Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-11-05

Public Auction Yards

Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Nov 5
● Final66 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Slaughter Cattle receipts
1,857 head
567 vs last sale 1,290 712 vs year ago 1,145 · +62.2%
Replacement Cattle receipts
2,385 head
1,871 vs last sale 514 1,322 vs year ago 1,063 · +124.4%
Also sold hereRegular saleFri Nov 7, 2025
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested this week as this weeks sale featured bred cows and weigh ups. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for heavy offerings. Demand for feeding cows continues to be good to very good as a large pool of feeding cow buyers continue to buy cows to put on feed, run on stubble or stalk fields this winter. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to 3.00 lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive with lots of variation in quality noticed. Packers showed a desire to buy cows lower but struggled to do so as demand for feeding cows and the volume of feeding cow buyers kept prices close to last week, despite this being one of the largest weigh up special in years. Demand for thin fleshed feeding cows remains very good with many private buyers showing very good demand for these offerings. Quality this week for lean cows was not as attractive as last week with many blemished offerings seen. Thin fleshed feeding cows sold steady to 4.00 lower. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly moderate. Only extremely blemished cows were purchased for slaughter this week as feeding demand kept prices mostly above where packers were willing to buy slaughter cows. Small regional packers were absent this week causing breaking and boning cow prices to fall. Breaking and boning cows sold steady to 5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Lean cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher as packers pushed to buy cows away from feeding buyers. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. A very large offering of bred cows was seen this week. Quality was mixed from plain to attractive. A large portion of the bred offering was comprised of blemished cows as ranchers attempted to clean up cow offerings and take advantage of high cow prices. Large consignments of cows sold on very good demand, while packages sold on mostly moderate demand. Small packages of cows sold $300-500 back from load lots. A large crowd was on hand for todays sale which stretched late into the night.

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
BullsLow1,678172.232,89038
CowsPremium White 65-75%Average1,551177.002,7457thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,551172.832,68198
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,347168.712,272470
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,173149.771,757409

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,164$3,657103
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,190$3,606185
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,029$3,5008
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,407$3,49953
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,393$3,357269
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,316$2,785564
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,381$2,74859
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,251$2,70911
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,344$2,589119
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)851$1,1509
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)(<2 yrs)1,011$3,48854
Bred Heifers1st Stage (1-3 mo)(<2 yrs)924$3,05511
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,314$3,5007

Every lot, as filed

66 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
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3462,618.28/head2,400.00–2,750.002,618108
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4163,164.87/head2,600.00–3,350.003,165149
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fancy1,3783,755.74/head3,700.00–3,775.003,756106
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed955185.00/cwt185.00–185.001,7671
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,3143,500.00/head3,500.00–3,500.003,5007
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,4802,500.00/head2,500.00–2,500.002,5002
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,058230.38/cwt210.00–235.002,4378
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1-21,0183,300.00/head3,300.00–3,300.003,3003
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,1573,274.62/head2,800.00–3,500.003,27520
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,0033,400.00/head3,400.00–3,400.003,40010
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3243,137.23/head3,000.00–3,400.003,1376
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,1482,097.35/head2,000.00–2,200.002,09715
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,2622,263.48/head2,100.00–2,450.002,26373
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,3252,300.00/head2,300.00–2,300.002,30011
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2967219.39/cwt175.00–262.502,12223
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1543,689.38/head3,400.00–4,000.003,68997
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,1181,900.00/head1,900.00–1,900.001,9004
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2132,462.91/head2,400.00–2,500.002,4635
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2382,318.06/head2,250.00–2,500.002,31819
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed828316.30/cwt312.50–320.002,61911
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,057240.92/cwt180.00–310.002,547103
Bred CowsSmall 38511,150.00/head1,150.00–1,150.001,1509
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,3473,200.00/head3,200.00–3,200.003,2004
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2023,701.33/head3,400.00–4,150.003,701146
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,025280.38/cwt232.50–340.002,87477
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,486194.00/cwt194.00–194.002,88313
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0043,550.79/head3,350.00–3,750.003,55142
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight92396.07/cwt92.50–102.508873
CowsLean 85-90%1,07988.41/cwt65.00–97.5095411
Bulls1,597159.35/cwt152.00–174.002,54517
Bulls1,835183.54/cwt181.00–186.003,3687
BullsReturn to Feed1,634164.00/cwt164.00–164.002,6804
BullsReturn to Feed1,723189.50/cwt183.00–193.503,26510
CowsLean 85-90%1,167114.51/cwt100.00–123.001,33663
CowsLean 85-90%1,185127.51/cwt125.00–136.001,51114
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,543174.12/cwt169.00–176.502,68760
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,458178.50/cwt178.50–178.502,60316
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,539149.47/cwt142.00–161.002,3004
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,667170.58/cwt168.00–176.002,8448
CowsPremium White 65-75%1,551177.00/cwt177.00–177.002,7457
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,188165.95/cwt165.00–171.001,971147
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,174156.03/cwt132.50–164.001,832170
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight89577.50/cwt77.50–77.506941
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,325169.91/cwt164.00–176.002,251336
CowsBoner 80-85%Non-Traditional1,388180.00/cwt180.00–180.002,4982
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,564164.17/cwt160.00–167.002,5688
CowsBreaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,063179.00/cwt179.00–179.003,6932
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,413158.64/cwt141.00–164.502,24275
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,383179.61/cwt177.00–182.002,48451
CowsBoner 80-85%1,710146.00/cwt146.00–146.002,4971
CowsBoner 80-85%1,367128.29/cwt122.50–131.001,7545
Bred CowsMedium 18282,550.00/head2,550.00–2,550.002,5502
Bred HeifersMedium 18793,000.00/head3,000.00–3,000.003,0007
Bred CowsLarge 11,4262,700.00/head2,700.00–2,700.002,7005
Bred CowsLarge 11,5103,135.20/head3,100.00–3,200.003,1353
Bred HeifersLarge 11,0423,257.65/head3,100.00–3,300.003,2589
Bred CowsLarge 11,2212,600.00/head2,600.00–2,600.002,6008
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0033,150.00/head3,150.00–3,150.003,1504
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4043,538.19/head3,000.00–3,850.003,53851
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3303,000.00/head3,000.00–3,000.003,0003
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3342,915.06/head2,500.00–3,175.002,915457
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,2302,193.45/head2,100.00–2,400.002,19319
Stock CowsMedium 1-2768277.50/cwt277.50–277.502,1313
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4492,952.91/head2,450.00–3,400.002,95340
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,127182.30/cwt176.00–185.002,0554
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,0293,500.00/head3,500.00–3,500.003,5008

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.