Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-12-13
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-12-13

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (11-22-24): The last Friday feeder special was the Friday before Thanksgiving and market conditions have improved constantly since then. Feeder steer calves under 550 lbs sold 5.00-15.00 higher; steers 550-599 lbs sold generally steady to firm; Steers 600 lbs and heavier sold mostly 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Heifer calves all sold 10.00-15.00 higher. All yearling cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for limited yearlings was good. Calf quality was mostly average to attractive. Quality overall was more attractive than last sale. Demand for all calves to go to grass remains good to very good. Most calves were weaned this sale, many for 45-75 days. Package sizes were small to moderate today, however buyers showed good demand for all calves on offer as buyers pieced together loads. Singles and packages of 5 head or less continue to sell with a discount to large packages or partial load lots. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. Cow quality today was mostly average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were mixed with some empty and some full cows noticed. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly good demand as quality was attractive.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $324.42/cwt on 240 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits −179.47 against this barn's trailing median of $503.89.

Average price

$324.42

240 head · 570 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,849

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$93

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1

$18.96/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−7.49

vs MT average

+0.07 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	571	326.46	1,864	213
Medium and Large 1-2	555	308.69	1,713	20
Medium 1	576	307.50	1,771	7thin

One grade step is worth $18.96/cwt here — about $93 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 sale240 hd

324.42

—

MT average4 barns · 1,073 hd

331.91

−7.49

National average185 barns · 29,268 hd

324.35

+0.07

This barn, trailing median1 sales

503.89

−179.47

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	2,026	140.56	2,847	6thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,366	112.70	1,539	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,179	111.18	1,311	56

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)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,175	$1,700	9
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,008	$2,500	2thin

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
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,148	76.49/cwt	70.00–83.00	878	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,165	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,212	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,119	105.69/cwt	93.00–112.00	1,183	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,549	109.08/cwt	107.00–110.00	1,690	3
Bulls	—	—	2,262	149.31/cwt	149.00–150.00	3,377	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,300	110.03/cwt	106.00–112.00	1,430	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	336	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,243	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	434	374.91/cwt	372.50–395.00	1,627	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	508	336.37/cwt	335.00–343.00	1,709	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	980	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,250	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	726	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,735	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	853	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	1,894	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	367	327.53/cwt	320.00–350.00	1,202	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	468	318.85/cwt	317.00–320.00	1,492	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	305	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,312	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,062	144.75/cwt	130.00–155.00	1,537	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	704	255.75/cwt	255.75–255.75	1,800	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	489	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,633	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	724	268.58/cwt	254.00–277.00	1,945	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	784	254.18/cwt	254.00–255.00	1,993	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,175	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	600	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,656	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	585	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,872	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	662	299.52/cwt	291.00–301.00	1,983	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	579	268.72/cwt	261.00–279.00	1,556	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	473	327.93/cwt	323.00–334.00	1,551	40
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,008	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	285	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	1,496	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	400	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,420	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	538	314.05/cwt	314.00–315.00	1,690	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	561	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	1,677	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	627	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,737	30
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,105	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,713	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	707	297.83/cwt	295.00–299.50	2,106	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	355	462.50/cwt	462.50–462.50	1,642	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,024	218.01/cwt	215.00–219.50	2,232	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	582	291.77/cwt	285.00–306.00	1,698	127
Steers	Large 1	600–650	625	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,781	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,233	123.90/cwt	119.00–124.50	1,528	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,242	96.00/cwt	92.00–98.00	1,192	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,390	94.00/cwt	94.00–94.00	1,307	1
Bulls	—	—	1,789	131.80/cwt	129.00–133.00	2,358	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,337	115.59/cwt	113.00–120.00	1,545	13
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	576	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,771	7
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	422	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,393	6
Heifers	Medium 1-2	350–400	387	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,074	7
Steers	Medium 1-2	400–450	408	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,224	6
Heifers	Large 1	600–650	638	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,672	2
Heifers	Large 1	550–600	595	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,571	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	453	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,495	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	575	296.82/cwt	293.00–309.00	1,707	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	808	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	2,004	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	443	325.47/cwt	315.00–329.00	1,442	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	523	275.12/cwt	262.50–283.00	1,439	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	635	254.47/cwt	248.00–263.00	1,616	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	523	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	1,888	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	761	273.54/cwt	258.00–278.00	2,082	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	860	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	2,184	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	632	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	1,858	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	408	411.53/cwt	410.00–422.50	1,679	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	391	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,408	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	582	319.35/cwt	314.00–340.00	1,859	136
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	722	243.82/cwt	241.50–251.00	1,760	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	612	309.54/cwt	300.00–314.00	1,894	80
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	776	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	2,010	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	698	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	2,108	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	736	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	1,980	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	524	319.01/cwt	312.00–330.00	1,672	136
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	822	255.51/cwt	253.00–256.00	2,100	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	319	376.02/cwt	375.00–400.00	1,200	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	486	375.65/cwt	360.00–391.00	1,826	85
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	537	346.74/cwt	338.00–371.00	1,862	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	392	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,529	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	433	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	1,490	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	666	256.06/cwt	251.00–263.00	1,705	7

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 →