Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2019-10-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-10-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Fridays sale: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers sold generally steady to firm. All weights of steer calves sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher, with the exception of 500-549 lbs steers which sold fully steady. All steer comparisons are narrow. Heifer calves were all too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Calves were mostly offered in small to medium size packages forcing buyers to piece together loads. Demand for yearling was good to very good, while demand for calves was moderate to good. Offerings were moderate to heavy. Market activity this sale was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very light to light demand for light offerings. Cows were full this sale. The majority of cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Packer buyers purchased cows on very light demand as yielding conditions were not in their favor. Slaughter cows sold sharply lower than last week with most sales 10.00-15.00 lower. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply lower undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $152.35/cwt on 1,329 head.

Average price

$152.35

1,329 head · 602 lb average

Value per head Derived

$917

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$158

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

$19.79/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.98

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	502	154.79	778	147
Medium and Large 1	600	152.78	917	1,111
Large 1	880	141.41	1,244	63
Medium 2	459	135.00	620	8thin

One grade step is worth $19.79/cwt here — about $158 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 sale1,329 hd

152.35

—

MT average5 barns · 5,373 hd

155.33

−2.98

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	1,905	70.00	1,334	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,725	55.00	949	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1,465	47.23	692	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,215	40.27	489	52

Every lot, as filed

80 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,418	57.85/cwt	52.50–62.50	820	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	540	128.69/cwt	128.00–136.00	695	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	456	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	652	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	421	146.57/cwt	145.00–148.00	617	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	601	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	781	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	393	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	597	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	319	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	498	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	824	133.38/cwt	126.50–137.00	1,099	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	899	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,304	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	841	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,228	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	958	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,351	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	572	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	835	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	659	156.50/cwt	156.50–156.50	1,031	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	512	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	845	11
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	459	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	620	8
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	569	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	842	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	574	135.62/cwt	132.00–137.50	778	146
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	524	139.20/cwt	134.50–143.50	729	137
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	146.39/cwt	144.00–149.50	695	133
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	624	134.04/cwt	132.00–136.75	836	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	425	156.28/cwt	152.00–164.00	664	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	368	159.86/cwt	156.00–160.50	588	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	679	134.69/cwt	134.50–135.00	915	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	871	136.71/cwt	129.50–140.50	1,191	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	815	141.62/cwt	140.00–142.00	1,154	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	942	128.50/cwt	128.00–129.00	1,210	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	780	145.02/cwt	144.00–146.00	1,131	6
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	723	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	904	3
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	475	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	675	16
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	561	129.00/cwt	128.00–130.00	724	12
Heifers	Medium 1Full	—	659	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	804	17
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	513	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	687	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	883	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,148	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	597	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	806	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	444	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	759	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	391	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	714	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	668	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	842	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	508	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	726	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	709	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	950	10
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,088	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	990	2
Steers	Large 1	—	1,035	138.12/cwt	138.00–139.00	1,430	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	527	155.80/cwt	150.00–160.50	821	146
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	569	150.38/cwt	145.00–153.50	856	257
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	628	146.66/cwt	142.00–154.50	921	276
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	973	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,314	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	779	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,145	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	582	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	838	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	325	163.28/cwt	157.50–170.00	531	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	427	164.94/cwt	164.00–166.00	704	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	611	142.43/cwt	135.00–145.00	870	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	372	173.73/cwt	172.50–175.00	646	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	475	149.75/cwt	148.00–155.50	711	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	540	150.90/cwt	149.50–152.00	815	41
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,282	46.50/cwt	46.50–46.50	596	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,377	1,100.00/cwt	1,100.00–1,100.00	15,147	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,492	55.67/cwt	51.50–62.00	831	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	784	149.89/cwt	149.00–150.00	1,175	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	942	144.38/cwt	143.00–145.00	1,360	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	318	203.25/cwt	197.50–210.00	646	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	761	141.15/cwt	139.50–143.00	1,074	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	714	143.58/cwt	138.00–148.00	1,025	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	432	174.16/cwt	170.00–180.00	752	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	676	147.52/cwt	142.50–149.00	997	96
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	28.00/cwt	28.00–28.00	277	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	469	166.15/cwt	160.00–174.00	779	99
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,200	72.96/cwt	67.50–87.00	876	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,153	72.09/cwt	63.00–78.00	831	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,231	61.72/cwt	57.00–67.00	760	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,364	45.64/cwt	41.50–49.00	623	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	950	61.00/cwt	61.00–61.00	580	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,490	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	700	1
Bulls	—	—	1,815	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	1,452	1
Bulls	—	—	1,946	75.69/cwt	73.50–78.50	1,473	6
Bulls	—	—	1,886	64.48/cwt	56.00–71.50	1,216	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,555	43.50/cwt	43.50–43.50	676	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,595	52.00/cwt	52.00–52.00	829	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,416	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	666	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,725	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	949	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,086	32.72/cwt	21.00–40.00	355	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,298	45.13/cwt	42.00–48.00	586	32

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 →