Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-07-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-07-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: This sale was moved from Billings livestock commission to Public auction yards due to the size of the Northern Livestock video sale. All comparisons are to the last sale at Public auction yards which was June 26th 2024. This was the first test of yearling offerings seen this summer so no comparisons for feeders can be made. Quality this week was average to attractive. Flesh conditions were mostly light to moderate. Demand was mostly good for moderate offerings. Several large consignments of yearlings were seen today and demand for load lot offerings was very good. Market activity was mostly active with both private and cooperate feeders bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Fewer packer buyers were on hand for todays sale which allowed slaughter cows to sell mostly lower. Breaking cows sold mostly 2.00 lower, boning and lean cows sold 2.00-5.00 lower. Feeding demand remains good and both packer and private feeders both showed good demand for cows suitable to feed. Feeding cows sold generally steady to weak. Cow quality this sale was mostly average and much lower than last sale. Yielding conditions were lower as well as cows running out on pasture and range are starting to green back up depending on where the cows are from. Competition with grasshoppers and dry conditions have led to lighter body condition scores than the sale at the end of June. Hot weather also caused many offerings to tank up on water as weather the last few days has been running over 100 degrees. Weigh conditions overall were average. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 8.00 lower. Feeding demand caused bulls to sell unevenly. This biggest decline in prices was for high dressing bulls as most of these offerings were too big to feed. Quality today was mostly average to attractive. Bull yields were sharply lower compared to last sale as many bulls have been turned out with cows and were in lighter flesh than last sale. Feeding bulls sold 2.00-3.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for very high quality offering was mostly good.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 600–700 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

600–700 lb heifers averaged $239.50/cwt on 20 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits −176.54 against this barn's trailing median of $416.04.

Average price

$239.50

20 head · 655 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,568

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$31

per head · Medium 1 over Medium 1-2

$2.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

−14.17 vs national

What quality paid 600–700 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	656	240.00	1,574	16thin
Medium 1-2	650	237.50	1,544	4thin

One grade step is worth $2.50/cwt here — about $31 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 900–1000 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 600–700 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale20 hd

239.50

—

MT average1 barns · 20 hd

239.50

+0.00

National average151 barns · 7,455 hd

253.67

−14.17

This barn, trailing median1 sales

416.04

−176.54

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	—	High	1,823	164.21	2,993	55
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,397	141.39	1,975	141
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Very Low	1,628	140.76	2,291	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,145	124.72	1,428	59
Dairy Bulls	—	Low	2,050	120.00	2,460	1thin

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 Heifers	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	(<2 yrs)	883	$2,272	128

Every lot, as filed

65 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 1-2	950–1000	964	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	2,034	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	732	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,932	5
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	656	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,574	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	831	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	2,177	65
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	726	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,851	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,048	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	2,389	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	996	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	2,301	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	873	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	2,226	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	916	212.70/cwt	210.00–219.00	1,948	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	886	221.64/cwt	216.00–223.50	1,964	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	913	250.16/cwt	248.00–250.50	2,284	22
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	687	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,821	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	950	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	2,147	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	941	229.72/cwt	229.50–231.00	2,162	280
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	818	235.40/cwt	234.00–236.00	1,926	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,010	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,071	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	867	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	2,020	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,275	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,913	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Spayed	700–750	726	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,786	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	957	246.71/cwt	242.00–247.00	2,361	153
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,027	238.24/cwt	238.00–238.50	2,447	117
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,025	214.40/cwt	210.50–219.00	2,198	58
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	973	223.28/cwt	223.00–224.00	2,173	93
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,114	156.63/cwt	146.00–166.00	1,745	14
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,185	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,742	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	940	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	2,265	42
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,368	142.30/cwt	134.00–146.00	1,947	67
Bulls	—	—	1,996	173.66/cwt	172.00–175.00	3,466	6
Dairy Bulls	—	—	2,050	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	2,460	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,382	141.73/cwt	137.00–144.00	1,959	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,635	176.25/cwt	173.00–179.00	2,882	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,556	169.03/cwt	162.50–174.00	2,630	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	755	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	717	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,174	118.65/cwt	105.00–125.00	1,393	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,247	103.33/cwt	102.00–104.00	1,289	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,150	131.86/cwt	126.00–135.50	1,516	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,635	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	2,027	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,711	137.83/cwt	137.00–139.00	2,358	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,280	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	1,824	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,174	135.08/cwt	131.00–138.50	1,586	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,647	140.80/cwt	140.00–142.00	2,319	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,590	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	2,162	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,587	148.34/cwt	148.00–149.00	2,354	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,755	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	2,615	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,484	123.58/cwt	118.00–128.00	1,834	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,507	142.00/cwt	140.00–144.00	2,140	4
Bulls	—	—	1,846	148.86/cwt	132.00–154.00	2,748	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,435	147.49/cwt	145.00–154.50	2,116	43
Bulls	—	—	1,955	164.21/cwt	157.00–171.00	3,210	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	929	112.56/cwt	104.00–124.00	1,046	6
Heifers	Large 1	900–950	910	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	2,011	3
Steers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,145	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	2,490	2
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,161	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	2,508	10
Heifers	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,194	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,030	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,396	133.39/cwt	129.00–143.00	1,862	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,368	130.72/cwt	129.50–133.00	1,788	6
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	815	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,223	1
Bred Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	899	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	98
Bred Heifers	Medium 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	831	1,853.10/head	1,750.00–2,000.00	1,853	30
Heifers	Medium 1-2Spayed	650–700	650	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,544	4
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,256	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	2,198	4
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,147	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	2,099	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	816	230.02/cwt	225.00–232.00	1,877	14
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	820	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	2,009	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	895	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	2,067	18

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 →