Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-11-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-11-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer calves under 400 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed; 400-549 lbs steers sold mostly 5.00 to 10.00 lower; steers 550 lbs and heavier sold steady to 3.00 higher. Heifer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly steady; heifer calves 500-599 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher, heifers over 600 lbs sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. All yearling cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Calf quality was mostly average to very attractive. Quality this week was similar to slightly better than last week. Demand for light weight calves under 500 lbs was mostly good, but lighter than last weeks sale. Demand for calves over 500 lbs was moderate. Package sizes were moderate this week and larger than last week. A few load lots of calves were seen this week and demand for these offerings was very good. Demand for packages under 5 head remains light. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. A larger buyer pool was seen this week compared to last weeks sale. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Most cows and bulls were very full this sale making comparisons difficult.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $297.75/cwt on 388 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits −206.14 against this barn's trailing median of $503.89.

Average price

$297.75

388 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,646

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$37

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1

$21.02/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.96

vs MT average

−4.10 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	552	298.52	1,649	372
Medium and Large 1-2	541	282.17	1,526	8thin
Medium 1	581	277.50	1,612	8thin

One grade step is worth $21.02/cwt here — about $37 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 sale388 hd

297.75

—

MT average5 barns · 1,776 hd

303.71

−5.96

National average187 barns · 26,509 hd

301.85

−4.10

This barn, trailing median1 sales

503.89

−206.14

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	2,028	137.29	2,785	3thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,573	126.50	1,990	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,390	102.73	1,428	4thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,019	97.34	992	7thin

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	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,085	$1,900	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,332	$1,610	5

Every lot, as filed

71 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 1Unweaned	650–700	658	246.79/cwt	243.00–248.00	1,624	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	400–450	424	331.24/cwt	325.00–342.50	1,404	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,015	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,233	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	664	266.32/cwt	264.00–270.00	1,768	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	446	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	1,436	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	587	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,673	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	800–850	803	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	1,935	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	270.48/cwt	270.00–271.00	1,691	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	500–550	542	289.29/cwt	285.00–297.00	1,568	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	618	278.05/cwt	261.00–284.25	1,718	123
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	574	292.43/cwt	280.00–296.50	1,679	206
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	620	252.57/cwt	245.00–254.50	1,566	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	410	300.43/cwt	300.00–302.00	1,232	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	319	382.09/cwt	360.00–392.50	1,219	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	711	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,671	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	518	310.25/cwt	298.00–329.00	1,607	128
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	375	385.97/cwt	370.00–405.00	1,447	46
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	673	263.46/cwt	258.00–269.50	1,773	125
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	482	298.71/cwt	290.00–305.00	1,440	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	713	252.37/cwt	246.00–255.00	1,799	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	250	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,150	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	533	286.50/cwt	277.00–297.00	1,527	133
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	580	261.12/cwt	252.00–270.00	1,514	83
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	465	310.90/cwt	292.00–324.25	1,446	244
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	431	325.81/cwt	325.00–327.50	1,404	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	588	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,435	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,085	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,332	1,610.00/head	1,610.00–1,610.00	1,610	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	515	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,262	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	881	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,169	98.47/cwt	91.00–105.00	1,151	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	114	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	130	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,573	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	1,990	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,392	96.31/cwt	94.00–98.00	1,341	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,385	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,690	1
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	400–450	419	257.16/cwt	250.00–295.00	1,078	13
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	450–500	465	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,081	11
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	590	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	1,457	8
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	700–750	721	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,658	5
Bulls	—	—	2,135	133.94/cwt	125.00–143.00	2,860	2
Bulls	—	—	1,815	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,614	1
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	653	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,561	9
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	300–350	312	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,092	3
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	422	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	1,211	3
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	550–600	581	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,612	8
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	413	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	1,351	10
Heifers	Medium 2	350–400	375	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	863	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	547	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	1,491	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	286	419.21/cwt	415.00–425.00	1,199	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	537	287.97/cwt	284.00–294.00	1,546	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	345	398.00/cwt	398.00–398.00	1,373	18
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	393	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,503	16
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	428	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	1,400	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	415	327.35/cwt	314.00–337.25	1,359	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	500–550	541	261.93/cwt	260.00–263.00	1,417	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	496	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	1,334	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	877	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	1,956	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	913	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	2,045	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	494	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	1,502	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	312	434.76/cwt	425.00–455.00	1,356	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	582	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,635	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	352	359.74/cwt	352.50–361.00	1,266	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	563	255.71/cwt	254.00–259.00	1,440	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	624	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	1,610	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	648	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,575	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	432	354.19/cwt	340.00–372.00	1,530	109
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	492	328.38/cwt	315.00–342.00	1,616	283
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	728	256.72/cwt	253.00–259.00	1,869	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	491	300.41/cwt	300.00–302.50	1,475	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	539	299.65/cwt	299.00–301.00	1,615	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	975	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	2,233	10

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 →