Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-10-04
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-04

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

This is the first Friday feeder special of the fall marketing season, thus no comparisons can be made. Yearling steers and heifers sold on mostly good demand, while calves sold on good to very good demand. Offerings were light to moderate. Very good demand was seen for light weight calves that buyers plan on developing into yearlings. Quality this sale was mostly average, with a limited offering of attractive calves and yearlings noticed. Package sizes were mostly small today. Only one load lot was seen. Market activity was mostly active with lots of buyers both in the stands as well as over the internet. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light for very light offerings. Feeding cow buyers were mostly inactive today and most cows were purchased for immediate harvest.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $270.88/cwt on 156 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits −177.51 against this barn's trailing median of $448.39.

Average price

$270.88

156 head · 556 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,506

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

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

$24.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+5.65

vs MT average

+24.10 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	536	274.00	1,469	9thin
Medium and Large 1	555	272.04	1,511	138
Medium 1-2	584	250.00	1,460	9thin

One grade step is worth $24.00/cwt here — about $9 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale156 hd

270.88

—

MT average3 barns · 190 hd

265.23

+5.65

National average172 barns · 12,740 hd

246.78

+24.10

This barn, trailing median1 sales

448.39

−177.51

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	1,999	133.15	2,662	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,501	121.45	1,823	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,378	110.03	1,516	8thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,192	102.33	1,219	7thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,445	89.00	1,286	1thin

Every lot, as filed

93 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 1Unweaned	300–350	345	396.64/cwt	395.00–397.50	1,368	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	854	247.18/cwt	245.50–249.50	2,111	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	225	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	816	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	707	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,739	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	605	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,537	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	667	276.74/cwt	269.00–280.25	1,846	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	757	247.60/cwt	246.50–248.00	1,874	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	614	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,603	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	523	279.96/cwt	277.00–283.00	1,464	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	407	356.55/cwt	352.50–370.00	1,451	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	476	315.83/cwt	300.00–330.00	1,503	112
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	465	294.66/cwt	285.00–301.00	1,370	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,010	213.44/cwt	210.00–215.50	2,156	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	663	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,598	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	360	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,206	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	352	400.91/cwt	385.00–405.00	1,411	5
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	715	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,759	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	576	263.61/cwt	255.00–273.00	1,518	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	757	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,824	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	626	252.38/cwt	247.00–255.00	1,580	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	583	278.24/cwt	276.00–287.00	1,622	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	250	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,013	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,240	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,550	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	1000–1050	1,019	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	1,977	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	278	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,001	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	700–750	733	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,627	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	703	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	1,729	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	417	293.07/cwt	279.00–305.00	1,222	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	374	318.45/cwt	310.00–325.00	1,191	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	536	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,469	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	867	235.50/cwt	235.50–235.50	2,042	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	650	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,658	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	328	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,033	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	360	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,260	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	972	224.36/cwt	222.00–226.00	2,181	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	392	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,078	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	581	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,522	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	790	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	2,007	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	826	247.80/cwt	241.00–250.00	2,047	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	437	318.17/cwt	315.00–334.00	1,390	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	483	276.68/cwt	269.00–285.00	1,336	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,195	107.51/cwt	106.00–109.00	1,285	2
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,445	89.00/cwt	89.00–89.00	1,286	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,060	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,314	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,610	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,884	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,664	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	2,008	142.50/cwt	142.00–143.00	2,861	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,483	122.19/cwt	122.00–123.00	1,812	6
Bulls	—	—	1,993	126.91/cwt	122.00–135.00	2,529	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,500	115.07/cwt	114.00–116.00	1,726	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,402	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,458	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	940	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	959	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,223	94.32/cwt	91.00–100.00	1,154	4
Steers	Medium 2	750–800	763	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,755	5
Steers	Large 1Full	550–600	584	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,489	11
Heifers	Large 1	850–900	875	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,960	23
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	587	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,591	3
Steers	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,138	204.50/cwt	204.50–204.50	2,327	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	295	337.24/cwt	320.00–345.00	995	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	534	280.75/cwt	270.00–286.00	1,499	16
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	815	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,801	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	505	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,187	3
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	415	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,195	12
Heifers	Medium 1-2	550–600	584	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,460	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	811	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,825	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	869	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,929	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	979	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	2,129	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,275	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,709	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	760	238.50/cwt	238.50–238.50	1,813	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	817	231.37/cwt	229.00–235.00	1,890	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	310	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,302	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	850–900	858	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,948	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	890	227.77/cwt	227.50–230.00	2,027	43
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,055	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	2,068	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	900–950	913	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,945	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	1000–1050	1,038	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	2,086	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	719	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,826	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	457	291.52/cwt	288.00–294.00	1,332	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	575	263.86/cwt	260.00–277.00	1,517	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	801	254.50/cwt	254.50–254.50	2,039	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	500–550	533	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,492	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	750–800	784	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,862	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	811	241.69/cwt	240.50–244.50	1,960	93
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	429	311.99/cwt	306.00–342.50	1,338	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	617	281.08/cwt	276.00–288.50	1,734	56
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	800–850	835	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,941	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	915	223.99/cwt	223.00–225.00	2,050	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	737	248.91/cwt	248.00–250.00	1,834	121
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	360	332.51/cwt	330.00–335.00	1,197	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	517	298.71/cwt	290.00–308.00	1,544	53
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	268	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,166	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	544	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	1,561	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	488	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,366	4

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 →