Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2022-02-23

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Feb 23
● Final21 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
25 head
465 vs last sale 490 250 vs year ago 275 · 90.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
138 head
118 vs last sale 256 390 vs year ago 528 · 73.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
40 head
60 vs last sale 100 225 vs year ago 265 · 84.9%
Also sold hereRegular saleFri Nov 7, 2025
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder calves were scarcely tested this week thus no trend is available. Extremely cold temperatures were seen over the last couple days with temperatures reaching as cold as 35 below in some locations. Very few cattle are being marketed as a result. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for very light offerings. Cold temperatures have slowed the volume of cows available to packers, which has them searching for offerings for immediate slaughter. Slaughter cow buyers pushed to own as much of the offering as possible, bidding on almost every cow in the offering. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested on boning and breaking cows to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Lean cows sold sharply higher with most sales 8.00-10.00 higher. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to trend, higher undertones were noticed. Many offerings were heifers which freshly lost calves. Feeding demand for these offerings was good as demand for feeder cattle continues to be strong.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb bulls averaged $110.60/cwt on 10 head. That ranks 1 of 29 comparable sales and sits 93.51 against this barn's trailing median of $204.11.
Average price
$110.60
10 head · 955 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,056
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$157
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1
$4.67/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+4.18
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2900112.001,0087thin
Large 11,085107.331,1653thin
One grade step is worth $4.67/cwt here — about −$157 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.

This barn's trailing prices 0–100 lb

29 sales
238211183156median 204.1101/0702/2504/1506/0308/19
Bulls 0–100 lb: high $224.44, low $169.60, median $204.11 across 29 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale10 hd
110.60
MT average3 barns · 55 hd
106.42
+4.18
This barn, trailing median29 sales
204.11
−93.51
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
BullsAverage1,59695.701,5277thin
CowsPremium White 65-75%Average2,00582.001,6441thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,56781.161,2728thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,49278.291,1688thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,14273.61841106

Every lot, as filed

21 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
BullsLarge 11,035112.00/cwt112.00–112.001,1591
BullsLarge 11,110105.00/cwt105.00–105.001,1662
BullsMedium and Large 1-2835120.00/cwt120.00–120.001,0023
BullsMedium and Large 1-2948106.00/cwt106.00–106.001,0054
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3291,026.54/cwt910.00–1,050.0013,64311
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1992117.84/cwt108.00–136.001,16910
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2818133.52/cwt132.00–134.001,09211
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,16982.93/cwt72.00–102.009697
BullsReturn to Feed1,20096.00/cwt96.00–96.001,1521
Bulls1,870106.00/cwt106.00–106.001,9821
CowsBoner 80-85%1,51978.90/cwt77.00–81.001,1987
CowsBoner 80-85%1,30074.00/cwt74.00–74.009621
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,56781.16/cwt80.00–82.001,2728
CowsLean 85-90%1,18577.99/cwt76.50–79.0092448
CowsLean 85-90%1,18771.80/cwt66.00–74.0085215
CowsPremium White 65-75%2,00582.00/cwt82.00–82.001,6441
Bulls1,62093.58/cwt92.00–94.501,5165
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight94562.16/cwt62.00–63.0058713
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,27478.24/cwt76.00–78.5099720
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight85259.00/cwt59.00–59.005039
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight96078.00/cwt78.00–78.007491

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.