Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-11-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-11-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: No sale was held last week do to a snowstorm and poor road conditions. All feeder comparisons are to two weeks ago. Steers under 500 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Steer calves over 500 lbs sold steady to firm. Heifer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering; heifers over 450 lbs sold steady to firm. All yearlings were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Most cattle were offered in small packages this sale. Only 5 packages of 30 head or more was seen this sale, forcing buyers to piece together loads. Quality was mixed from plain to attractive, however most cattle were plain to average with only a limited selection of attractive cattle seen. Large price spreads were seen today as buyers had a difficult time building loads of like weight and quality. Many frozen ears and tails were noticed today as many sets of calves were cutbacks off summer videos. While these cattle are not included in the report below, most of these offerings sold with a 12.00-18.00 discount to none frozen cattle. A moderate size buyer pool was seen today and market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for cows and bulls was mostly good as buyers pushed to fill loads for the week. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today with many very full offerings noticed.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $283.26/cwt on 920 head.

Average price

$283.26

920 head · 542 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,537

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$156

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

$60.02/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.26

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	497	287.52	1,430	226
Medium 1	509	284.00	1,445	15thin
Medium and Large 1	559	283.28	1,583	625
Large 1	515	274.67	1,415	43
Medium 1-2	697	227.50	1,586	11thin

One grade step is worth $60.02/cwt here — about −$156 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 sale920 hd

283.26

—

MT average5 barns · 3,763 hd

283.53

−0.26

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	1,734	94.31	1,635	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,418	91.42	1,296	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,835	86.00	1,578	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,195	82.66	988	50

Every lot, as filed

88 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 1-2	—	754	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,727	12
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	530	217.16/cwt	214.00–225.00	1,151	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	343	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,063	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	275	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	894	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	580	205.39/cwt	202.50–207.50	1,191	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	714	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,585	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	681	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,532	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	751	221.50/cwt	221.50–221.50	1,663	8
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	668	218.21/cwt	205.00–231.50	1,458	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	374	301.66/cwt	293.00–320.00	1,128	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	489	256.83/cwt	254.00–261.00	1,256	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	426	312.28/cwt	307.50–322.50	1,330	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	339	332.71/cwt	325.00–350.00	1,128	18
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	697	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,586	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	431	256.06/cwt	247.00–277.50	1,104	40
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	596	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,258	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	522	292.91/cwt	280.00–315.00	1,529	128
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	537	272.63/cwt	250.00–279.00	1,464	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	479	290.46/cwt	281.00–299.00	1,391	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	690	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,601	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	614	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,296	22
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	486	241.50/cwt	237.50–244.00	1,174	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	759	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,761	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	351.34/cwt	339.00–367.50	1,511	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	375	349.39/cwt	345.00–365.00	1,310	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	614	244.60/cwt	235.00–249.00	1,502	9
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	524	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,446	10
Steers	Medium 1	—	478	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,434	5
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	566	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,528	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	290	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,102	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	657	252.33/cwt	240.00–257.00	1,658	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	474	311.65/cwt	300.00–325.00	1,477	57
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	392	322.89/cwt	322.50–335.00	1,266	32
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	507	270.71/cwt	262.50–275.00	1,372	21
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	—	472	288.57/cwt	275.00–303.00	1,362	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	621	260.32/cwt	255.00–270.00	1,617	108
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	574	272.67/cwt	245.00–284.00	1,565	168
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	587	256.78/cwt	244.00–264.00	1,507	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	497	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,292	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	725	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,588	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	550	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	1,480	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Full	—	497	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,292	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	390	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,326	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	535	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,431	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,060	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	848	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,154	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,177	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,209	70.72/cwt	59.00–74.00	855	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,164	79.06/cwt	75.00–84.00	920	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,269	87.24/cwt	85.00–91.00	1,107	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,473	92.08/cwt	90.00–94.00	1,356	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,835	86.00/cwt	86.00–86.00	1,578	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	86.37/cwt	80.00–89.50	1,213	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	68.00/cwt	68.00–68.00	677	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,372	84.53/cwt	77.00–94.00	1,160	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,254	89.00/cwt	89.00–89.00	1,116	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,433	101.42/cwt	101.00–103.00	1,453	6
Bulls	—	—	1,708	94.75/cwt	91.00–98.00	1,618	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,810	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	1,683	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,135	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	1,050	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	928	127.69/cwt	122.50–142.50	1,185	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	908	126.30/cwt	110.00–132.50	1,147	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	854	166.27/cwt	132.50–182.00	1,420	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	564	234.81/cwt	224.00–240.00	1,324	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	815	218.71/cwt	218.00–219.50	1,782	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	682	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,521	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	517	259.50/cwt	259.50–259.50	1,342	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	538	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,323	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	739	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,559	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	487	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,125	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	328	302.44/cwt	300.00–305.00	992	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	668	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,576	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	273.69/cwt	260.00–285.00	1,300	84
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	469	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,184	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	602	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,403	7
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	607	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,378	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	309	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	881	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	358	281.71/cwt	260.00–290.00	1,009	27
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	—	336	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	857	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	—	646	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,340	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	—	475	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,057	10
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	485	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,079	1
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	390	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,131	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	526	241.42/cwt	231.00–255.00	1,270	62
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	292.24/cwt	280.00–310.00	1,257	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	530	260.46/cwt	250.00–268.00	1,380	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	613	244.24/cwt	239.00–247.00	1,497	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	564	252.13/cwt	244.00–264.00	1,422	91
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	717	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,506	3

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 →