Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2022-05-18

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, May 18
● Final96 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,991 head
▲ 1,725 vs last sale 266▲ 1,820 vs year ago 171 · +1,064.3%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
528 head
▲ 46 vs last sale 482▼ 40 vs year ago 568 · −7.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
701 head
▲ 230 vs last sale 471▲ 537 vs year ago 164 · +327.4%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Quality overall this week was much higher than last weeks light offering. Demand for feeders was moderate to good for cattle suitable to run on grass and light to moderate for cattle destined for the feedlot. Cattle were mostly in light to moderate flesh with many sets of cattle backgrounded specially for the grass cattle market. Several ranchers were on hand today bidding on grass offerings. Recent rains have helped green grass and buyers came to the sale ready to buy cattle to fill summer pastures. Turbulent markets were seen today as outside equities pressured all commodity prices lower. While this had little affect on grass cattle demand, cattle destined for the feedlot saw some market pressure. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand today. Packers showed stronger demand for slaughter cows this week as supplies of cows have started to see seasonably lighter numbers. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeding cow demand was good to very good this week. Packers and independent buyers both showed good demand for high quality cows suitable to feed. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good to very good demand. These offerings sold mostly 3.00 higher.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $179.03/cwt on 811 head.
Average price
$179.03
811 head · 655 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,173
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$512
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2
$60.44/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+0.81
vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1683181.441,239598
Medium and Large 1-2585177.221,037144
Medium 1477175.008355thin
Medium and Large 2569165.7594357
Medium 2601121.007277thin
One grade step is worth $60.44/cwt here — about $512 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 sale811 hd
179.03
—
MT average3 barns · 1,031 hd
178.21
+0.81
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—Average1,87297.931,83336
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,57880.201,26623
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,39977.481,08480
CowsLean 85-90%High1,22774.21910108

