Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-11-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-11-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Steers under 500 lbs 15.00-25.00 lower in a narrow comparison; steer calves over 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00-20.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Heifer calves under 600 lbs generally steady in a narrow comparison, heifer calves over 600 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and overall not as attractive as last week. Demand was mostly light this week as offerings were limited. Many buyers were concerned about filling loads as consignments were light for todays sale. Some buyers finished loads from yesterdays sale and exited the market. Calves with only one round of vaccinations sold with large discounts to calves with both spring and fall shots. Package sizes were small to moderate today with many singles and lots of less than 5 head seen. Demand for small lots was very light this sale. No load lots were seen today. Todays buyer pool was noticeably smaller than last week. The monthly cattle on feed report was released today and it showed cattle on feed up 2% from November 2022, Placements were 4% higher than last year and marketings were 3% below last year. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. No cows and bulls were reported last week due to the federal holiday. Demand was moderate for light offerings. Packers showed stronger demand today as they pushed to fill loads from Wednesdays sale. Young age cows sold on light demand today. Most offerings sold to feeding buyers this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $268.85/cwt on 589 head.

Average price

$268.85

589 head · 542 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,457

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$113

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

$65.20/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−28.17

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	493	276.20	1,362	47
Medium and Large 1	543	271.51	1,475	481
Medium and Large 2	451	269.38	1,216	8thin
Medium 1	509	257.27	1,310	31
Medium 1-2	699	211.00	1,475	22

One grade step is worth $65.20/cwt here — about −$113 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 sale589 hd

268.85

—

MT average5 barns · 4,956 hd

297.02

−28.17

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	1,298	95.87	1,245	8thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,441	98.60	1,421	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,470	82.43	1,212	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,266	68.10	862	26

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)	1,115	$1,600	1thin

Every lot, as filed

78 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	—	320	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	800	6
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	560	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,204	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	435	282.68/cwt	278.00–287.00	1,230	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	912	210.50/cwt	210.50–210.50	1,920	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	572	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,419	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	382	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,146	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	320	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,024	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	379	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,213	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	475	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,330	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	432	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,318	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	310	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	946	2
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	699	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	1,475	22
Steers	Medium 1	—	683	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	1,451	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	673	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,514	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	468	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	1,376	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	382	333.38/cwt	332.50–340.00	1,274	27
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	449	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,212	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	716	219.07/cwt	217.00–221.00	1,569	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	574	253.80/cwt	244.50–271.00	1,457	92
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	423	324.18/cwt	320.00–330.00	1,371	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	770	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,656	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	366	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,180	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	585	225.19/cwt	220.00–232.50	1,317	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	678	225.52/cwt	217.00–236.00	1,529	54
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	299	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	994	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	335	333.95/cwt	330.00–350.00	1,119	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	468	302.86/cwt	290.00–319.00	1,417	91
Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	—	767	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	805	5
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	621	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,304	7
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	370	293.99/cwt	270.00–320.00	1,088	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	615	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,322	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	619	232.90/cwt	230.00–240.00	1,442	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	521	272.42/cwt	263.00–293.00	1,419	66
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	879	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	1,811	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	689	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	1,392	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	605	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,271	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	450	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,159	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	546	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,201	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	773	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,604	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,530	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	1,193	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	915	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	549	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,335	103.00/cwt	103.00–103.00	1,375	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,580	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	1,264	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,389	90.36/cwt	87.00–94.50	1,255	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,175	82.50/cwt	82.50–82.50	969	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,600	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,472	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,400	78.63/cwt	72.00–84.00	1,101	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,211	77.31/cwt	60.00–100.00	936	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,319	56.69/cwt	55.00–60.00	748	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,306	66.27/cwt	64.00–72.00	865	15
Bulls	—	—	1,513	83.02/cwt	80.00–86.00	1,256	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,120	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,210	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,280	96.23/cwt	95.00–98.00	1,232	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,033	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	826	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,082	130.31/cwt	107.00–150.00	1,410	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	968	122.00/cwt	120.00–122.50	1,181	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,115	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	450	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,046	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,010	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	1,858	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	728	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	1,514	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	350	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	875	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	523	252.47/cwt	250.00–257.00	1,320	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	848	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	1,717	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	781	199.20/cwt	185.00–210.00	1,556	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	572	245.76/cwt	237.00–256.50	1,406	104
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	531	235.17/cwt	230.00–237.50	1,249	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	555	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,290	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	695	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,112	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	347	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	1,017	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,097	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	608	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,362	4
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	675	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	1,397	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	530	261.04/cwt	242.50–269.00	1,384	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	610	229.00/cwt	224.00–235.00	1,397	13
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	535	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,244	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	389	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,099	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	411	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,110	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	271.08/cwt	266.00–278.00	1,288	40

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 →