Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2022-02-09

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Feb 9
● Final41 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
236 head
▲ 236 vs last sale 0▲ 236 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
424 head
▲ 68 vs last sale 356▲ 424 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
88 head
▼ 398 vs last sale 486▲ 88 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder calves were not tested last week, thus no trend is available. Demand for feeder calves was mostly moderate to good despite light offerings. Many buyers started loads as tomorrows sale will have enough cattle to finish filling out loads. Quality today was plain to average. Many sets of cutback cattle off video sales were seen today. Market activity was mostly moderate today. Weigh up cows comprised most of the sale today. Demand for slaughter cows remains good to very good. A heavy portion of todays offering was comprised of cows that have been on feed. Packers opted to return most of these offerings to feed as most sets only needed 30 days of so of grain to advance to premium white. Both slaughter and feeding cows sold fully steady with last week. Weigh up conditions this week were mostly average to below average and lower than last week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed. Quality today was mostly average to attractive for weigh up cows and bulls. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Packer buyers dipped well into the young cows as they purchased cows to both slaughter and feed. A few heifers that lost calves are starting to sell and these offerings are met with good demand.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $158.38/cwt on 65 head.
Average price
$158.38
65 head · 700 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,109
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$433
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1
$40.00/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−10.26
vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1587167.0098051
Large 11,113127.001,41414thin
One grade step is worth $40.00/cwt here — about −$433 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale65 hd
158.38
—
MT average3 barns · 1,205 hd
168.64
−10.26
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—High1,88894.871,79131
CowsPremium White 65-75%High1,79278.181,40114
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,70674.831,27636
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,43170.061,003155
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,21263.90775149

Every lot

41 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Wed)
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers8 lots · lightest first
Steers—Medium and Large 1415220.00/cwt220.00–220.009131
Steers—Medium and Large 1509201.98/cwt199.00–205.001,0286
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2577187.00/cwt187.00–187.001,0793
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2630170.00/cwt170.00–170.001,0714
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2673156.00/cwt156.00–156.001,0502
Steers—Medium and Large 1699171.00/cwt171.00–171.001,1955
Steers—Medium and Large 1791155.50/cwt155.50–155.501,2304
Steers—Medium and Large 1843155.00/cwt155.00–155.001,30720
Feeder Cattle · Heifers6 lots · lightest first
Heifers—Medium and Large 1355191.00/cwt191.00–191.006783
Heifers—Medium and Large 1433181.00/cwt181.00–181.007842
Heifers—Medium and Large 1531175.48/cwt174.00–176.0093227
Heifers—Medium and Large 1629156.00/cwt156.00–156.009814
Heifers—Medium and Large 1743148.00/cwt148.00–148.001,10015
Heifers—Large 11,113127.00/cwt127.00–127.001,41414
Feeder Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1565177.00/cwt177.00–177.001,0003
Bulls—Medium and Large 1700151.00/cwt151.00–151.001,0571
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,69585.51/cwt82.00–87.501,4496
Bulls——1,86195.32/cwt92.00–100.001,77420
Bulls——2,229104.29/cwt100.50–108.002,3255
Slaughter Cattle · Cows20 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight94840.00/cwt40.00–40.003792
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,12455.03/cwt53.00–55.5061921
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,20162.79/cwt59.00–66.0075457
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,21774.74/cwt74.50–75.009102
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,22671.17/cwt69.00–72.508735
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,25867.63/cwt66.00–73.0085161
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,34076.00/cwt76.00–76.001,0181
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,40570.15/cwt67.50–73.0098643
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,41463.62/cwt57.00–66.5090029
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,43876.37/cwt76.00–77.001,0985
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,45072.04/cwt68.00–76.001,04576
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,51077.50/cwt77.50–77.501,1701
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,53564.00/cwt64.00–64.009821
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,56572.50/cwt72.50–72.501,1352
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,58587.00/cwt87.00–87.001,3791
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,67771.93/cwt71.00–73.001,20611
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,70374.74/cwt74.50–75.001,2732
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,72176.49/cwt75.50–77.751,31619
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,80877.50/cwt75.00–78.001,40113
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,86377.50/cwt77.50–77.501,4442
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,05374.84/cwt72.00–83.007886
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,07088.94/cwt80.00–109.0095257

This sale against other markets

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.