Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-10-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-10-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher, steer calves over 550 lbs sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Heifers under 450 lbs sold generally steady, heifer calves over 450 lbs sold 4.00-6.00 higher. Yearlings of both sexes were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand today was mostly moderate to good for moderate offerings. Quality today was mostly attractive. Todays sale featured preconditioned calves and the majority of calves had both spring and preconditioning shots. The best demand remains for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings, and buyers purchased steers up to 575 lbs and heifers up to 525 lbs for that purpose. The cattle on feed report added some fuel to todays market as it showed cattle on feed down 1%, placements down 1% and cattle marketed up 1% from last year. Market activity was mostly active this sale as a good crowd of buyers was on hand rapidly bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for light offerings. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this sale as many cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows sold generally steady to weak. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $200.77/cwt on 974 head.

Average price

$200.77

974 head · 566 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,136

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$89

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$10.89/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.25

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	568	200.89	1,141	918
Medium and Large 1-2	528	199.99	1,057	50
Large 1	554	190.00	1,052	6thin

One grade step is worth $10.89/cwt here — about $89 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 sale974 hd

200.77

—

MT average5 barns · 3,731 hd

205.03

−4.25

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	1,642	84.09	1,381	3thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,554	74.73	1,161	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,403	62.82	881	66
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,207	56.85	686	141

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,118	$1,175	6
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,326	$1,150	22
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,236	$1,060	18

Every lot, as filed

67 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	—	548	185.50/cwt	185.50–185.50	1,017	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	560	178.61/cwt	167.00–185.75	1,000	103
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	339	200.28/cwt	191.00–206.00	679	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	625	190.50/cwt	190.50–190.50	1,191	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	622	170.44/cwt	164.00–172.50	1,060	42
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	577	156.46/cwt	145.00–162.50	903	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	286	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	644	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	541	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	925	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	524	179.52/cwt	170.00–186.00	941	196
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	481	203.27/cwt	197.00–211.50	978	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	721	171.38/cwt	171.00–172.00	1,236	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	740	176.81/cwt	173.00–178.50	1,308	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	939	159.72/cwt	158.50–166.00	1,500	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	891	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	1,595	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	346	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	848	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	618	188.71/cwt	175.00–194.00	1,166	181
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	194.29/cwt	185.00–201.50	1,111	293
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	525	210.45/cwt	200.00–226.00	1,105	213
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	758	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	1,281	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	460	230.92/cwt	226.00–244.00	1,062	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	663	179.84/cwt	174.00–182.00	1,192	52
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	335	261.46/cwt	247.50–271.00	876	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	387	255.39/cwt	248.00–260.00	988	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	420	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	893	4
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	657	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,084	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	450	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	968	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	439	240.22/cwt	230.00–249.00	1,055	46
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	586	173.88/cwt	163.00–176.00	1,019	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	390	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	946	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	699	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	1,090	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	702	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	1,102	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	340	233.73/cwt	232.50–235.00	795	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	752	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,248	32
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,575	74.50/cwt	70.00–76.50	1,173	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,409	57.96/cwt	56.00–63.00	817	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,270	63.71/cwt	61.50–66.00	809	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,104	46.00/cwt	46.00–46.00	508	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,266	68.71/cwt	65.50–72.50	870	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,438	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	1,093	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,215	55.69/cwt	50.00–61.00	677	73
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,442	71.23/cwt	69.50–72.00	1,027	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,313	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	827	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,209	59.66/cwt	52.00–61.50	721	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	880	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	484	1
Bulls	—	—	1,823	90.14/cwt	87.00–93.00	1,643	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,280	72.00/cwt	72.00–72.00	922	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,035	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	725	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,326	1,150.00/head	1,150.00–1,150.00	1,150	22
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,236	1,060.00/head	1,060.00–1,060.00	1,060	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,118	1,175.00/head	1,175.00–1,175.00	1,175	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	964	110.15/cwt	91.00–125.00	1,062	40
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,112	82.34/cwt	74.00–94.00	916	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	469	191.93/cwt	186.50–205.00	900	109
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	996	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,494	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	564	151.70/cwt	151.00–154.00	856	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	432	231.35/cwt	225.00–236.00	999	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	326	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	734	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	503	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	1,011	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	426	200.79/cwt	194.00–214.00	855	53
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	532	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	888	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	660	164.78/cwt	161.00–168.50	1,088	24
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	593	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	895	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	340	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	721	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	438	188.05/cwt	185.50–191.00	824	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	374	214.59/cwt	208.00–218.00	803	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	710	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	1,154	9
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	453	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	702	8

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 →