Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2019-10-30

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Oct 30
● Final52 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
288 head
628 vs last sale 916 288 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
190 head
386 vs last sale 576 190 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
1,139 head
139 vs last sale 1,000 1,139 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 was mostly average today. Demand for all feeder cattle was light to moderate on mostly very light offerings. Market activity was moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers showed better demand this week for cows destined for immediate harvest. Packers sent the majority of fleshy cows to harvest this week rather than feed. With heavy supplies of lean cows on offer packers showed very good demand for fleshy cows as they need fat to blend down the heavy amounts of lean product being harvested. Packers also showed slightly better demand for lean and boning cows this week. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher on lean and boning cows. Breaking cows all sold to feed last week thus no trend is available. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-4.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly average. A heavy offering of bred stock was seen this week. Demand for bred cows was mostly moderate with good demand seen for cattle off a complete dispersion.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $129.07/cwt on 116 head.
Average price
$129.07
116 head · 777 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,003
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$117
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1-2
$18.00/cwt at this weight
vs the market
11.98
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2849133.001,1294thin
Medium and Large 1741130.5396796
Large 1946120.751,14212thin
Large 1-21,084115.001,2474thin
One grade step is worth $18.00/cwt here — about −$117 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 sale116 hd
129.07
MT average5 barns · 3,795 hd
141.04
−11.98
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
BullsHigh1,84671.831,32629
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,64065.751,07811
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,44846.5167312
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,20242.69513105

Every lot, as filed

52 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
HeifersLarge 1Unweaned645126.00/cwt126.00–126.008133
HeifersLarge 1-21,084115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,2474
Stock CowsMedium and Large 198683.31/cwt70.00–92.5082158
HeifersMedium and Large 1921127.61/cwt126.00–128.501,17517
SteersMedium and Large 1934141.00/cwt141.00–141.001,31710
SteersMedium and Large 1-2820138.00/cwt138.00–138.001,1324
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned640139.50/cwt139.50–139.5089338
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fancy1,3401,100.00/cwt1,100.00–1,100.0014,7406
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 19031,059.22/cwt1,000.00–1,075.009,56514
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,35754.47/cwt47.00–68.0073948
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,46763.57/cwt49.50–69.0093384
Bred HeifersMedium 18671,014.65/cwt1,010.00–1,035.008,79738
HeifersMedium and Large 1974119.74/cwt119.25–121.001,16629
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned483148.00/cwt148.00–148.007152
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned633131.00/cwt131.00–131.008293
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned539136.00/cwt136.00–136.007336
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned427148.34/cwt147.50–150.5063311
HeifersMedium and Large 1Unweaned586134.00/cwt134.00–134.0078528
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2849133.00/cwt133.00–133.001,1294
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,299675.00/cwt675.00–675.008,7685
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,204875.00/cwt875.00–875.0010,53522
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,240783.76/cwt775.00–785.009,71948
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,33957.50/cwt57.50–57.5077010
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,289767.45/cwt700.00–785.009,892117
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,377810.00/cwt810.00–810.0011,1543
Bred HeifersMedium 1804850.00/cwt850.00–850.006,8344
SteersMedium 1-2675144.00/cwt144.00–144.0097210
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,12869.01/cwt59.00–78.0077862
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,34158.46/cwt52.00–70.5078433
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,27645.27/cwt38.00–49.0057890
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,25646.84/cwt46.50–49.505889
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,23951.87/cwt51.00–54.506435
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,16449.35/cwt46.00–56.005746
Bulls2,26380.50/cwt80.50–80.501,8223
Bulls1,70768.25/cwt64.00–70.001,16511
Bulls1,86572.72/cwt68.50–80.001,35615
CowsBoner 80-85%1,44846.51/cwt45.00–47.0067312
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,64065.75/cwt64.00–68.001,07811
CowsLean 85-90%1,11237.32/cwt36.00–38.5041510
CowsLean 85-90%1,28346.74/cwt46.50–49.5060016
CowsLean 85-90%1,21443.13/cwt39.00–46.0052474
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight93832.00/cwt32.00–32.003002
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight96535.34/cwt35.00–36.003413
HeifersLarge 11,046119.00/cwt119.00–119.001,2459
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0731,025.00/cwt1,025.00–1,025.0010,99812
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 19951,250.38/cwt1,210.00–1,350.0012,441109
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 19041,010.00/cwt1,010.00–1,010.009,1304
Bred HeifersMedium 1Thin Fleshed755775.00/cwt775.00–775.005,8514
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,348897.40/cwt800.00–985.0012,09731
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2071,108.63/cwt1,050.00–1,150.0013,38146
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3501,353.42/cwt1,350.00–1,360.0018,27134
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,503885.00/cwt885.00–885.0013,3024

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.