Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-01-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-01-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (12-04-24): All feeder cattle were too lightly tested either this week or last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however mostly higher undertones were noticed last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly average today. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Demand for limited feeders was very good. CME positions have seen significant improvement since the beginning of December and buyers continue to show very good demand for all feeder cattle on offer. The largest gains in price were seen in cattle over 600 lbs. Demand for both steers and heifers of this weight was very good. Market activity was mostly active today, with buyers both ringside and over the internet rapidly bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows comprised most of the sale today. Demand was mostly good to very good for moderate offerings. A very large pool of cow buyers were on hand for todays sale. Cow quality this sale was mostly average to attractive. Most cows were purchased to go to feed in some capacity. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Thin, short term feeding cows sold mostly steady to firm. Many low yielding, slightly lame, or slightly blemished cows were purchased for this purpose. Slaughter cow demand was mostly moderate today. Buyers picked around and purchased cows that fit slaughter orders. Very few cows were purchased to slaughter this sale as feeding cow buyers pushed most cows over slaughter cow orders. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 higher on lean and boning cows breaking cows sold mostly 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Demand for slaughter bulls was lighter this sale as fewer buyers were noticed. Bull quality was average today. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Demand from rebreed buyers remains good to very good. Quality this week was average to attractive. Offerings this sale were significantly heavier than last sale.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $304.81/cwt on 21 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −116.73 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$304.81

21 head · 565 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,723

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$94

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2

$20.17/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.76

vs MT average

−0.43 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	564	308.65	1,741	17thin
Medium and Large 1-2	571	288.48	1,647	4thin

One grade step is worth $20.17/cwt here — about $94 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

19 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $464.07, low $350.88, median $421.54 across 19 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale21 hd

304.81

—

MT average2 barns · 92 hd

310.57

−5.76

National average163 barns · 22,771 hd

305.24

−0.43

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−116.73

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.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	2,013	136.45	2,747	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,453	136.07	1,977	48
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,401	124.46	1,744	168
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,176	108.86	1,280	98

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,423	$2,400	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,037	$2,263	28
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,400	$2,250	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,340	$1,730	5

Every lot, as filed

60 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	857	241.49/cwt	240.00–251.00	2,070	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	677	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,909	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	802	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,989	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	634	316.82/cwt	310.00–327.00	2,009	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	530	358.00/cwt	358.00–358.00	1,897	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	381.00/cwt	381.00–381.00	1,791	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	168.20/cwt	133.00–185.50	1,842	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	980	241.00/cwt	241.00–241.00	2,362	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	308.65/cwt	297.00–313.00	1,741	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	996	230.68/cwt	230.50–233.00	2,298	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	433	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,505	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	281.61/cwt	275.00–283.00	1,873	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,001	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,126	166.07/cwt	142.00–211.00	1,870	51
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,373	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	2,375	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	731	268.40/cwt	267.00–275.00	1,962	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	614	292.00/cwt	292.00–292.00	1,793	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,423	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	829	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	1,956	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	980	148.40/cwt	129.00–192.50	1,454	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,340	1,730.30/head	1,700.00–1,875.00	1,730	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,087	133.02/cwt	130.00–136.00	1,446	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,400	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	615	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,747	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,435	102.36/cwt	96.00–106.00	1,469	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,618	114.57/cwt	108.00–117.00	1,854	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,223	129.08/cwt	127.00–133.50	1,579	22
Bulls	—	—	2,073	142.39/cwt	138.00–145.00	2,952	6
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,538	137.52/cwt	136.00–139.00	3,490	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,578	129.25/cwt	122.00–134.50	2,040	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	453	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,427	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	575	311.50/cwt	310.00–313.00	1,791	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,044	2,294.33/head	2,250.00–2,300.00	2,294	25
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	977	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	842	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,189	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	715	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,916	5
Steers	Large 1	500–550	515	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,674	3
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	674	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,678	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	318	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,097	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	571	288.48/cwt	287.00–289.00	1,647	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,040	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,184	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	635	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,842	2
Bulls	—	—	1,923	132.54/cwt	128.00–136.00	2,549	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,206	93.80/cwt	89.00–102.00	1,131	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	945	85.57/cwt	82.50–88.00	809	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,205	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,265	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	818	93.00/cwt	93.00–93.00	761	4
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,100	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	2,343	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,191	100.90/cwt	96.50–111.00	1,202	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,188	120.42/cwt	115.00–123.00	1,431	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,408	137.78/cwt	136.00–138.00	1,940	40
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,545	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	2,024	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,980	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	2,119	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,613	132.90/cwt	131.50–133.50	2,144	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,425	132.60/cwt	131.00–137.50	1,890	41
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	925	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	809	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,125	88.00/cwt	88.00–88.00	990	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,422	113.72/cwt	108.00–117.00	1,617	37
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,683	127.89/cwt	125.00–130.00	2,152	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,366	127.40/cwt	118.00–132.00	1,740	80

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.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →