Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-10-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-10-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

This is the first Friday sale of the fall run so no comparisons are available. Demand was mostly moderate with moderate to good demand seen at times, especially on very attractive cattle. Quality this sale was mixed from plain to attractive. Yearlings over 750 lbs sold on lighter demand while lighter weight yearlings sold on moderate to good demand. Buyers showed stronger demand for lightweight yearlings as most of these offerings will finish against the April contract. Calves were mostly offered in moderate size packages this sale and buyers showed good demand on all package sizes as they pieced together offerings. Mostly good demand was seen for feeders under 400 lbs as buyers purchased this weight to develop into yearlings. Demand for heavy weight calves over 675 lbs was also mostly good as most of these offerings were purchased to try to finish against the April live contract. Most calves on offer were in light to moderate flesh, however some heavy weight calves were in moderate plus flesh as grass was very good, especially in higher elevations. Market activity was moderate to active this sale, however a limited number of order buyers were in the seats this sale. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was light to moderate today as buyers pushed to fill loads from sales held earlier in the week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $250.24/cwt on 1,161 head.

Average price

$250.24

1,161 head · 637 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,595

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$609

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2-3

$45.29/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.22

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	643	253.52	1,631	945
Medium 1	551	250.95	1,382	69
Medium and Large 1-2	672	236.93	1,592	100
Large 1	559	228.57	1,278	7thin
Medium 2	671	210.00	1,409	12thin
Medium and Large 2	736	209.00	1,538	4thin
Medium 2-3	491	208.23	1,022	24

One grade step is worth $45.29/cwt here — about $609 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 sale1,161 hd

250.24

—

MT average4 barns · 2,080 hd

252.47

−2.22

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	—	Average	1,918	111.02	2,130	3thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,566	103.21	1,616	24
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,379	97.59	1,345	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,160	91.08	1,057	20

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	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,096	$1,510	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,265	$1,150	5

Every lot, as filed

87 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	Large 1Unweaned	—	600	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,410	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,040	203.25/cwt	203.25–203.25	2,114	6
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	441	265.60/cwt	265.00–268.00	1,171	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	265.18/cwt	260.00–269.00	1,387	68
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	276	313.11/cwt	312.50–315.00	864	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	433	288.81/cwt	281.00–295.00	1,251	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	671	243.30/cwt	240.00–247.00	1,633	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	536	251.20/cwt	250.00–254.00	1,346	37
Steers	Medium 2	—	635	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,603	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	908	225.66/cwt	222.00–229.00	2,049	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	757	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,760	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	645	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,632	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	914	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	2,120	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	761	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,750	12
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	338	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	642	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	637	270.30/cwt	268.50–272.00	1,722	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	767	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,971	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	860	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	2,081	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	718	261.23/cwt	260.00–262.50	1,876	2
Steers	Medium 2-3	—	562	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,236	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	422	301.26/cwt	300.00–303.00	1,271	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	530	280.19/cwt	271.00–281.00	1,485	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	601	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	1,551	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	585	277.44/cwt	275.00–280.00	1,623	115
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	568	265.61/cwt	265.00–266.00	1,509	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	355	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	1,287	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	632	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,561	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	720	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,879	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	342	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,146	12
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	551	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,499	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	461	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,328	27
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	662	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,582	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	523	291.56/cwt	280.00–298.00	1,525	208
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	429	326.43/cwt	313.00–337.50	1,400	98
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	302.86/cwt	292.00–320.00	1,439	62
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	339	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	1,195	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	814	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,929	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	795	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,884	95
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	792	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,822	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	399	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,177	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	504	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,260	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	720	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	1,562	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	494	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,319	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,188	86.52/cwt	82.50–93.00	1,028	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,354	91.82/cwt	86.00–95.00	1,243	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,236	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	1,248	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,529	109.01/cwt	108.00–111.00	1,667	9
Bulls	—	—	1,970	113.03/cwt	108.00–118.00	2,227	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,439	98.84/cwt	98.00–102.00	1,422	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,818	104.50/cwt	104.50–104.50	1,900	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,407	90.94/cwt	87.50–95.00	1,280	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,552	99.00/cwt	99.00–99.00	1,536	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	865	70.00/cwt	70.00–70.00	606	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	734	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,308	104.23/cwt	97.00–108.00	1,363	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,400	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	1,596	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,050	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	966	2
Bulls	—	—	1,815	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,942	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,197	121.81/cwt	117.00–138.00	1,458	22
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,096	1,509.62/head	1,500.00–1,550.00	1,510	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,265	1,150.00/head	1,150.00–1,150.00	1,150	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,445	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,301	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	964	218.77/cwt	218.00–220.50	2,109	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	736	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,538	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	678	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,722	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	788	220.91/cwt	216.00–225.50	1,741	38
Heifers	Medium 1	—	647	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,579	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	723	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,627	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	252.18/cwt	241.00–258.50	1,823	61
Heifers	Medium 1	—	785	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,727	10
Heifers	Medium 2-3	—	491	208.23/cwt	201.00–210.00	1,022	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	933	212.83/cwt	210.00–218.50	1,986	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	808	224.97/cwt	223.00–230.00	1,818	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	644	247.69/cwt	244.00–248.00	1,595	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	709	244.34/cwt	244.00–245.00	1,732	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	835	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,754	2
Heifers	Medium 2	—	671	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,409	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,098	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	2,130	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	662	252.40/cwt	250.00–254.00	1,671	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	873	214.04/cwt	213.00–216.50	1,869	90
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	391	297.32/cwt	293.00–312.50	1,163	80
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	957	211.80/cwt	210.00–212.00	2,027	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	850	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,743	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	505	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,111	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	613	252.55/cwt	249.00–254.00	1,548	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	478	275.87/cwt	270.00–281.00	1,319	182
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	567	254.94/cwt	251.00–259.50	1,446	123

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 →