Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-12-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-12-10

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steers traded 3.00-5.00 lower, while heifers traded 6.00-8.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls had no test. Demand was good with quality mostly long weaned (30 plus days) vaccinated feeders.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $165.35/cwt on 421 head.

Average price

$165.35

421 head · 618 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,023

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$403

per head · Large 1 over Medium and Large 2

$25.61/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−21.94

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Large 1	556	171.11	952	9thin
Medium and Large 1	621	166.61	1,034	374
Medium and Large 1-2	645	152.54	984	33
Medium and Large 2	377	145.50	549	5thin

One grade step is worth $25.61/cwt here — about $403 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 sale421 hd

165.35

—

MT average4 barns · 2,459 hd

187.29

−21.94

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	—	High	1,686	73.64	1,242	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,523	71.29	1,086	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,153	66.44	766	98
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,181	42.30	500	126

Every lot, as filed

70 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	—	850	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,275	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	653	160.50/cwt	160.50–160.50	1,048	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	728	157.28/cwt	149.00–161.00	1,145	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,048	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,341	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	340	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	706	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	575	152.09/cwt	142.50–156.00	875	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	767	148.08/cwt	140.00–154.50	1,136	9
Steers	Large 1	—	443	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	842	2
Steers	Large 1	—	487	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	877	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	518	162.57/cwt	160.00–165.00	842	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,055	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,287	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	378	199.90/cwt	195.00–205.00	756	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	528	173.92/cwt	170.00–180.00	918	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	415	207.19/cwt	190.00–214.00	860	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	631	158.04/cwt	150.00–160.00	997	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	753	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	1,126	6
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	353	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	498	2
Steers	Large 1	—	665	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,031	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	313	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	462	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	635	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	873	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	653	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	966	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	604	151.50/cwt	151.50–151.50	915	33
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	591	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	821	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	887	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	905	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	491	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	805	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	667	162.08/cwt	158.00–165.50	1,081	72
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,109	36.51/cwt	34.00–38.50	405	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	43.80/cwt	38.00–47.00	526	100
Bulls	—	—	2,138	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	1,796	2
Bulls	—	—	1,675	73.70/cwt	72.00–78.00	1,234	9
Bulls	—	—	1,285	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	810	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,523	71.29/cwt	66.00–77.50	1,086	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,375	53.42/cwt	51.00–55.00	735	26
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,240	59.35/cwt	56.00–64.00	736	35
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	916	82.29/cwt	65.00–98.00	754	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	321	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	449	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	512	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	783	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	515	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	773	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	490	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	735	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	693	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	977	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	900	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	909	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	522	134.03/cwt	130.00–136.00	700	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	712	131.00/cwt	130.00–133.00	933	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	440	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	700	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	570	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	784	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	659	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	923	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	529	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	640	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	620	143.23/cwt	135.00–145.00	888	75
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	637	147.34/cwt	143.00–154.00	939	56
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	577	158.83/cwt	152.00–164.50	916	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	810	139.44/cwt	124.00–147.00	1,129	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	514	153.59/cwt	150.00–160.00	789	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	726	145.22/cwt	145.00–145.50	1,054	7
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	483	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	744	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	445	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	734	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	868	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,189	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	915	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,327	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	670	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	1,025	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	760	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,018	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	432	136.40/cwt	135.00–137.50	589	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	571	170.42/cwt	163.00–177.50	973	77
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	470	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	799	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	555	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	838	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	441	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	783	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	616	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	856	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	756	129.29/cwt	127.50–130.00	977	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	721	133.63/cwt	130.00–136.00	963	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	634	161.09/cwt	160.00–163.00	1,021	77
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	835	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,094	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	458	187.21/cwt	182.50–188.00	857	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 →