Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-02-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-02-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

All feeder and slaughter cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Extreme cold has been seen across the region which lightened all offerings significantly. Demand was mostly light to moderate for feeder cattle on a plain quality offering. Offerings were very light. Many blemished, unreportable cattle were seen this sale. Slaughter cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Packers showed very good demand for all cows for immediate harvest. Very few feeding quality cows were seen this sale. Cow quality was mostly plain to average today. Many cows were blemished this sale.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 300–400 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

300–400 lb heifers averaged $305.00/cwt on 3 head. That ranks 1 of 5 comparable sales and sits −196.42 against this barn's trailing median of $501.42.

Average price

$305.00

3 head · 387 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,180

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−16.67

vs MT average

−19.76 vs national

What quality paid 300–400 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	387	305.00	1,180	3thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 300–400 lb

5 sales

Heifers 300–400 lb: high $562.38, low $472.86, median $501.42 across 5 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 300–400 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale3 hd

305.00

—

MT average2 barns · 9 hd

321.67

−16.67

National average150 barns · 4,500 hd

324.76

−19.76

This barn, trailing median5 sales

501.42

−196.42

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	—	Low	1,777	148.63	2,641	6thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,798	153.05	2,752	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,440	134.25	1,934	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,153	118.00	1,360	9thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,315	124.00	1,631	1thin

Every lot, as filed

25 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
Bulls	—	—	1,743	143.45/cwt	138.00–148.00	2,500	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,452	137.24/cwt	132.00–141.00	1,993	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,493	118.42/cwt	109.00–128.00	1,768	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,798	153.05/cwt	152.00–154.00	2,752	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	950	117.92/cwt	115.00–121.00	1,120	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1300–1350	1,317	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	2,450	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	850	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	2,074	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,002	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	2,064	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	900–950	915	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,967	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	387	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,180	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	875	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,188	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,155	182.17/cwt	180.00–184.00	2,104	2
Stock Cows	Large 1-2	—	900	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,395	1
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,185	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	2,453	2
Steers	Medium 2-3	450–500	483	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,208	2
Steers	Medium 1-2	500–550	504	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	1,643	7
Steers	Medium 1-2	400–450	400	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,440	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	998	172.09/cwt	162.00–185.00	1,717	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	870	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	761	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,058	126.12/cwt	122.50–130.00	1,334	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,357	126.01/cwt	121.00–134.50	1,710	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,372	121.61/cwt	112.00–125.00	1,668	4
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,315	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,631	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,456	141.02/cwt	140.00–146.00	2,053	7
Bulls	—	—	1,845	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,934	2

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 →