Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2021-11-03

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Nov 3
● Final41 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
458 head
19 vs last sale 477 531 vs year ago 989 · 53.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
1,906 head
292 vs last sale 1,614 289 vs year ago 1,617 · +17.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
938 head
299 vs last sale 639 107 vs year ago 1,045 · 10.2%
Also sold hereRegular saleFri Nov 7, 2025
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Feeder calves were not well tested. Demand for yearlings was mostly good on light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for heavy offerings. Over 2,500 head of cows sold in todays offering. The majority of the cow offering sold as feeding cows this week. Demand for boning flesh cows and young cows was very good as both packers and feeding buyers purchased these cows to feed to premium white. Feeding cows sold 1.00-4.00 higher on these type offerings. Packer buyers opted to only purchase extremely lame or cows with major blemishes to send to slaughter. Both packers and feeding buyers purchased cows with slight blemishes to feed until the market improves. A heavy offering of thin cows was seen this sale. Thin feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Cow quality this week was average to attractive. Feeding buyers continue to be active in purchasing very thin cows. These offerings offer lots of compensatory gain. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Competition with feeding buyers helped keep offerings steady. Young age cows sold mostly steady to weak. Many long strings of open 2-4 year old cows were seen this week. Breed up conditions this summer were mostly below average due to poor water quality and limited forage due to the drought. Most of these offerings are being purchased for southern fall breeding programs.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $136.08/cwt on 67 head.
Average price
$136.08
67 head · 931 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,267
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$278
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1
$26.41/cwt at this weight
vs the market
13.29
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2760145.001,1024thin
Medium and Large 1866141.271,22447
Large 11,163118.591,38016thin
One grade step is worth $26.41/cwt here — about −$278 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 sale67 hd
136.08
MT average5 barns · 3,870 hd
149.37
−13.29
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
BullsLow1,71578.871,35359
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,61665.651,06110
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,42057.96823291
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,16746.48543887

Every lot, as filed

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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,55367.00/cwt65.00–69.001,0412
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,45067.38/cwt64.50–68.5097784
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,21249.77/cwt47.00–55.50603456
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,22658.19/cwt57.00–62.0071370
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,11439.19/cwt33.00–40.0043772
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,09745.82/cwt41.00–48.00503120
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight98232.15/cwt30.00–33.0031642
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,58566.41/cwt66.00–66.501,0536
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,40351.33/cwt42.00–57.5072072
CowsLean 85-90%1,15546.00/cwt46.00–46.005316
CowsLean 85-90%1,15140.01/cwt36.00–45.5046166
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,77062.00/cwt62.00–62.001,0972
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,40259.51/cwt56.00–63.0083499
CowsLean 85-90%1,14832.30/cwt25.00–36.5037145
CowsBoner 80-85%1,43545.01/cwt41.00–49.5064636
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight95845.68/cwt44.00–47.504382
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight92841.47/cwt38.00–43.003858
Bulls1,78972.13/cwt67.00–76.001,29012
Bulls2,09089.00/cwt89.00–89.001,8601
Bulls1,91183.65/cwt79.50–86.001,59917
BullsReturn to Feed1,84589.00/cwt89.00–89.001,6421
BullsReturn to Feed1,60480.31/cwt79.00–84.501,28818
BullsReturn to Feed1,44474.22/cwt71.00–75.001,07210
Stock CowsMedium and Large 194696.89/cwt66.00–111.00917326
Stock CowsLarge 179560.00/cwt60.00–60.004772
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-299952.07/cwt46.00–66.005206
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,06372.08/cwt46.00–88.00766193
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-282977.30/cwt75.00–79.0064111
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed95745.00/cwt45.00–45.004315
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,1481,050.00/cwt1,050.00–1,050.0012,0542
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,0711,014.19/cwt1,000.00–1,035.0010,86219
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,32551.00/cwt51.00–51.006767
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2081,100.00/cwt1,100.00–1,100.0013,2889
HeifersMedium and Large 1971134.50/cwt132.00–137.001,3066
HeifersLarge 1Full1,173116.00/cwt116.00–116.001,3619
HeifersMedium and Large 1819143.00/cwt143.00–143.001,1717
HeifersMedium and Large 1915137.88/cwt137.50–139.001,2624
HeifersMedium and Large 1850142.67/cwt142.50–145.001,21330
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2760145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,1024
HeifersLarge 11,191120.00/cwt120.00–120.001,4294
HeifersLarge 1Full1,098124.50/cwt124.50–124.501,3673

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.