Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-11-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-11-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 500 lbs traded 10.00-15.00 lower in a narrow comparison, steer calves over 500 lbs traded steady to 5.00 lower. Heifer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly steady to weak, heifers over 550 lbs sold steady to 8.00 lower. Demand was mostly light to moderate for light offerings. Quality today was mostly plain to average, with a limited number of attractive offerings seen. Quality was significantly lower than last weeks attractive offering. Demand was uneven today as light receipts caused many buyers to be conservative as they filled and started loads. Many were not willing to start fresh loads with light receipts, this caused large price spreads in places. Weather also weighed on the market as extreme cold was seen overnight and many calves showed signs of stress. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate as fewer buyers were seen this week compared to last. Weigh up cows sold on light demand for light offerings. Slaughter and feeding cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady to lower undertones were noticed in both classes. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows were of mostly plain quality and many sold to slaughter and feeding cow buyers this sale. Too few offerings were seen to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $192.44/cwt on 750 head.

Average price

$192.44

750 head · 573 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,103

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$17

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

$37.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−15.54

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1-2	440	210.00	924	12thin
Medium 1	464	199.09	925	30
Medium and Large 1	586	192.28	1,127	619
Medium and Large 1-2	537	189.70	1,020	85
Medium and Large 2	544	173.00	941	4thin

One grade step is worth $37.00/cwt here — about −$17 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 sale750 hd

192.44

—

MT average5 barns · 5,192 hd

207.98

−15.54

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	1,301	88.20	1,148	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,548	76.00	1,176	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,431	56.74	812	9thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,093	53.06	580	46

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)	1,001	$1,300	6
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,047	$1,300	3thin
Bred Heifers	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	893	$1,000	4thin

Every lot, as filed

74 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
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	442	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	778	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	567	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	896	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	507	192.92/cwt	185.00–196.00	978	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	620	184.64/cwt	175.50–192.50	1,145	159
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	685	163.51/cwt	162.00–165.00	1,120	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	613	168.89/cwt	160.00–177.00	1,035	58
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	710	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	1,086	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	591	175.84/cwt	158.00–182.50	1,039	72
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	553	206.50/cwt	206.50–206.50	1,142	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	593	183.50/cwt	183.50–183.50	1,088	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	545	202.54/cwt	200.00–207.00	1,104	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	631	185.15/cwt	180.00–190.00	1,168	47
Steers	Medium 1	—	400	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	920	13
Steers	Medium 1Full	—	493	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	779	6
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	525	184.97/cwt	183.00–187.50	971	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	773	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	1,306	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	569	189.86/cwt	181.00–201.50	1,080	157
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	216.34/cwt	208.00–230.00	1,028	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	548	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	959	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	388	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	795	3
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	440	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	924	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	716	171.12/cwt	170.50–172.00	1,225	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	525	194.04/cwt	192.50–196.00	1,019	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	419	241.94/cwt	240.00–248.00	1,014	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	388	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	904	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	675	180.50/cwt	171.00–181.50	1,218	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	526	207.94/cwt	198.00–210.00	1,094	78
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	544	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	941	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	489	194.69/cwt	193.00–197.00	952	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	618	174.81/cwt	171.00–177.00	1,080	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	439	226.34/cwt	220.00–232.50	994	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	703	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,090	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	836	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,338	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	613	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	969	3
Heifers	Medium 1	—	364	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	637	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	601	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	1,118	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	676	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	946	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,015	47.52/cwt	42.50–49.00	482	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,420	81.00/cwt	81.00–81.00	1,150	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,441	58.35/cwt	55.00–63.00	841	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,300	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	1,040	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,055	55.49/cwt	50.00–61.00	585	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,180	52.61/cwt	51.00–55.00	621	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,675	71.00/cwt	71.00–71.00	1,189	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,335	52.00/cwt	52.00–52.00	694	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,520	43.44/cwt	42.00–45.00	660	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	910	43.00/cwt	43.00–43.00	391	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,163	65.02/cwt	61.00–66.50	756	5
Bulls	—	—	1,680	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	1,344	1
Bulls	—	—	2,185	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	2,010	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,370	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	1,041	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,068	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	993	6
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	893	1,000.00/head	1,000.00–1,000.00	1,000	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,001	1,300.00/head	1,300.00–1,300.00	1,300	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,047	1,300.00/head	1,300.00–1,300.00	1,300	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,012	77.68/cwt	75.00–82.00	786	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,170	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	878	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	916	98.54/cwt	85.00–114.00	903	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	853	57.57/cwt	52.50–70.00	491	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	433	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	909	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	960	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,392	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	451	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	740	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	982	149.91/cwt	145.00–151.00	1,472	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	459	191.66/cwt	191.00–194.00	880	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	525	169.18/cwt	162.50–174.00	888	7
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	456	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	780	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	481	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	871	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	509	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	942	58
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	547	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	903	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	581	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	918	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	428	193.28/cwt	187.00–205.00	827	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	479	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	1,025	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	529	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	809	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	527	184.91/cwt	181.00–193.50	974	145

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 →