Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2021-02-24

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Feb 24
● Final58 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
275 head
101 vs last sale 174 129 vs year ago 146 · +88.4%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
528 head
229 vs last sale 299 358 vs year ago 170 · +210.6%
Replacement Cattle receipts
265 head
220 vs last sale 45 1,520 vs year ago 1,785 · 85.2%
Also sold hereRegular saleFri Nov 7, 2025
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested this week to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain and offered in mostly small packages. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Not enough cattle were on offer for buyers to put together loads of any weigh or class which also limited demand. Market activity was mostly slow. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Packer buyers showed significantly lighter demand for slaughter cows this week. Warmer weather has helped improve the number of cattle available to packers both delivered to the plant as well as in sales across the upper Plaines states. Cow quality this week was not as attractive overall as last week. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average with most set of cows pushing moderate to heavy amounts of fill. Packers opted to purchase most high quality cows to feed this week. Feeding cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold steady in a narrow comparison. Most bulls were very full this week. Two year old to young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. Many of these offerings freshly lost calves. Quality was average this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $141.99/cwt on 114 head.
Average price
$141.99
114 head · 556 lb average
Value per head Derived
$789
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$177
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 1
$10.75/cwt at this weight
vs the market
9.96
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2473148.4870230
Medium 1407146.2959519thin
Medium and Large 1638137.7387865
One grade step is worth $10.75/cwt here — about −$177 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 sale114 hd
141.99
MT average3 barns · 1,447 hd
151.94
−9.96
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
BullsAverage1,88781.751,54327
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,60259.8195843
CowsPremium White 65-75%Low1,71059.001,0091thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,37158.48802217
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,19154.05644149

Every lot, as filed

58 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
Bulls1,95387.43/cwt85.00–90.501,7088
Bulls1,89991.11/cwt91.00–91.501,7304
Bulls1,89775.77/cwt66.00–84.001,43712
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,41956.51/cwt54.50–57.0080213
BullsLarge 11,111112.00/cwt112.00–112.001,2444
Stock CowsLarge 11,41073.50/cwt73.50–73.501,0363
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,53556.57/cwt55.00–60.008688
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,57262.06/cwt60.50–64.0097621
CowsLean 85-90%1,19353.94/cwt49.00–56.5064477
CowsBoner 80-85%1,51050.00/cwt50.00–50.007551
HeifersMedium 1Fleshy623122.00/cwt122.00–122.007606
SteersMedium 1Fleshy825117.00/cwt117.00–117.0096522
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,94062.79/cwt62.00–63.501,2182
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,36961.07/cwt58.00–65.5083688
BullsLarge 11,066117.99/cwt115.00–119.001,2588
BullsLarge 11,216103.00/cwt103.00–103.001,2524
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,213775.00/cwt775.00–775.009,4015
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,227837.81/cwt835.00–900.0010,28025
CowsBoner 80-85%1,40659.35/cwt58.00–63.0083424
Bulls2,45582.00/cwt82.00–82.002,0131
Stock CowsMedium and Large 195999.37/cwt89.00–114.0095366
HeifersMedium 1307157.50/cwt157.50–157.5048413
HeifersMedium and Large 1564143.00/cwt143.00–143.008074
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2436156.50/cwt155.00–160.0068210
SteersMedium 1Fleshy691121.00/cwt121.00–121.0083610
SteersLarge 11,020117.20/cwt116.00–118.001,1955
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2323157.50/cwt157.50–157.505095
HeifersMedium and Large 1377171.00/cwt171.00–171.0064511
SteersMedium and Large 1440184.00/cwt184.00–184.008102
HeifersMedium and Large 1798120.50/cwt120.50–120.5096221
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed86276.00/cwt76.00–76.006559
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,06969.11/cwt56.00–89.0073999
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2510149.00/cwt149.00–149.007606
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2639131.00/cwt131.00–131.008374
HeifersMedium and Large 1673133.00/cwt133.00–133.008952
BullsMedium and Large 1963116.00/cwt116.00–116.001,1174
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2730117.00/cwt117.00–117.008542
SteersMedium and Large 1-2586142.50/cwt142.50–142.508355
BullsMedium and Large 1463181.00/cwt181.00–181.008382
HeifersMedium and Large 1636137.50/cwt137.50–137.5087516
BullsMedium and Large 1-2675127.00/cwt127.00–127.008572
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2375150.00/cwt150.00–150.005633
HeifersMedium and Large 1700125.50/cwt125.50–125.508796
HeifersMedium and Large 1514150.00/cwt150.00–150.007715
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight88038.00/cwt38.00–38.003341
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight95251.08/cwt48.00–55.004867
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,40466.59/cwt66.00–68.009356
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,64257.53/cwt57.00–60.5094512
CowsPremium White 65-75%1,71059.00/cwt59.00–59.001,0091
CowsLean 85-90%1,15136.17/cwt35.00–43.004167
CowsLean 85-90%1,32865.00/cwt65.00–65.008632
CowsLean 85-90%1,21559.22/cwt57.00–63.0072012
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight97557.00/cwt57.00–57.005561
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,20659.09/cwt57.50–62.5071313
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,24554.67/cwt47.00–57.0068129
BullsReturn to Feed1,25576.00/cwt76.00–76.009542
CowsBoner 80-85%1,70566.50/cwt66.50–66.501,1341
CowsBoner 80-85%1,34855.25/cwt51.50–57.0074584

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.