Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-10-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-23

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. Demand for slaughter cows was light. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last week. Many lame, low yielding cows were seen this sale. Many of these offerings were to lame for buyers to feed and were purchased by packer buyers. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly light. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-5.00 lower on boning and lean cows, breaking cows sold steady to weak. Private feeding buyers showed mostly moderate to good demand today. Quality hampered demand this week as quality was not as attractive as last weeks sale. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. Fewer buyers were in the stands this week buying feeding cows. Weigh conditions were mostly below average today with many cows pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-5.00 lower Feeding bull sold generally steady. Quality today was mostly average to for bulls and lower than last weeks offering. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00-8.00 lower. Demand from rebreed buyers was mostly moderate. Demand for this class of cow was lower this week as quality was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last weeks offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $250.80/cwt on 25 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −170.74 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$250.80

25 head · 546 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,368

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$435

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2

$49.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−26.28

vs MT average

−8.83 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	572	269.50	1,542	9thin
Medium and Large 1-2	548	266.67	1,460	6thin
Large 1	575	242.00	1,392	1thin
Medium and Large 2	538	227.50	1,224	3thin
Medium 2	503	220.00	1,107	6thin

One grade step is worth $49.50/cwt here — about $435 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale25 hd

250.80

—

MT average5 barns · 991 hd

277.08

−26.28

National average195 barns · 25,856 hd

259.63

−8.83

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−170.74

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	1,732	143.11	2,479	78
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,677	124.44	2,087	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,408	120.69	1,700	265
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,169	106.90	1,249	231
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,560	92.00	1,435	1thin

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)	1,160	$2,038	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,114	$2,010	14

Every lot, as filed

87 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	—	919	160.59/cwt	140.00–185.00	1,476	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	273	365.09/cwt	355.00–375.00	997	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,081	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,216	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,070	1,835.37/head	1,500.00–1,875.00	1,835	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	775	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,008	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	328	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,394	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	572	269.50/cwt	269.50–269.50	1,542	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	963	220.17/cwt	215.50–222.00	2,120	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	823	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,852	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	609	273.49/cwt	270.00–276.00	1,666	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	514	306.33/cwt	300.00–307.50	1,575	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	256.65/cwt	256.00–260.00	1,604	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	857	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	1,954	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	827	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	2,043	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	572	291.24/cwt	290.00–294.00	1,666	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	972	190.14/cwt	150.00–218.00	1,848	116
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,172	2,242.53/head	2,200.00–2,250.00	2,243	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,020	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	2,326	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	935	224.15/cwt	222.50–227.00	2,096	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	860	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	2,073	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,008	218.84/cwt	211.00–222.00	2,206	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	383	381.63/cwt	377.50–390.00	1,462	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	995	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	2,179	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	850	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,849	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	474	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,327	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	774	229.46/cwt	226.00–231.00	1,776	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	903	228.50/cwt	228.50–228.50	2,063	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	977	133.92/cwt	130.00–150.00	1,308	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	935	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,973	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,682	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	538	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,224	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	417	299.82/cwt	295.00–307.50	1,250	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	495	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,535	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	686	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,653	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	542	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	1,458	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	528	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,558	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	575	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,466	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,414	110.95/cwt	104.00–115.00	1,569	33
Bulls	—	—	1,891	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,723	5
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,192	130.75/cwt	130.00–131.00	1,559	4
Bulls	—	—	1,995	162.19/cwt	160.00–164.50	3,236	4
Bulls	—	—	1,872	150.32/cwt	144.00–156.00	2,814	19
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,650	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	3,525	1
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,560	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,435	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,168	95.95/cwt	88.00–106.00	1,121	53
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,216	128.98/cwt	125.00–132.00	1,568	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,182	117.18/cwt	109.00–125.00	1,385	80
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,229	110.29/cwt	108.00–115.50	1,355	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	907	107.16/cwt	107.00–107.50	972	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,570	127.23/cwt	125.50–130.00	1,998	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,423	89.05/cwt	87.00–91.00	1,267	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	955	88.04/cwt	87.00–90.00	841	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,162	106.44/cwt	99.00–111.00	1,237	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,690	127.62/cwt	125.50–130.50	2,157	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	801	77.93/cwt	72.50–86.00	624	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,411	103.59/cwt	95.00–109.00	1,462	40
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,423	132.10/cwt	130.50–138.00	1,880	33
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,521	144.40/cwt	139.00–146.00	2,196	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,635	119.58/cwt	116.00–122.00	1,955	4
Bulls	—	—	1,736	136.94/cwt	122.50–143.50	2,377	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,185	84.50/cwt	75.00–88.50	1,001	30
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	750–800	760	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,763	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	575	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,392	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,140	189.17/cwt	187.50–192.50	2,157	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,195	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	2,121	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,748	118.38/cwt	113.00–124.00	2,069	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,403	125.10/cwt	116.00–130.50	1,755	157
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	500–550	538	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,170	8
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	500–550	503	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,107	6
Heifers	Large 1Full	1150–1200	1,173	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	2,135	3
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,072	209.76/cwt	208.50–212.00	2,249	11
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,140	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	2,309	1
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,240	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	2,232	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	700–750	723	241.50/cwt	241.50–241.50	1,746	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,115	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,171	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	385	360.54/cwt	350.00–367.50	1,388	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	812	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	1,238	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	432	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,328	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	550–600	553	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,465	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,160	2,038.36/head	1,900.00–2,225.00	2,038	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,092	153.05/cwt	128.00–185.00	1,671	75
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	255	437.50/cwt	437.50–437.50	1,116	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	524	293.96/cwt	290.00–300.00	1,540	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	568	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,505	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	990	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	2,000	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	610	254.28/cwt	251.00–256.00	1,551	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	477	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,503	17

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 →