Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2022-03-09

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Mar 9
● Final33 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
51 head
64 vs last sale 115 248 vs year ago 299 · 82.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
169 head
627 vs last sale 796 55 vs year ago 224 · 24.6%
Replacement Cattle receipts
92 head
1,728 vs last sale 1,820 9 vs year ago 101 · 8.9%
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 on feed cattle is available. Demand for limited offerings was good. Quality was mostly average to attractive today. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand. Packers showed good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Packer buyers competed with feeding cow buyers over offerings today which helped push cow prices slightly higher in places. Too few boning and breaking cows were seen to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Lean cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold on mostly good to very good demand today. Feeding cows sold with steady to higher undertones. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good demand today. Several sets of open cows were seen and these were purchased to rebreed. Young age cows sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $176.33/cwt on 18 head.
Average price
$176.33
18 head · 549 lb average
Value per head Derived
$969
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$27
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$26.00/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+9.35
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1516185.0095412thin
Medium and Large 1-2617159.009816thin
One grade step is worth $26.00/cwt here — about −$27 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 sale18 hd
176.33
MT average3 barns · 815 hd
166.98
+9.35
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
BullsLow1,71194.801,62231
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,68981.241,37214
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,43780.361,15420
CowsLean 85-90%High1,20472.7587684

Every lot, as filed

33 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
SteersMedium and Large 1503210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,0562
HeifersMedium and Large 1468188.00/cwt188.00–188.008806
HeifersMedium and Large 1563182.00/cwt182.00–182.001,0256
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2797141.00/cwt141.00–141.001,1243
BullsMedium and Large 1936132.00/cwt132.00–132.001,2367
BullsLarge 11,120104.00/cwt104.00–104.001,1652
BullsLarge 11,007122.76/cwt104.00–126.001,2367
SteersMedium and Large 2725120.00/cwt120.00–120.008702
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2437177.00/cwt177.00–177.007733
SteersMedium and Large 1575194.00/cwt194.00–194.001,1163
SteersMedium and Large 1449212.50/cwt212.50–212.509544
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed79561.00/cwt61.00–61.004851
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1816131.56/cwt122.50–137.501,07438
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed76071.00/cwt71.00–71.005401
Stock CowsMedium and Large 198897.10/cwt78.00–111.0095945
BullsLight Weight1,20580.00/cwt80.00–80.009641
BullsReturn to Feed2,015100.00/cwt100.00–100.002,0151
BullsReturn to Feed1,73590.17/cwt90.00–91.501,5649
Bulls1,60496.93/cwt94.50–102.001,5556
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,73881.15/cwt80.00–85.001,4108
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,23581.00/cwt81.00–81.001,0001
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,14569.62/cwt62.50–72.0079713
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,42479.74/cwt79.00–83.001,13513
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,36083.00/cwt83.00–83.001,1291
CowsLean 85-90%1,08060.27/cwt60.00–60.506512
CowsLean 85-90%1,25276.53/cwt74.00–79.0095829
CowsLean 85-90%1,19371.42/cwt64.50–73.5085239
CowsBoner 80-85%1,45580.13/cwt75.00–82.001,1664
CowsBoner 80-85%1,52083.49/cwt83.00–84.001,2692
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,62381.37/cwt80.00–83.001,3216
Bulls2,178111.58/cwt109.50–112.502,4303
Bulls1,54689.00/cwt80.00–94.001,3769
Bulls2,065115.00/cwt115.00–115.002,3752

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.