Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2019-06-05

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Jun 5
● Final46 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
253 head
158 vs last sale 95 253 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
210 head
18 vs last sale 192 210 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
771 head
618 vs last sale 153 771 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Also sold hereRegular saleFri Nov 7, 2025
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain and offered in small packages or as singles. Ranchers continue to bid on grass cattle this sale. Offerings suitable to run on grass sold on good demand again this week all other weights of feeder cattle sold on light to moderate demand. Offerings were very light. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers and feeding buyers both showed lighter demand for cows this week as heavy offerings were seen. Packers put mostly high quality, average to high yielding cows on feed this week. Packers also purchased cows for short term feeding as they begin to save cows for the 4th of July holiday week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower on lean and boning cows, breaking cows were too lightly tested to trend as most of these offerings went to feed. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly good for buyers as most cows were offering above average weigh up and significantly better than the last few weeks. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower. Young age cows sold steady to lower this week as quality was not as attractive. Demand for these offerings was light to moderate.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb steers averaged $126.83/cwt on 68 head.
Average price
$126.83
68 head · 757 lb average
Value per head Derived
$960
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$355
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium 2
$39.29/cwt at this weight
vs the market
23.52
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2713139.2999414thin
Medium and Large 1805130.351,05042
Medium 2639100.0063912thin
One grade step is worth $39.29/cwt here — about $355 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 sale68 hd
126.83
MT average3 barns · 544 hd
150.35
−23.52
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
BullsLow1,85585.641,58821
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average2,04564.001,3091thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,43563.5891332
CowsLean 85-90%High1,21160.31730105

Every lot, as filed

46 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3601,231.50/cwt1,135.00–1,300.0016,74810
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2281,110.00/cwt1,110.00–1,110.0013,6315
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2791,135.00/cwt1,135.00–1,135.0014,5174
Stock CowsMedium 178887.50/cwt87.50–87.506902
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,24862.50/cwt58.00–68.00780140
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,35065.91/cwt61.00–73.00890114
SteersMedium and Large 1-2785135.00/cwt135.00–135.001,0605
SteersMedium and Large 1-2693139.00/cwt139.00–139.009637
SteersMedium 2639100.00/cwt100.00–100.0063912
SteersMedium and Large 1628159.00/cwt159.00–159.009992
SteersMedium and Large 1736138.40/cwt137.00–144.001,0195
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,5381,334.03/cwt1,300.00–1,350.0020,5176
HeifersMedium and Large 1712132.00/cwt132.00–132.009405
HeifersMedium and Large 1810113.00/cwt113.00–113.009155
HeifersMedium and Large 1632146.16/cwt146.00–147.009246
HeifersMedium and Large 1783123.00/cwt123.00–123.009637
SteersMedium and Large 1806129.70/cwt126.00–131.001,04531
SteersMedium and Large 1-2605151.00/cwt151.00–151.009142
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2507146.00/cwt146.00–146.007403
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2792116.00/cwt116.00–116.009193
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2593144.00/cwt144.00–144.008546
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2708124.00/cwt124.00–124.0087810
HeifersMedium and Large 1664143.77/cwt141.00–145.009559
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2680120.00/cwt120.00–120.008162
CowsLean 85-90%1,20267.57/cwt66.00–70.008123
CowsLean 85-90%1,19856.96/cwt50.00–62.0068241
CowsLean 85-90%1,24363.51/cwt61.50–66.0078955
CowsBoner 80-85%1,51958.60/cwt55.00–63.008907
CowsBoner 80-85%1,41264.98/cwt62.00–66.7591825
CowsLean 85-90%1,27245.71/cwt43.00–49.005812
CowsBreaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,04564.00/cwt64.00–64.001,3091
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight88652.42/cwt50.00–55.004644
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,15559.45/cwt59.00–60.006872
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,17064.50/cwt64.50–64.507551
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,12956.25/cwt55.00–59.0063531
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,31767.11/cwt63.00–72.0088451
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,11676.22/cwt65.00–102.0085170
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,06390.91/cwt80.00–109.0096651
BullsMedium and Large 1-2895117.00/cwt117.00–117.001,0473
BullsMedium and Large 1971116.00/cwt116.00–116.001,1264
BullsLarge 11,064105.34/cwt100.00–108.001,1219
Bulls1,61076.20/cwt74.00–78.001,2272
Bulls1,82684.75/cwt82.00–88.001,54813
Bulls1,99990.70/cwt88.00–93.001,8136
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,08063.00/cwt63.00–63.006801
SteersMedium and Large 1Fleshy974111.00/cwt111.00–111.001,0814

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.