Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-10-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-10-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Friday: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Unweaned steers under 400 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed; 400-649 lbs steers sold mostly 1.00-5.00 lower; steer calves over 650 lbs sold steady to firm. Heifer calves under 400 lbs sold fully steady; 400-549 lbs heifers sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower; heifers over 550 lbs sold steady to weak. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Calves were offered in mostly small to medium size packages. Demand was mostly light to moderate. Several packages of weaned calves were seen this week. These were met with mostly moderate demand. Calves weaned less than 45 days sold on mostly light demand as many sets this week looked stressed and were extremely full. Cold and wet conditions along with a major snow storm about to bear down on southern Montana impacted demand today. CME positions showed losses over the past week in the led up to the release of the cattle on feed report which showed the largest placement number since the series began. Today the October feeder cattle contract closed 0.30 lower at 133.525 and the November closed 0.775 lower at 129.65. Buyer attendance was good. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows and bulls were to lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was light to moderate.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $154.49/cwt on 931 head.

Average price

$154.49

931 head · 529 lb average

Value per head Derived

$817

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$98

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

$18.94/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.58

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	428	170.68	731	135
Medium and Large 1	546	151.74	829	796

One grade step is worth $18.94/cwt here — about −$98 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 sale931 hd

154.49

—

MT average5 barns · 3,334 hd

152.91

+1.58

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	1,750	72.95	1,277	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,369	51.93	711	44
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,321	43.93	580	46

Every lot, as filed

57 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	—	367	194.12/cwt	190.00–195.00	712	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	707	137.60/cwt	133.00–138.75	973	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	660	138.33/cwt	131.00–141.00	913	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	520	149.87/cwt	144.00–156.00	779	91
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	330	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	716	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	316	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	553	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	595	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	774	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	580	133.36/cwt	133.00–133.50	773	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	624	130.33/cwt	128.00–132.00	813	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	540	133.18/cwt	132.00–137.00	719	77
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	433	174.26/cwt	169.00–181.00	755	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	566	142.24/cwt	135.50–147.00	805	149
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	413	146.43/cwt	142.50–156.00	605	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	571	135.23/cwt	129.50–138.00	772	136
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	332	165.79/cwt	162.50–171.00	550	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	614	139.72/cwt	131.50–142.75	858	168
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	716	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	999	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	485	159.94/cwt	155.50–168.50	776	130
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	747	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	867	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	565	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	814	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	382	154.74/cwt	151.00–162.00	591	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	298	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	668	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	623	144.28/cwt	143.75–145.00	899	29
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	875	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	634	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	996	78.00/cwt	66.00–84.50	777	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	454	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	615	8
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	306	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	398	5
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	271	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	366	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,283	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	808	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,354	65.85/cwt	64.50–71.00	892	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,387	60.19/cwt	57.00–64.00	835	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,336	40.55/cwt	32.00–44.50	542	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,152	39.00/cwt	39.00–39.00	449	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,440	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	605	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	586	128.29/cwt	121.00–131.00	752	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	330	193.74/cwt	183.00–201.00	639	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	720	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	943	2
Bulls	—	—	1,750	72.95/cwt	72.00–74.00	1,277	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,291	47.61/cwt	45.00–50.00	615	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,366	48.51/cwt	44.00–49.50	663	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	854	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,110	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	418	165.55/cwt	157.00–168.00	692	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	521	137.02/cwt	136.00–142.00	714	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,573	51.00/cwt	51.00–51.00	802	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,267	55.51/cwt	52.50–60.00	703	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	305	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	473	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	317	210.99/cwt	207.50–215.00	669	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	465	130.04/cwt	127.50–135.00	605	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	440	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	603	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	492	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	713	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	139.64/cwt	135.00–143.25	663	214
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	569	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	808	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	587	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	810	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	653	126.50/cwt	124.00–128.00	826	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	726	126.49/cwt	125.00–127.00	918	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	482	146.94/cwt	140.00–151.00	708	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	381	187.50/cwt	183.00–190.00	714	57

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 →