Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2019-11-01
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-11-01

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Fridays sale: Yearling steers and heifers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves weighing less than 400 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed; 400-549 lbs steers sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher; 550-749 lbs steers sold steady to 2.00 higher. Heifer calves 350-499 lbs sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher; Heifers 500-699 lbs sold mostly steady to 4.00 higher. Quality today was plain to attractive. Calves were mostly offered in small to medium size packages throughout the day forcing buyers to piece together loads. CME positions showed strong positive gains throughout trading secession. November through April contract closed 1.325-1.775 higher. With higher prices seen on live cattle contracts as well, buyers showed strong demand for heavy weight cattle that can finish against the April live contract. A few offerings of weaned calves are beginning to be marketed. Non commented calves are calves weaned over 45 days. Buyers continue to show good demand for calves with two rounds of vaccinations this sale. Calves with two rounds of vaccinations offered mostly a 8.00-10.00 premium over non preconditioned calves or calves with only spring preconditioning shots. Calves were in mostly light to moderate flesh this week. Market activity this sale was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand. Packers showed mostly light to moderate demand for slaughter cows this week and significantly higher demand than last week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-6.00 higher. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $153.69/cwt on 1,241 head.

Average price

$153.69

1,241 head · 597 lb average

Value per head Derived

$918

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$355

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$23.25/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−3.96

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	431	167.83	723	18thin
Medium and Large 1-2	535	160.63	859	149
Medium and Large 1	599	153.23	918	981
Large 1-2	593	145.00	860	19thin
Large 1	746	144.58	1,078	74

One grade step is worth $23.25/cwt here — about −$355 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 sale1,241 hd

153.69

—

MT average5 barns · 5,475 hd

157.65

−3.96

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	1,784	67.45	1,204	7thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,763	57.50	1,014	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,516	51.75	784	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,160	44.61	518	29

Every lot, as filed

82 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	369	167.75/cwt	165.00–170.00	619	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	478	167.82/cwt	160.00–177.00	802	54
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	632	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	834	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	468	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	763	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	610	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	854	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	535	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	797	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	955	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,203	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	593	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	824	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	448	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	750	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,178	62.05/cwt	58.50–72.00	731	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	971	78.09/cwt	71.00–84.00	758	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,462	56.88/cwt	49.00–59.00	832	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,153	39.54/cwt	38.00–41.00	456	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,270	49.00/cwt	49.00–49.00	622	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	1,898	63.50/cwt	63.50–63.50	1,205	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	414	186.14/cwt	177.50–194.00	771	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	373	192.97/cwt	189.00–201.00	720	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	573	136.75/cwt	136.75–136.75	784	25
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,729	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	968	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,588	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	858	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,443	49.50/cwt	49.50–49.50	714	2
Bulls	—	—	1,651	62.83/cwt	54.00–70.00	1,037	5
Bulls	—	—	2,118	79.00/cwt	79.00–79.00	1,673	2
Steers	Large 1	—	1,019	132.25/cwt	131.50–134.50	1,348	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	585	132.56/cwt	131.00–133.00	775	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	824	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,187	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	869	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	1,177	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,051	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	1,235	4
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	646	140.50/cwt	140.50–140.50	908	35
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	566	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	784	15
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	697	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	906	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,040	43.00/cwt	43.00–43.00	447	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,131	56.00/cwt	56.00–56.00	633	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	383	185.98/cwt	182.00–187.50	712	11
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	491	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	810	7
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	417	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	701	7
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	350	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	604	4
Steers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	593	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	860	19
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	696	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,023	58
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	778	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,058	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	513	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	805	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	784	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,105	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	340	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	700	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	727	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	1,080	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	434	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,164	44.83/cwt	41.50–47.00	522	25
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,276	49.50/cwt	49.50–49.50	632	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	430	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	765	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	706	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	981	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	414	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	638	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,487	750.00/cwt	750.00–750.00	11,153	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,265	48.50/cwt	48.50–48.50	614	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,494	810.00/cwt	810.00–810.00	12,101	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,183	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	11,239	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	465	167.48/cwt	153.00–175.00	779	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	586	145.94/cwt	142.50–148.50	855	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	530	147.38/cwt	144.00–152.00	781	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	703	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	422	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	384	160.90/cwt	159.00–164.00	618	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	532	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	708	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	615	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	787	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	764	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,039	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	850	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,088	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	521	158.38/cwt	153.00–163.00	825	97
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	721	145.08/cwt	143.50–147.00	1,046	71
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,324	41.65/cwt	39.00–46.00	551	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,485	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	817	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	340	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	655	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	779	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,145	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	152.03/cwt	150.00–155.25	870	259
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	618	148.33/cwt	144.50–154.50	917	214
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	667	147.92/cwt	140.50–150.50	987	192
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	574	137.56/cwt	134.00–141.00	790	320
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	674	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	927	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	904	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	1,189	33
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,053	118.50/cwt	118.50–118.50	1,248	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	533	139.40/cwt	134.50–148.50	743	192
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	435	158.00/cwt	155.00–163.50	687	130
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	469	153.55/cwt	145.00–162.00	720	119
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	681	137.36/cwt	134.00–139.00	935	78
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	623	138.02/cwt	134.00–140.00	860	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	727	133.20/cwt	130.00–135.00	968	23

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 →