Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-01-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-01-05

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: The last feeder special was near 1 month ago so no comparisons are available, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Demand was good to very good for light to moderate offerings. Quality this sale was mixed from plain to attractive. Most feeders continue to be offered in small groups. Demand for feeders which were light and green enough to develop into yearlings was very good. Buyers were willing to take heavier weight calves to grass as the calendar creeps toward summer. Market activity was moderate to active with a moderate to large buyer pool noticed. Bidders were seen both ringside as well as over the internet this sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold with steady undertones compared to last sale. A large pool of feeding cow buyers continues to be seen. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to firm. Thin short term feeding cows or turn out cows sold with higher undertones. Buyer participation was good this week. Quality this week was mostly average. Weigh up conditions were mixed. Slaughter bulls traded with steady undertones. Young age cows were not well compared as many sets of straight heifers were included this sale. Demand from rebreed buyers remains light and most cows were purchased to feed. Quality was mostly average today.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $261.67/cwt on 530 head.

Average price

$261.67

530 head · 620 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,622

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$108

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

$49.36/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.00

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	548	275.36	1,509	132
Medium 1-2	311	267.50	832	7thin
Medium and Large 1	668	258.50	1,726	345
Medium and Large 2	504	246.56	1,244	43
Large 1	620	226.00	1,401	3thin

One grade step is worth $49.36/cwt here — about $108 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 sale530 hd

261.67

—

MT average1 barns · 530 hd

261.67

+0.00

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	1,732	101.71	1,761	51
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,625	95.84	1,557	49
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,430	91.05	1,302	189
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,191	79.39	946	157

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/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,426	$1,350	6

Every lot, as filed

85 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	—	635	259.01/cwt	255.00–266.00	1,645	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	532	310.49/cwt	310.00–311.00	1,652	10
Dairy Steers	Large 2	—	829	184.50/cwt	184.50–184.50	1,530	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	574	231.10/cwt	222.00–240.00	1,327	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	617	248.19/cwt	238.00–250.00	1,531	70
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	465	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	1,151	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	433	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,299	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	620	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,742	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	571	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,399	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	599	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,521	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	579	282.70/cwt	280.00–285.00	1,637	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	678	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,478	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	534	270.11/cwt	267.00–283.00	1,442	34
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	543	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,262	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	420	261.83/cwt	241.00–272.50	1,100	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	829	209.37/cwt	209.00–210.00	1,736	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	673	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,380	2
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	311	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	832	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	775	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	1,690	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	764	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,864	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	482	301.50/cwt	300.00–305.00	1,453	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	606	240.39/cwt	237.50–250.00	1,457	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	569	254.47/cwt	235.00–269.00	1,448	16
Steers	Large 1	—	620	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,401	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	833	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	1,687	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	827	226.08/cwt	225.00–230.50	1,870	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	435	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	1,490	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	437	323.89/cwt	317.50–334.00	1,415	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	475	316.11/cwt	315.00–322.50	1,502	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	669	252.54/cwt	245.00–260.00	1,689	86
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	574	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,372	11
Dairy Steers	Large 2	—	719	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	1,359	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	526	281.43/cwt	261.00–296.00	1,480	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	710	243.91/cwt	237.50–246.00	1,732	56
Dairy Heifers	Large 2	—	867	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,474	3
Dairy Heifers	Large 2	—	735	199.33/cwt	196.00–200.00	1,465	29
Heifers	Medium 1	—	532	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,362	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	—	545	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	927	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	620	222.15/cwt	216.00–230.00	1,377	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	593	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,311	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	473	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,348	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	755	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,548	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,450	98.72/cwt	97.50–100.00	1,431	25
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,423	93.04/cwt	85.00–97.50	1,324	110
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,403	83.34/cwt	80.00–84.50	1,169	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,224	94.53/cwt	91.00–98.00	1,157	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,635	88.45/cwt	85.50–94.00	1,446	3
Bulls	—	—	2,045	112.52/cwt	108.00–118.00	2,301	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,958	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	1,909	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,182	82.06/cwt	80.00–84.00	970	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,095	56.80/cwt	51.00–66.00	622	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	772	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,189	74.99/cwt	68.00–80.00	892	47
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,175	78.63/cwt	75.00–80.00	924	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,495	88.41/cwt	82.00–94.00	1,322	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,402	79.81/cwt	72.50–83.00	1,119	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,782	87.90/cwt	87.50–89.50	1,566	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,551	100.89/cwt	98.50–102.00	1,565	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,605	95.17/cwt	92.00–98.50	1,527	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,538	92.70/cwt	91.50–94.00	1,426	2
Bulls	—	—	1,710	95.53/cwt	85.00–104.00	1,634	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	883	73.00/cwt	73.00–73.00	645	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,224	84.31/cwt	70.00–89.50	1,032	62
Bulls	—	—	2,345	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	2,837	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,246	110.66/cwt	108.00–115.00	1,379	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,433	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,290	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,112	109.98/cwt	88.00–120.00	1,223	31
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	816	128.92/cwt	112.50–170.00	1,052	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,052	103.70/cwt	100.00–107.50	1,091	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,426	1,350.00/head	1,350.00–1,350.00	1,350	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	983	145.26/cwt	125.00–185.00	1,428	75
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	522	256.23/cwt	255.00–257.50	1,338	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	640	234.79/cwt	220.00–237.00	1,503	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	493	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,099	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	394	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,005	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	841	194.47/cwt	191.00–195.00	1,635	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	685	234.02/cwt	229.50–243.00	1,603	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	415	298.34/cwt	290.00–305.00	1,238	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	667	209.75/cwt	209.00–212.00	1,399	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	753	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,431	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	472	268.85/cwt	265.00–271.00	1,269	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	—	765	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	1,584	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	762	199.65/cwt	198.00–206.00	1,521	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	482	283.09/cwt	275.00–287.00	1,364	74
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	572	253.09/cwt	244.00–260.00	1,448	37

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 →