Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-03-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-05

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested this week as todays sale featured bred cows, bred heifers and weigh ups. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Quality today was mixed with lots of variation seen. Quality ranged from plain to very attractive. The majority of the weigh up offerings were purchased to feed this week. Demand for fleshy cows was mostly good and stronger than last week as regional packers were back in the market and showed very good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Breaking slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Boning and lean cows purchased for slaughter sold generally steady. Feeding cows sold on very good demand today. Feeding cows sold generally steady on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white, while thin short term feeding cows sold steady to 3.00 lower. The quality of cows going to feed varied greatly from buyer to buyer as several buyers were willing to take cows which were lame or slightly blemished and put them on feed or run them on wheat pasture until cow supplies tighten later in the spring and early summer. A large pool of feeding cow buyers was on hand for todays sale and market activity was mostly active as a result. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Most of the bull offering was comprised of fed bulls which were consigned as All Natural. Demand for slaughter bulls was very good this sale. Weigh up conditions were mixed, however a large portion of the cow offering was average to above average as many cows were sorted and run through the chute to pregnancy check prior to todays bred cow sale. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00 higher, however quality this week was mostly attractive as many were the opens off of todays bred cow sale. Demand from rebreed buyers was very good this sale. Quality this week was mostly attractive to very attractive. Demand for bred cows was very good and cows sold higher than the last bred cow special on all classes. A very large crowd was on hand for todays sale with lots of Montana ranchers in the seats. Most sets of cows stayed in the state as ranchers continue to fill summer pastures. Demand for broken mouth cows was very good this sale.

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	1,917	176.93	3,391	68
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,568	146.31	2,295	85
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,412	142.57	2,014	186
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,194	132.60	1,583	213
Dairy Bulls	—	Low	1,425	144.00	2,052	1thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,413	115.00	1,625	2thin
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,575	114.00	1,796	1thin

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,222	$3,393	151
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,323	$3,197	94
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,259	$3,124	62
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,416	$3,019	207
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,355	$2,899	16
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,390	$2,869	48
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,459	$2,733	173
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,396	$2,703	328
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,250	$2,470	18
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,266	$2,105	6
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,025	$3,317	119
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,030	$2,750	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,394	$3,065	10
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,029	$3,350	7

Every lot, as filed

65 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
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,322	2,432.79/head	2,200.00–2,500.00	2,433	27
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,394	3,064.57/head	3,000.00–3,150.00	3,065	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,306	2,865.34/head	2,800.00–2,900.00	2,865	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,418	3,024.37/head	2,800.00–3,150.00	3,024	204
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,035	220.17/cwt	190.00–242.00	2,279	58
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,028	3,343.12/head	3,000.00–3,450.00	3,343	113
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,394	2,961.64/head	2,900.00–3,050.00	2,962	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,317	3,297.71/head	3,000.00–3,400.00	3,298	75
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,209	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,230	3,420.10/head	3,100.00–3,600.00	3,420	144
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,424	2,777.48/head	2,575.00–2,950.00	2,777	259
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,280	2,461.53/head	2,450.00–2,475.00	2,462	38
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,266	2,105.48/head	2,000.00–2,300.00	2,105	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,403	2,902.21/head	2,725.00–3,000.00	2,902	40
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,493	2,796.04/head	2,750.00–2,850.00	2,796	150
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,239	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,255	146.52/cwt	142.00–158.00	1,839	15
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,250	2,470.25/head	2,300.00–2,550.00	2,470	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,253	3,156.84/head	3,000.00–3,250.00	3,157	55
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,425	2,742.29/head	2,500.00–2,925.00	2,742	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,078	190.11/cwt	147.00–222.50	2,049	109
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,030	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,236	2,486.10/head	2,450.00–2,600.00	2,486	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,142	2,863.80/head	2,800.00–2,900.00	2,864	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,312	2,675.00/head	2,675.00–2,675.00	2,675	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,022	157.88/cwt	147.00–180.00	1,614	7
Dairy Bulls	—	—	1,425	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,052	1
Bulls	—	—	1,672	152.55/cwt	149.50–155.00	2,551	3
Bulls	—	—	2,042	170.70/cwt	169.00–172.00	3,486	3
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,963	170.27/cwt	165.00–176.00	3,342	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,310	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,900	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,465	142.51/cwt	132.50–151.00	2,088	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,575	139.67/cwt	134.00–146.00	2,200	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,413	129.04/cwt	124.00–132.50	1,823	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,431	149.59/cwt	147.00–154.00	2,141	76
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,384	140.58/cwt	135.00–145.50	1,946	68
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,325	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,418	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,363	124.54/cwt	114.00–129.50	1,697	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,699	145.68/cwt	138.00–148.50	2,475	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,693	132.87/cwt	131.00–137.00	2,249	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,589	135.96/cwt	135.00–138.00	2,160	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,565	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	2,363	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,599	142.42/cwt	140.00–145.00	2,277	12
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,575	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	1,796	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,434	150.86/cwt	150.00–151.00	2,163	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,270	144.60/cwt	144.00–147.00	1,836	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,152	99.57/cwt	87.50–105.00	1,147	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,132	119.64/cwt	109.00–125.00	1,354	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,510	150.85/cwt	150.50–153.50	2,278	48
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,413	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,625	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,206	129.50/cwt	129.00–131.00	1,562	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	873	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,160	125.56/cwt	112.50–132.50	1,456	72
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,214	138.89/cwt	133.00–143.00	1,686	102
Bulls	—Natural	—	2,194	188.48/cwt	188.00–190.00	4,135	6
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,919	179.61/cwt	175.00–181.00	3,447	51
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,323	2,701.90/head	2,550.00–2,750.00	2,702	8
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	959	2,833.15/head	2,800.00–2,850.00	2,833	6
Heifer Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,029	3,350.00/head	3,350.00–3,350.00	3,350	7
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	755	227.49/cwt	225.00–231.00	1,718	7
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	789	221.36/cwt	218.00–224.00	1,747	13
Bred Cows	Medium 1	—	1,009	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,283	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,245	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,219	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	4

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 →