Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-10-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder calves and yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. CME feeder contract positions posted strong triple digit gains today. Demand was moderate to good for light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed light demand for slaughter cows but moderate to good demand for feeding cows. Private feeding buyers showed good demand for all cows suitable to feed. Very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest this sale. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 1.00-5.00 higher with the biggest price increase seen for low dressing cows. Feeding cows sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Bidding was very active for high quality feeding cows. Cow quality was mostly average to attractive and overall more attractive than last week. Weigh conditions were average to below average with many very full cows noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. 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 similar to last weeks offering. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed as demand from rebreed buyers was mostly good.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $218.18/cwt on 11 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −203.36 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$218.18

11 head · 588 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,284

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$54

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

$15.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−24.42

vs MT average

−28.60 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	581	225.00	1,307	6thin
Small and Medium 2	597	210.00	1,254	5thin

One grade step is worth $15.00/cwt here — about $54 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale11 hd

218.18

—

MT average2 barns · 90 hd

242.61

−24.42

National average172 barns · 12,740 hd

246.78

−28.60

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−203.36

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	1,707	143.32	2,446	40
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,438	126.42	1,818	85
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,644	124.96	2,054	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,205	118.99	1,433	112
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	897	90.33	810	3thin

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	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,221	$1,850	7

Every lot, as filed

71 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 1Full	550–600	581	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,307	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	850	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,947	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	495	307.00/cwt	307.00–307.00	1,520	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,026	182.35/cwt	143.00–194.00	1,871	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	470	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	1,349	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	713	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,640	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,035	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	1,578	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	455	301.00/cwt	301.00–301.00	1,370	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	950	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	2,176	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,152	146.60/cwt	125.50–175.00	1,689	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	235	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	846	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	971	216.55/cwt	212.00–219.50	2,103	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	382	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,194	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	422	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,308	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	601	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,496	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,250	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	575	271.87/cwt	270.00–280.00	1,563	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	575	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	1,673	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	363	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,198	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	508	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,402	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	521	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	1,558	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	406	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,350	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	664	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,687	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	960	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,054	2
Heifers	Small and Medium 2	550–600	597	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,254	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	454	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,317	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	475	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,223	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,148	1,475.00/head	1,475.00–1,475.00	1,475	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	901	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,027	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,451	126.82/cwt	120.00–132.00	1,840	60
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	135.43/cwt	132.50–139.00	1,862	12
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,340	147.39/cwt	146.00–155.00	1,975	6
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,365	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,706	1
Bulls	—	—	2,045	163.45/cwt	160.00–170.00	3,343	3
Bulls	—	—	1,917	151.64/cwt	149.00–156.00	2,907	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,211	129.83/cwt	127.00–134.00	1,572	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,567	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	2,076	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,381	112.30/cwt	111.00–114.00	1,551	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,268	108.39/cwt	105.00–111.00	1,374	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,525	117.60/cwt	115.00–120.00	1,793	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,240	113.54/cwt	112.00–115.00	1,408	12
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	775	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	581	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,081	91.27/cwt	89.00–93.00	987	9
Bulls	—	—	1,752	137.14/cwt	131.00–145.00	2,403	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	940	107.50/cwt	107.50–107.50	1,011	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,556	140.66/cwt	140.00–143.00	2,189	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,213	122.00/cwt	116.00–125.00	1,480	72
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,768	124.48/cwt	123.50–129.50	2,201	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,690	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,977	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,560	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,168	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,322	114.43/cwt	114.00–115.00	1,513	3
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	958	98.00/cwt	98.00–98.00	939	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,608	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	2,010	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	350–400	365	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	986	2
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,110	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	2,192	1
Heifers	Large 1	1200–1250	1,208	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	2,344	3
Steers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,140	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,428	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,130	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	2,204	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,370	113.29/cwt	111.00–115.00	1,552	4
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,149	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	2,378	4
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,180	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	2,372	2
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	540	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,310	3
Steers	Large 1	1150–1200	1,183	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	2,449	2
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	457	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,051	3
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,063	208.72/cwt	204.00–210.00	2,219	24
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	515	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,391	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	795	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,431	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	300–350	303	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	818	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	790	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,683	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	380	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	931	4
Steers	Medium 2	600–650	634	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,522	5

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 →