Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-10-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-10-22

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Friday: All yearlings were scarcely tested thus no trend is available. Steer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly sharply lower, however instances of steady were seen on very attractive calves. Steer calves over 550 lbs sold sold steady to weak as packer demand for these offerings was very good. Heifer calves under 600 lbs sold mostly 3.00-8.00 lower. Heifers over 600 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed. Transportation was the biggest factor limiting demand this sale. Demand for calves was moderate to good and buyers had willing takers for todays heavy offering. However, with no trucking available buyers would not buy calves without wheels to put under them. All calves sold lower as a result. Buyers focused on buying front end calves, especially ones with two rounds of vaccinations and passed or discounted average quality calves or calves with only spring shots. Heavy discounts were seen on plain or average quality cattle. Very large price spreads were seen today. Calf quality today was attractive to very attractive overall. The cattle on feed report showed cattle on feed totaled 11.6 million head on October 1, 2021. The inventory was 1 percent below October 1, 2020. Placements in feedlots during September totaled 2.16 million head, 3 percent below 2020. Marketing's of fed cattle during September totaled 1.79 million head, 3 percent below 2020. Market activity this sale was mostly slow to moderate.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $166.83/cwt on 2,440 head.

Average price

$166.83

2,440 head · 520 lb average

Value per head Derived

$868

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$264

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

$46.92/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−3.08

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	531	166.92	886	2,222
Medium and Large 1-2	411	166.60	684	201
Medium 1	440	162.00	713	15thin
Medium and Large 2	518	120.00	622	2thin

One grade step is worth $46.92/cwt here — about $264 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 sale2,440 hd

166.83

—

MT average4 barns · 7,079 hd

169.91

−3.08

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

66 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 1-2Unweaned	—	470	157.53/cwt	157.00–158.00	740	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	419	164.83/cwt	159.00–170.00	691	52
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	771	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	1,153	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	524	166.50/cwt	166.50–166.50	872	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	717	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	939	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	534	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	732	5
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	440	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	713	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	431	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	793	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	166.66/cwt	157.50–173.50	717	172
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	534	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	924	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	598	159.17/cwt	156.00–160.50	952	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	289	184.50/cwt	184.50–184.50	533	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	653	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,032	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	457	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	818	56
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	474	152.15/cwt	142.00–159.50	721	291
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	526	142.85/cwt	136.00–151.00	751	482
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	335	180.26/cwt	170.00–184.50	604	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	626	141.77/cwt	138.00–145.00	887	67
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	364	178.69/cwt	171.00–180.00	650	92
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	574	139.12/cwt	133.50–143.00	799	114
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	298	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	527	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	669	137.46/cwt	135.00–139.00	920	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	430	145.15/cwt	141.00–152.50	624	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	376	152.15/cwt	150.00–160.00	572	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	480	137.17/cwt	137.00–137.50	658	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	537	133.46/cwt	128.00–135.00	717	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	434	141.36/cwt	140.00–142.00	614	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	733	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	1,012	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	645	142.38/cwt	141.00–143.50	918	29
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	429	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	622	32
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	426	146.11/cwt	130.00–155.00	622	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	565	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	706	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	446	151.12/cwt	150.00–153.50	674	44
Heifers	Medium 2	—	373	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	504	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	356	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	495	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	746	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,044	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	518	135.75/cwt	135.75–135.75	703	62
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	428	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	638	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	385	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	751	5
Heifers	Medium 1Full	—	448	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	571	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	546	145.66/cwt	138.50–151.50	795	47
Heifers	Medium 2	—	448	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	538	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	642	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	815	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	487	151.31/cwt	147.00–154.00	737	34
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	576	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	801	36
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	433	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	647	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	482	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	728	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	455	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	614	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	503	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	780	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	456	162.74/cwt	160.00–163.00	742	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	164.42/cwt	152.50–173.50	860	344
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	664	159.17/cwt	153.50–162.00	1,057	72
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	157.92/cwt	147.50–166.00	910	626
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	331	199.72/cwt	193.00–214.00	661	79
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	386	191.62/cwt	180.00–203.00	740	82
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	716	157.93/cwt	147.00–161.00	1,131	58
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	510	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	770	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	424	186.31/cwt	173.00–200.00	790	180
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	612	159.51/cwt	156.00–161.00	976	251
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	795	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,185	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	287	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	610	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	476	166.29/cwt	160.00–180.00	792	310
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	715	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,051	18
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	518	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	622	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	384	168.96/cwt	165.00–175.00	649	65
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	675	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	1,029	7

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 →