bulls	—	—	1,814	138.30/cwt	127.00–147.50	2,509	9
Bulls	—	—	2,198	168.35/cwt	164.00–173.00	3,700	3
Bulls	—	—	1,912	155.93/cwt	151.00–161.00	2,981	13
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,165	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,491	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,030	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,410	123.75/cwt	115.00–126.50	1,745	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	805	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	644	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,785	141.50/cwt	141.50–141.50	2,526	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,100	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,155	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,739	128.75/cwt	128.00–130.25	2,239	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,168	131.35/cwt	126.00–135.50	1,534	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,106	120.58/cwt	112.00–125.00	1,334	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,401	134.21/cwt	127.00–137.50	1,880	58
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,368	133.72/cwt	125.00–144.00	1,829	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,642	136.06/cwt	135.00–137.50	2,234	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,082	80.92/cwt	78.00–92.50	876	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,193	116.56/cwt	113.00–120.00	1,391	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,125	126.49/cwt	126.00–127.00	1,423	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,370	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,644	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,860	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	2,827	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,633	134.53/cwt	133.00–138.00	2,197	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,628	127.75/cwt	123.50–130.00	2,080	11
Heifers	Large 1Full	1050–1100	1,055	197.00/cwt	197.00–197.00	2,078	3
Steers	Large 1	1150–1200	1,170	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	2,352	6
Heifers	Large 1	900–950	945	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	1,824	3
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,055	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	2,121	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	665	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,549	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,155	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	2,050	1
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	617	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,654	9
Heifers	Medium 1	700–750	710	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,711	4
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	350–400	387	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,335	7
Heifers	Medium 1-2	500–550	524	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,258	11
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	450–500	456	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,117	8
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	634	248.78/cwt	244.00–255.00	1,577	23
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	284	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,093	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	842	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,928	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	950–1000	968	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,791	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	393	296.85/cwt	295.00–300.00	1,167	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	468	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,292	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Fleshy	850–900	873	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,571	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	765	238.48/cwt	235.50–240.00	1,824	38
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,235	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	1,883	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,080	159.34/cwt	145.00–170.00	1,721	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	1000–1050	1,045	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,195	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	985	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	1,891	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	930	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	1,841	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	956	214.46/cwt	210.50–220.00	2,050	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	888	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,874	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,080	215.50/cwt	215.50–215.50	2,327	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	755	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,978	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,005	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	2,201	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	984	218.72/cwt	218.00–220.00	2,152	30

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 →