Every lot

96 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 · Steers29 lots · lightest first
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2393187.85/cwt187.00–190.0073812
Steers—Medium and Large 2414176.00/cwt176.00–176.0072910
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2451187.00/cwt187.00–187.0084313
Steers—Medium 1477175.00/cwt175.00–175.008355
Steers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned478185.00/cwt185.00–185.008845
Steers—Medium and Large 1491200.61/cwt200.00–202.509858
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2507188.45/cwt187.00–189.0095530
Steers—Medium and Large 1528199.98/cwt198.00–203.001,05643
Steers—Medium and Large 2558171.00/cwt171.00–171.0095421
Steers—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed562212.50/cwt212.50–212.501,19487
Steers—Medium and Large 1569201.44/cwt189.00–205.001,14623
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2592180.58/cwt180.00–181.001,06926
Steers—Medium 2601121.00/cwt121.00–121.007277
Steers—Medium and Large 1620198.59/cwt191.00–203.001,231103
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2626178.57/cwt171.00–184.001,11826
Steers—Medium and Large 2628160.00/cwt160.00–160.001,00523
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2689166.78/cwt154.00–167.501,14918
Steers—Medium and Large 1691182.34/cwt172.50–188.001,26095
Steers—Medium and Large 1Full698158.00/cwt158.00–158.001,1034
Steers—Medium and Large 2713139.00/cwt139.00–139.009913
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2727154.77/cwt151.50–159.001,1259
Steers—Medium and Large 1737161.68/cwt161.00–164.001,19213
Steers—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed759169.00/cwt169.00–169.001,28360
Steers—Medium and Large 1781156.41/cwt151.00–163.001,22239
Steers—Medium and Large 1-2782144.79/cwt143.00–146.001,13210
Steers—Medium and Large 1827149.58/cwt148.00–152.001,23797
Steers—Medium and Large 1860147.00/cwt147.00–147.001,2645
Steers—Medium and Large 1927141.00/cwt141.00–141.001,30714
Steers—Medium and Large 1985141.00/cwt141.00–141.001,3892
Feeder Cattle · Heifers29 lots · lightest first
Heifers—Medium and Large 2357150.00/cwt150.00–150.005363
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2390176.00/cwt176.00–176.006866
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned419149.00/cwt149.00–149.0062411
Heifers—Medium and Large 1433184.00/cwt184.00–184.0079741
Heifers—Medium and Large 2438160.00/cwt160.00–160.007019
Heifers—Medium and Large 1471182.00/cwt182.00–182.0085721
Heifers—Medium and Large 2486149.34/cwt139.00–157.0072621
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Unweaned503169.50/cwt169.50–169.5085329
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2510162.20/cwt157.00–167.5082736
Heifers—Medium 1-2511140.00/cwt140.00–140.007154
Heifers—Medium and Large 1533181.21/cwt175.00–185.00966143
Heifers—Medium and Large 1578161.00/cwt159.00–163.0093118
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2586152.83/cwt148.00–153.5089631
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2631140.14/cwt138.50–144.0088445
Heifers—Medium and Large 1632156.92/cwt152.50–164.5099221
Heifers—Medium and Large 1673151.64/cwt146.00–155.501,02167
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Replacement728153.50/cwt153.50–153.501,11717
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Full728140.63/cwt138.00–143.001,02421
Heifers—Medium and Large 1733150.05/cwt150.00–151.001,10089
Heifers—Medium and Large 1756139.00/cwt139.00–139.001,05112
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Full761134.00/cwt134.00–134.001,0208
Heifers—Medium and Large 1-2762137.20/cwt134.00–138.501,0457
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Replacement777145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,1279
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Replacement808145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,1727
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Full810133.00/cwt133.00–133.001,0772
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Replacement8111,255.01/cwt1,250.00–1,260.0010,178111
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Fleshy820128.00/cwt128.00–128.001,0506
Heifers—Medium and Large 1Fleshy879126.91/cwt124.00–131.001,1167
Heifers—Medium and Large 1898130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,1672
Feeder Cattle · Bulls6 lots · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 1Unweaned540167.50/cwt167.50–167.5090553
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-2775137.00/cwt137.00–137.001,0622
Bulls—Medium and Large 1800137.00/cwt137.00–137.001,0967
Bulls—Medium and Large 1-2824120.00/cwt120.00–120.0098912
Bulls—Medium and Large 1918134.00/cwt134.00–134.001,2309
Bulls—Large 11,010112.00/cwt112.00–112.001,13111
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,78892.21/cwt82.00–96.501,64915
Bulls——1,85898.77/cwt96.00–105.001,83515
Bulls——2,038109.15/cwt106.50–116.002,2245
Bulls——Heavy Weight2,520115.00/cwt115.00–115.002,8981
Slaughter Cattle · Cows14 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight96567.95/cwt65.00–71.006562
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,15881.13/cwt81.00–81.509398
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,21476.30/cwt74.00–79.0092631
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,21969.89/cwt65.00–73.5085227
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,23056.04/cwt51.00–59.006896
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,27677.68/cwt75.00–78.5099134
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,37771.37/cwt64.00–76.0098332
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,39084.33/cwt84.00–85.001,17215
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,40680.90/cwt79.00–83.001,13720
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,43478.66/cwt76.00–83.001,12810
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,49573.00/cwt73.00–73.001,0911
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,53385.99/cwt85.00–87.001,3182
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,53684.19/cwt83.00–84.501,2935
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,59079.09/cwt79.00–79.501,25818
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2641,342.18/cwt1,235.00–1,375.0016,96516
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3081,210.00/cwt1,210.00–1,210.0015,82729
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3741,075.00/cwt1,075.00–1,075.0014,77115
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs9 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,2521,150.00/cwt1,150.00–1,150.0014,39814
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,2991,886.05/cwt1,860.00–1,900.0024,50036
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,3321,055.95/cwt1,050.00–1,060.0014,06510
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS1,342975.00/cwt975.00–975.0013,0859
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,4361,480.79/cwt1,410.00–1,560.0021,26423
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4771,110.00/cwt1,110.00–1,110.0016,39510
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4921,254.51/cwt1,250.00–1,260.0018,71781
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,5801,426.52/cwt1,350.00–1,485.0022,53963
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,6341,400.00/cwt1,400.00–1,400.0022,8765
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1988112.56/cwt97.00–123.501,11260
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,17185.09/cwt77.00–102.5099638

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.