Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-10-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows comprised most of todays sale. 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 weak on breaking cows; boning and lean cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Feeding cows sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower with the biggest decrease seen in poorer quality and lower yielding cows. Bidding was very active for high quality feeding cows. A very large buyer pool was seen for feeding cows this week. Cow quality was mixed from plain to attractive. Weigh conditions were mostly average today. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 1.00 higher. Feeding bull demand was slightly stronger this week as a few private buyers showed light demand for feeding bulls. Quality today was mostly average to attractive for bulls and similar to last weeks offering. Feeding bulls sold mostly 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 higher. Demand from rebreed buyers was mostly good. More buyer were actively bidding on young cows this week compared to last.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $282.82/cwt on 36 head. That ranks 1 of 11 comparable sales and sits −208.63 against this barn's trailing median of $491.45.

Average price

$282.82

36 head · 549 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,553

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$223

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$44.29/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−14.60

vs MT average

−11.49 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	555	290.29	1,612	26
Medium and Large 1-2	510	275.00	1,403	6thin
Large 1	565	246.00	1,390	4thin

One grade step is worth $44.29/cwt here — about $223 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

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 sale36 hd

282.82

—

MT average4 barns · 430 hd

297.42

−14.60

National average177 barns · 23,944 hd

294.31

−11.49

This barn, trailing median11 sales

491.45

−208.63

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	1,741	146.74	2,554	63
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1,409	123.73	1,744	257
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,615	123.16	1,989	52
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,177	111.46	1,312	171
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,649	101.00	1,665	11
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,393	93.17	1,298	11

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)	1,095	$2,066	9
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,096	$2,000	8
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,241	$1,539	9

Every lot, as filed

96 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	475	297.00/cwt	297.00–297.00	1,411	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	345	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	1,302	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	565	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	1,540	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	553	265.59/cwt	264.00–266.00	1,469	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	741	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,815	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	313	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	1,260	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	401	342.01/cwt	340.00–350.00	1,371	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	226	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	927	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	368	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,362	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	353	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	1,403	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	298	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	1,229	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	608	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,550	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	536	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	1,629	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	993	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	2,065	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	318	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,034	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	919	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,022	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,096	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	966	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	2,087	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	988	229.50/cwt	229.50–229.50	2,267	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,024	211.41/cwt	209.00–212.00	2,165	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	1000–1050	1,045	203.50/cwt	203.50–203.50	2,127	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	850–900	877	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,982	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	800–850	841	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,934	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	500–550	541	292.00/cwt	292.00–292.00	1,580	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	521	270.64/cwt	270.00–272.00	1,410	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	626	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,728	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	563	286.86/cwt	280.00–294.00	1,615	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	990	190.46/cwt	156.00–207.00	1,886	80
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	274	370.58/cwt	365.00–380.00	1,015	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	467	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,308	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	663	265.16/cwt	262.00–270.00	1,758	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,324	1,650.00/head	1,650.00–1,650.00	1,650	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,175	1,450.00/head	1,450.00–1,450.00	1,450	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	2,065.58/head	1,985.00–2,150.00	2,066	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,183	145.62/cwt	132.00–172.50	1,723	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	475	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	1,444	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	630	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,588	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	926	168.30/cwt	147.50–180.00	1,558	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,074	140.88/cwt	140.00–144.00	1,513	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	950–1000	968	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	1,897	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	513	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,344	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	825	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	2,038	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,500	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	1,463	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,432	111.87/cwt	103.00–115.00	1,602	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,400	134.94/cwt	133.00–138.00	1,889	46
Bulls	—	—	2,117	165.43/cwt	161.00–170.00	3,502	5
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,550	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	4,259	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,475	140.96/cwt	136.00–144.00	2,079	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	935	95.38/cwt	94.00–96.00	892	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,125	104.27/cwt	100.00–112.50	1,173	29
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,040	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,300	1
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,570	85.50/cwt	85.50–85.50	1,342	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,376	108.15/cwt	101.00–111.00	1,488	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,142	99.91/cwt	90.00–105.00	1,141	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,639	116.39/cwt	109.00–119.00	1,908	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,552	122.23/cwt	120.00–126.00	1,897	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,402	124.09/cwt	117.00–130.00	1,740	165
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,334	92.98/cwt	91.00–94.00	1,240	6
Bulls	—	—	1,734	139.97/cwt	128.00–146.00	2,427	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	107.50/cwt	107.50–107.50	1,070	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,638	130.11/cwt	128.00–132.00	2,131	2
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,649	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	1,665	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,500	150.37/cwt	146.00–153.00	2,256	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,537	114.55/cwt	112.00–119.00	1,761	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,226	120.41/cwt	111.00–125.50	1,476	57
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,656	124.76/cwt	120.00–127.00	2,066	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,055	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	1,292	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,269	108.79/cwt	106.00–112.00	1,381	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,083	86.58/cwt	82.50–88.00	938	10
Bulls	—	—	2,003	152.21/cwt	148.00–159.00	3,049	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,224	127.11/cwt	126.00–130.00	1,556	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,590	117.48/cwt	116.00–119.00	1,868	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	510	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,403	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	970	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	1,998	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	397	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,131	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	896	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,962	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	407	331.41/cwt	322.50–337.50	1,349	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,048	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	2,044	2
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	688	221.55/cwt	219.00–225.00	1,524	14
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	350–400	363	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,143	5
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	400–450	438	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	1,150	8
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	716	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	1,203	4
Steers	Medium 1	800–850	840	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,869	2
Heifers	Medium 1Fleshy	700–750	709	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,489	4
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,178	186.98/cwt	185.00–189.00	2,203	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	617	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,419	3
Heifers	Large 1	1200–1250	1,225	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	2,328	2
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,081	203.64/cwt	200.00–207.00	2,201	6
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,205	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	2,205	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2	700–750	749	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,629	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,630	128.07/cwt	128.00–128.50	2,088	7
Bulls	Large 1-2	1250–1300	1,275	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,913	1
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	585	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,363	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	470	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,274	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	565	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,390	4
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,124	194.20/cwt	193.00–195.00	2,183	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 →