Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-11-13
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-11-13

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 sold sharply higher with most sales 18.00-22.00 higher; 400-549 lbs steers sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher; 550-699 lbs steers sold 3.00-5.00 higher. Unweaned heifer calves under 450 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison; all other heifers sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Quality was significantly higher this sale than last week. Demand was mostly moderate to good for moderate to heavy offerings. Short weaned calves continue to sell with a discount to calves straight off the cow. Most short weaned calves are dirty, full and not eye appealing to buyers. Even calves weaned for 45 days or longer sold with little to no premium to unweaned calves. Market activity was mostly moderate this sale. Weigh up cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both slaughter and feeding cows. Packers showed stronger demand for cows this sale as they purchased a larger portion of the offering for immediate harvest. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to trend.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $157.59/cwt on 1,679 head.

Average price

$157.59

1,679 head · 556 lb average

Value per head Derived

$875

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$436

per head · Medium and Large 2 over Large 1

$34.72/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.18

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	385	160.05	617	30
Medium and Large 1	560	158.23	887	1,462
Medium and Large 1-2	535	153.04	819	181
Large 1	840	125.33	1,053	6thin

One grade step is worth $34.72/cwt here — about −$436 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 sale1,679 hd

157.59

—

MT average5 barns · 5,456 hd

162.77

−5.18

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	1,658	75.74	1,256	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,587	60.25	956	8thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,364	55.26	753	41
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,208	43.40	524	67

Every lot, as filed

86 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	—	439	179.45/cwt	177.00–186.00	788	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	611	134.96/cwt	131.50–138.00	825	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	423	157.15/cwt	149.00–165.25	665	121
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	531	134.53/cwt	132.00–143.00	714	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	995	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,194	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	350	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	648	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	484	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	738	122
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	311	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	482	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	361	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	599	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	618	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	779	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	467	142.95/cwt	142.00–144.00	668	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	575	150.08/cwt	147.00–151.75	863	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	549	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	766	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	374	202.34/cwt	189.00–210.00	757	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	333	203.77/cwt	202.00–204.00	679	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	486	147.00/cwt	146.00–149.00	714	72
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	146.92/cwt	139.50–149.50	763	310
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	440	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	801	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	680	142.12/cwt	140.00–148.00	966	60
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	384	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	603	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	701	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	936	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	656	131.07/cwt	127.00–139.00	860	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	570	151.00/cwt	146.00–155.00	861	403
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	586	136.41/cwt	134.00–141.00	799	170
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	650	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	826	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	576	135.20/cwt	134.00–137.00	779	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	800	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,060	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	312	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	499	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	799	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,071	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	620	141.90/cwt	140.50–144.50	880	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	639	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	853	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	884	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,158	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	745	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	983	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	728	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	946	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	910	135.25/cwt	135.25–135.25	1,231	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	743	138.33/cwt	138.00–139.00	1,028	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	459	187.57/cwt	186.50–189.50	861	122
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,144	72.76/cwt	65.50–76.00	832	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	898	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	521	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,115	64.16/cwt	60.00–68.00	715	14
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	383	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	517	7
Steers	Large 1	—	736	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	942	4
Steers	Large 1Full	—	1,048	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,258	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,598	58.64/cwt	58.00–60.00	937	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,235	46.99/cwt	43.00–49.00	580	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	972	46.00/cwt	46.00–46.00	447	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,268	61.40/cwt	61.00–63.00	779	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,190	37.92/cwt	35.00–40.00	451	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,328	47.13/cwt	47.00–47.50	626	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,334	52.20/cwt	51.50–54.00	696	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,209	49.75/cwt	49.50–50.00	601	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,568	62.93/cwt	61.00–64.00	987	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,381	54.97/cwt	52.00–57.50	759	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,218	49.50/cwt	49.50–49.50	603	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,695	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	1,254	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	399	140.50/cwt	140.50–140.50	561	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	670	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	817	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,010	52.50/cwt	52.50–52.50	530	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,177	1,047.24/cwt	1,025.00–1,075.00	12,326	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,603	78.35/cwt	75.50–80.50	1,256	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,413	54.06/cwt	52.00–57.50	764	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	544	151.50/cwt	151.50–151.50	824	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	590	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	844	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	584	145.31/cwt	145.00–146.00	849	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	299	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	419	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	347	188.50/cwt	188.50–188.50	654	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	531	152.08/cwt	151.00–154.00	808	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	432	142.63/cwt	134.00–145.50	616	46
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	394	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	581	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	432	159.86/cwt	155.00–176.00	691	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	484	157.77/cwt	150.00–159.50	764	35
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	412	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	655	21
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	323	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	525	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	534	160.84/cwt	153.00–166.00	859	291
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	485	167.91/cwt	163.50–178.00	814	111
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	702	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	878	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	874	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,197	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	451	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	582	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	566	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	741	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	763	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,030	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	670	141.41/cwt	137.50–145.00	947	65
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	627	145.71/cwt	140.00–149.50	914	163
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	386	176.77/cwt	176.00–177.50	682	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	613	136.37/cwt	136.00–138.00	836	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	474	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	735	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	488	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	717	3

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 →