Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2019-10-04
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-10-04

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Today was the first Friday sale of the fall therefore no comparisons can be made. Demand was mostly moderate to good for all yearlings and calves on offer. Offerings were mostly light. Quality this week was average to attractive for yearlings and mostly attractive for spring born calves. Lightweight calves suitable to run on grass or develop into yearlings sold with the best demand. The stands were mostly full this sale as this was the first Friday special of the fall run. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand as packers showed strong demand for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows and bulls both sold fully steady with Wednesdays test.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $152.29/cwt on 316 head.

Average price

$152.29

316 head · 646 lb average

Value per head Derived

$984

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$102

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

$13.31/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+4.02

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	641	154.36	990	262
Large 1	704	143.20	1,008	30
Medium and Large 1-2	629	141.04	887	24

One grade step is worth $13.31/cwt here — about $102 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale316 hd

152.29

—

MT average4 barns · 590 hd

148.26

+4.02

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	1,927	81.70	1,574	8thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,378	64.98	896	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,201	61.21	735	26

Every lot, as filed

47 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Fri)

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
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	798	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,013	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	475	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	675	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	440	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	647	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	473	152.58/cwt	144.50–156.50	722	60
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	674	125.01/cwt	124.50–126.50	843	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	642	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	854	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	589	126.22/cwt	125.00–127.00	743	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	955	57.00/cwt	57.00–57.00	544	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	859	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,117	7
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,012	118.50/cwt	118.50–118.50	1,199	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	814	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,091	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	960	128.36/cwt	125.00–129.50	1,232	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	948	126.25/cwt	126.25–126.25	1,197	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,215	61.13/cwt	53.00–63.50	743	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,067	74.51/cwt	63.00–78.50	795	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	867	143.50/cwt	143.50–143.50	1,244	16
Steers	Large 1	—	1,060	125.50/cwt	125.50–125.50	1,330	7
Steers	Large 1	—	1,028	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,306	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	905	143.19/cwt	141.00–144.00	1,296	52
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	824	140.84/cwt	139.50–141.50	1,161	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	860	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	533	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,168	64.28/cwt	64.00–64.50	751	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,376	65.15/cwt	64.25–68.00	896	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	62.00/cwt	62.00–62.00	880	1
Bulls	—	—	2,060	90.78/cwt	87.50–93.00	1,870	3
Bulls	—	—	1,662	70.42/cwt	68.50–73.00	1,170	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	518	136.50/cwt	136.50–136.50	707	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	386	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	672	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	406	159.40/cwt	159.00–162.50	647	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	568	133.79/cwt	132.00–135.00	760	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	506	165.70/cwt	161.00–167.00	838	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	432	178.69/cwt	177.00–180.00	772	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	369	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	720	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	548	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	795	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	589	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	795	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	614	144.70/cwt	141.00–145.50	888	63
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	172.39/cwt	165.00–174.00	810	43
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	519	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	799	17
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	598	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	834	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	665	138.36/cwt	138.00–138.50	920	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	723	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	962	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	557	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	824	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	981	118.50/cwt	118.50–118.50	1,162	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	871	126.52/cwt	126.00–127.00	1,102	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	884	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,193	4
Bulls	—	—	2,125	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	1,806	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	546	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	696	6

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 →