Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2022-12-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2022-12-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested either this week or last to develop a full market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers on a poorer quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last weeks offering. Many sets of weaned calves were seen this week, however weaned calf quality varied greatly as some were weaned very well, while others were full and rough haired. Most calves were offered in small groups with many singles in the offering. Demand for singles and very small groups was light this sale. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate. A smaller buyer pool was on hand for todays sale. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on light to moderate demand for mostly light offerings. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on all offerings. Feeding cows sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly attractive and most of these offerings were all one iron cows, off one ranch.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $197.74/cwt on 701 head.

Average price

$197.74

701 head · 575 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,137

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$61

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

$31.27/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−7.79

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	434	218.66	948	58
Medium 1-2	465	200.43	932	20
Medium and Large 1	603	197.26	1,190	523
Medium and Large 2	456	190.00	866	7thin
Medium and Large 1-2	539	187.40	1,010	93

One grade step is worth $31.27/cwt here — about −$61 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 sale701 hd

197.74

—

MT average4 barns · 3,932 hd

205.52

−7.79

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	1,381	89.18	1,231	6thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,707	67.89	1,159	6thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,396	63.31	884	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,170	51.42	602	81

Every lot, as filed

99 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 and Large 1	—	605	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	1,071	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	429	196.88/cwt	195.00–200.00	845	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	421	187.78/cwt	184.00–192.00	791	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	415	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	1,027	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	698	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,326	65
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	769	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	1,338	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	657	166.70/cwt	156.00–168.00	1,095	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	535	178.87/cwt	178.00–181.00	957	60
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	617	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	975	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	632	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	1,131	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	478	232.39/cwt	225.00–239.00	1,111	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	492	202.55/cwt	199.00–205.00	997	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	341	193.87/cwt	190.00–195.00	661	18
Heifers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	403	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	504	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	531	209.05/cwt	200.50–211.00	1,110	102
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	732	174.22/cwt	171.00–180.00	1,275	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	595	190.55/cwt	187.00–192.00	1,134	28
Steers	Medium 1	—	425	224.09/cwt	220.00–232.00	952	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	573	171.33/cwt	170.00–180.00	982	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	470	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	837	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	505	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	909	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	456	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	866	7
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	591	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	887	4
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	448	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	945	3
Steers	Medium 1	—	489	206.81/cwt	194.00–208.00	1,011	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	635	187.83/cwt	184.00–189.00	1,193	62
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	832	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	1,423	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	460	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	966	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	525	213.73/cwt	204.00–214.00	1,122	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	485	201.98/cwt	201.00–202.50	980	11
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	430	213.50/cwt	213.50–213.50	918	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	425	207.53/cwt	204.00–210.00	882	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	665	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,131	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	631	183.51/cwt	180.00–191.00	1,158	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	620	170.56/cwt	168.00–178.00	1,057	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	576	194.80/cwt	189.00–198.00	1,122	15
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	356	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	819	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	563	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	1,019	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	959	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	700	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,225	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	674	179.29/cwt	173.00–184.50	1,208	58
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	586	176.43/cwt	173.00–180.00	1,034	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	546	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	1,070	4
Bulls	Medium 2	—	523	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	575	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	468	184.13/cwt	180.00–200.00	862	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	547	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,012	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	456	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	958	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	392	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	941	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	555	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	999	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,424	56.24/cwt	51.00–60.00	801	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,162	42.11/cwt	32.50–45.00	489	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,462	60.49/cwt	54.00–65.00	884	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,183	61.27/cwt	59.00–63.00	725	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,249	51.78/cwt	50.00–55.00	647	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,267	58.61/cwt	57.00–61.00	743	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,707	67.89/cwt	63.00–73.00	1,159	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,139	52.42/cwt	47.00–56.00	597	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	930	42.50/cwt	42.50–42.50	395	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	869	46.18/cwt	42.50–52.50	401	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,356	70.05/cwt	67.00–75.00	950	22
Bulls	—	—	1,670	82.55/cwt	82.00–83.00	1,379	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,236	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	1,143	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,014	53.71/cwt	52.50–56.00	545	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	882	110.92/cwt	81.00–125.00	978	51
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,032	84.00/cwt	58.00–92.00	867	8
Heifers	Medium 2	—	500	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	550	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	697	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,011	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	701	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,192	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	599	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	973	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	703	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,125	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	615	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	1,132	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	427	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	726	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	865	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,306	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	768	140.50/cwt	140.50–140.50	1,079	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	622	157.16/cwt	149.00–160.00	978	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	530	165.86/cwt	158.00–174.00	879	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	517	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	812	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	606	171.13/cwt	170.00–175.00	1,037	53
Heifers	Large 1	—	470	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	917	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	912	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,477	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	715	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,101	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	480	184.94/cwt	180.00–191.00	888	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	377	190.16/cwt	187.50–195.00	717	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	506	181.52/cwt	178.00–185.00	918	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	713	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,034	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	480	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	878	7
Heifers	Large 1Replacement	—	527	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	896	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	376	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	696	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	704	149.65/cwt	147.00–150.00	1,054	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	595	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,071	1
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	434	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	673	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	348	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	618	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	545	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	796	3
Heifers	Medium 1	—	389	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	681	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	578	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	942	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	305	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	602	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	705	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,015	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	325	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	666	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	846	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,269	10

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 →