Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-10-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer calves all sold generally steady to weak. Heifer calves sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. All yearling cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling quality was mostly plain to average today. Spring born calf quality was average to attractive, but not as attractive as last weeks sale. Demand for calves was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Package sizes were smaller this week and demand for packages under 5 head was considerably lighter than demand for moderate size packages. The best demand continues to be for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. A smaller buyer pool was seen this week compared to last weeks sale. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on all slaughter cows and higher undertones were noticed on all feeding cows. Demand was mostly moderate to good as buyers attempted to fill loads for the week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $294.61/cwt on 359 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits −209.28 against this barn's trailing median of $503.89.

Average price

$294.61

359 head · 552 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,625

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$155

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

$20.46/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−3.91

vs MT average

−4.72 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	552	295.63	1,633	341
Medium and Large 1-2	537	275.17	1,478	18thin

One grade step is worth $20.46/cwt here — about $155 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale359 hd

294.61

—

MT average5 barns · 2,048 hd

298.52

−3.91

National average188 barns · 32,793 hd

299.33

−4.72

This barn, trailing median1 sales

503.89

−209.28

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	1,641	132.45	2,174	5thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,610	131.00	2,109	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,397	129.71	1,812	52
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,160	108.37	1,257	34

Every lot, as filed

75 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 1Fleshy	500–550	536	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,514	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	523	302.41/cwt	293.00–319.00	1,582	172
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	573	263.06/cwt	258.00–270.00	1,507	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	651	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,823	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	750–800	777	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,841	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	481	313.00/cwt	313.00–313.00	1,506	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	430	314.75/cwt	313.00–316.00	1,353	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	790	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	2,007	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	333	353.57/cwt	352.50–355.00	1,177	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	587	289.08/cwt	282.00–296.00	1,697	156
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	383	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,341	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	409	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,391	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	470	291.00/cwt	286.00–307.00	1,368	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	728	267.90/cwt	265.00–274.00	1,950	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	527	275.34/cwt	264.00–283.50	1,451	69
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	293	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,128	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	399	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,516	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	828	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,954	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	678	271.40/cwt	268.00–278.50	1,840	75
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	403	326.62/cwt	316.00–330.00	1,316	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	628	258.00/cwt	255.00–260.00	1,620	49
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	952	171.90/cwt	134.00–189.00	1,636	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	380	324.94/cwt	321.00–340.00	1,235	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	669	248.68/cwt	246.00–251.00	1,664	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	615	284.85/cwt	275.00–286.50	1,752	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	284	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	994	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	397	317.05/cwt	305.00–322.00	1,259	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,035	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,387	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	700–750	741	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,904	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	500–550	523	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,496	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	623	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,688	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	783	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,840	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	993	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,115	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	687	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,718	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	488	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	1,474	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	876	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,927	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	637	266.39/cwt	265.00–270.00	1,697	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	444	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,410	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	450–500	496	273.00/cwt	273.00–273.00	1,354	5
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,130	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,407	1
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	450–500	496	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,116	5
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	627	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,511	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	300–350	340	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,071	31
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	447	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,330	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	945	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,985	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,112	88.00/cwt	85.00–90.00	979	7
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,115	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	2,174	6
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	475	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,235	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	750–800	794	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	1,890	5
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	400–450	422	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,298	3
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,125	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	2,239	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,339	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,433	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,468	103.63/cwt	97.00–109.00	1,521	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,610	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	2,109	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	970	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	946	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,215	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,312	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,260	102.99/cwt	102.00–104.00	1,298	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	484	316.70/cwt	309.00–323.00	1,533	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	429	345.77/cwt	335.00–365.00	1,483	57
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	300	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,275	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	661	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,534	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	322	392.50/cwt	392.50–392.50	1,264	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	391	355.34/cwt	355.00–360.00	1,389	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	952	190.96/cwt	171.00–195.00	1,818	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	296	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,199	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	483	283.50/cwt	283.50–283.50	1,369	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	527	274.01/cwt	272.00–279.00	1,444	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	603	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	1,372	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	553	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,532	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,176	113.10/cwt	110.00–114.00	1,330	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,148	121.53/cwt	117.00–125.00	1,395	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,334	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,854	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,415	133.43/cwt	123.00–135.00	1,888	32
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,508	136.19/cwt	132.00–140.00	2,054	2
Bulls	—	—	1,730	129.96/cwt	128.00–131.00	2,248	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 →