Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2019-12-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-12-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Fridays sale: Yearling steers and heifers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was mostly good on a average to attractive quality offering. Steer calves weighing less than 550 lbs sold steady to 4.00 lower; steers 550-699 lbs sold generally steady; heavier weights of steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Heifer calves weighing less than 500 lbs were too lightly tested to trend, however lower undertones were noticed. 500-649 lbs heifers sold unevenly steady from 2.00 lower to 5.00 higher. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Many sets of calves were weaned this week however, weaned calf quality was mostly mixed as well and mostly plain to average overall. A very large portion of the offering today had frozen ears or tails. Although none of these offerings are included in the report below, most sold with a 10.00-15.00 discount depending on quality. Demand was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light offerings. Packers purchased both feeding cows and slaughter cows on good demand as they attempted to finish filling loads for the week. Slaughter cows and feeding cows both were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply higher undertones were noticed compared to two weeks ago. Slaughter bulls sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Young age cow quality was significantly higher than two weeks ago.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $154.82/cwt on 869 head.

Average price

$154.82

869 head · 585 lb average

Value per head Derived

$906

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$141

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

$21.98/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.56

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	487	160.48	782	79
Medium and Large 1	597	154.98	925	748
Medium 1	571	148.00	845	8thin
Large 1	623	142.00	885	2thin
Small and Medium 1-2	467	140.53	656	19thin
Medium 1-2	666	138.50	922	13thin

One grade step is worth $21.98/cwt here — about −$141 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 sale869 hd

154.82

—

MT average5 barns · 4,353 hd

159.38

−4.56

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	1,790	71.64	1,282	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,500	57.67	865	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,372	54.71	751	8thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,267	46.79	593	6thin

Every lot, as filed

68 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 1-2	—	529	132.64/cwt	132.00–134.00	702	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	746	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	925	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	694	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	909	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	526	159.97/cwt	155.50–169.00	841	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	612	148.76/cwt	146.00–155.00	910	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	564	140.43/cwt	139.00–141.00	792	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	623	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	822	7
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,025	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,333	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	374	155.03/cwt	151.00–157.00	580	40
Steers	Small and Medium 1-2	—	477	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	665	16
Steers	Small and Medium 1-2	—	412	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	602	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	578	156.66/cwt	155.00–157.50	905	75
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	817	150.50/cwt	150.50–150.50	1,230	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	425	187.58/cwt	183.00–191.00	797	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	688	146.87/cwt	144.25–148.25	1,010	29
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	666	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	922	13
Steers	Medium 1	—	571	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	845	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	408	171.50/cwt	171.50–171.50	700	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	464	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	789	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	785	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,115	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	329	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	592	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	989	68.73/cwt	59.00–73.00	680	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,016	80.49/cwt	62.00–85.00	818	47
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,255	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	678	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,444	58.50/cwt	51.00–61.00	845	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	661	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	925	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	705	144.65/cwt	140.00–146.50	1,020	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,267	46.79/cwt	42.50–48.00	593	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,613	60.50/cwt	60.50–60.50	976	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,275	52.00/cwt	52.00–52.00	663	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,311	52.91/cwt	52.50–54.00	694	4
Bulls	—	—	1,706	67.54/cwt	56.00–75.00	1,152	8
Bulls	—	—	2,015	82.56/cwt	81.50–83.00	1,664	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	494	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	815	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	369	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	557	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	467	148.87/cwt	144.00–150.00	695	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	431	147.11/cwt	144.00–150.00	634	34
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,378	60.34/cwt	60.00–60.50	831	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,600	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	720	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,043	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,252	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	473	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	639	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	944	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,204	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	512	140.49/cwt	135.00–143.00	719	60
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,174	47.12/cwt	42.00–48.00	553	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,128	52.03/cwt	51.00–53.00	587	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	639	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	824	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	436	141.53/cwt	141.00–143.00	617	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	574	137.28/cwt	128.00–142.50	788	150
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	457	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	686	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	474	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	782	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	141.37/cwt	135.00–145.00	734	48
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	580	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	748	5
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	646	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	820	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	429	150.11/cwt	148.00–151.00	644	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	486	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	666	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	619	149.32/cwt	142.50–154.00	924	183
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	543	156.70/cwt	153.00–167.00	851	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	388	174.41/cwt	174.00–175.00	677	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	711	138.03/cwt	137.00–138.50	981	16
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	623	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	885	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	585	145.51/cwt	142.00–147.00	851	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	479	171.37/cwt	165.00–177.00	821	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	428	179.54/cwt	178.00–180.00	768	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	768	134.50/cwt	134.50–134.50	1,033	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	655	143.36/cwt	141.00–148.25	939	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	584	155.22/cwt	151.00–156.00	906	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	616	134.84/cwt	127.00–137.00	831	66
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	679	129.89/cwt	129.50–130.50	882	15

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 →