Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-01-19

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-01-19
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-01-19

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Fri, Jan 19

● Final48 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1776

← Jan 5Jan 19Feb 23 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

1,474 head

▲ 84 vs last sale 1,390▼ 3,458 vs year ago 4,932 · −70.1%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

27 head

▼ 530 vs last sale 557▼ 101 vs year ago 128 · −78.9%

Replacement Cattle receipts

20 head

▼ 135 vs last sale 155▼ 1 vs year ago 21 · −4.8%

Also sold hereRegular saleWed Oct 28, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(1-5-24): Steers under 500 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Steer calves 500-749 lbs sold mostly 10.00 20.00 higher in a narrow comparison, steers over 750 lbs were not well compared, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifers 450-649 lbs sold mostly 15.00-20.00 higher, heifers over 650 lbs were too lightly tested last sale to develop a full market trend, steady to higher undertones were noticed. Most of the offering was comprised of weaned calves this week. Most calves were weaned 45-90 days. Quality this week was mixed from average to very attractive. Demand was mostly good to very good for light to moderate offerings. Demand for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings was very good. All cattle on offer this week were in light, green flesh. This past weeks extreme cold snap thinned many cattle down. Consignments of cattle running out in large traps or on the hay meadows were particularly green and attractive to buyers. Market activity was mostly active with a large buyer pool on hand of both order-buyers and farmer feeders. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply higher undertones were noticed as packers continue to push for offerings for immediate harvest. This past weeks extreme cold has lightened supplies available to the packer as most ranchers were unwilling or unable to market cattle. Demand was very good for very light offerings. Young age cows sold on light to moderate demand today. All young cows sold with steady undertones.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $285.23/cwt on 760 head.

Average price

$285.23

760 head · 624 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,779

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$110

per head · Medium 1 over Medium 1-2

$53.66/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.36

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	427	330.33	1,411	7thin
Medium and Large 1	636	285.43	1,815	664
Medium and Large 1-2	577	281.49	1,625	65
Medium 1-2	470	276.67	1,301	24

One grade step is worth $53.66/cwt here — about $110 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 sale760 hd

285.23

—

MT average3 barns · 789 hd

283.87

+1.36

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	1,783	107.11	1,910	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,545	104.86	1,620	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	939	91.67	860	3thin

Every lot, as filed

48 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Fri)

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.

Class	Weight	Grade / description	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Feeder Cattle · Steers23 lots · lightest first
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	323	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,066	2
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	370	361.64/cwt	352.50–370.00	1,338	3
Steers	—	Medium 1-2	388	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,203	2
Steers	—	Medium 1	427	330.33/cwt	320.00–337.50	1,411	7
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	440	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,408	8
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	448	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	1,528	3
Steers	—	Medium 1-2	450	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,305	16
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	455	320.77/cwt	320.00–323.00	1,460	8
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	468	332.96/cwt	326.00–338.00	1,558	24
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	538	314.96/cwt	309.00–330.00	1,694	89
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	538	300.28/cwt	293.00–303.00	1,616	11
Steers	—	Medium 1-2	551	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,267	6
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	563	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,582	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	579	299.31/cwt	294.00–309.00	1,733	133
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	613	295.19/cwt	282.00–299.00	1,810	68
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	621	272.58/cwt	267.00–274.00	1,693	10
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	650	297.00/cwt	297.00–297.00	1,931	13
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	654	283.07/cwt	263.50–288.50	1,851	165
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	685	248.19/cwt	244.00–249.50	1,700	20
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	727	254.58/cwt	242.50–261.00	1,851	107
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	733	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,649	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	772	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,876	10
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	820	230.12/cwt	230.00–231.50	1,887	49
Feeder Cattle · Heifers14 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	393	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,199	6
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	396	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,228	7
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	410	307.00/cwt	307.00–307.00	1,259	4
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	483	299.42/cwt	291.00–307.00	1,446	36
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	486	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,371	4
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	521	297.41/cwt	290.50–301.00	1,550	114
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	565	253.01/cwt	252.00–256.00	1,430	8
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	571	280.23/cwt	274.00–287.00	1,600	64
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	613	261.60/cwt	253.00–265.50	1,604	119
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Fancy	655	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,657	70
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	674	238.90/cwt	232.00–240.00	1,610	43
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	710	224.00/cwt	224.00–224.00	1,590	1
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	974	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	1,831	23
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,000	184.50/cwt	184.50–184.50	1,845	3
Feeder Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1	690	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	1,573	6
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,776	103.61/cwt	99.00–109.00	1,840	12
Bulls	—	—	1,800	115.50/cwt	115.50–115.50	2,079	5
Slaughter Cattle · Cows6 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	823	84.50/cwt	84.50–84.50	695	2
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,170	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,240	1
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,505	97.00/cwt	97.00–97.00	1,460	1
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,525	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,678	2
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,562	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,671	3
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,575	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	1,512	1
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,105	143.05/cwt	130.00–182.50	1,581	6
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,309	106.71/cwt	106.00–108.00	1,397	13

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 →

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Fri)

Fri Jan 19, 2024

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 1,474Last week 1,390Year ago 4,932

Slaughter CattleReceipts 27Last week 557Year ago 128

Replacement CattleReceipts 20Last week 155Year ago 21

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
70	—	655	253.00	253.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,000	184.50	184.50
6	—	393	305.00	305.00
8	—	565	252.00–256.00	253.01
23	—	974	188.00	188.00
4	—	486	282.00	282.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
64	—	571	274.00–287.00	280.23
114	—	521	290.50–301.00	297.41
43	—	674	232.00–240.00	238.90
36	—	483	291.00–307.00	299.42
7	—	396	310.00	310.00
4	—	410	307.00	307.00
1	—	710	224.00	224.00
119	—	613	253.00–265.50	261.60

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
20	—	685	244.00–249.50	248.19
11	—	538	293.00–303.00	300.28
10	—	621	267.00–274.00	272.58
2	—	323	330.00	330.00
3	—	563	281.00	281.00
3	—	733	225.00	225.00
8	—	455	320.00–323.00	320.77
8	—	440	320.00	320.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
89	—	538	309.00–330.00	314.96
133	—	579	294.00–309.00	299.31
165	—	654	263.50–288.50	283.07
3	—	370	352.50–370.00	361.64
107	—	727	242.50–261.00	254.58
68	—	613	282.00–299.00	295.19
49	—	820	230.00–231.50	230.12
24	—	468	326.00–338.00	332.96
10	—	772	243.00	243.00
3	—	448	341.00	341.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
16	—	450	290.00	290.00
2	—	388	310.00	310.00
6	—	551	230.00	230.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	650	297.00	297.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	427	320.00–337.50	330.33

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	690	228.00	228.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,575	96.00	96.00
1	—	1,505	97.00	97.00
3	—	1,562	107.00	107.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,170	106.00	106.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,525	110.00	110.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	823	84.50	84.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,776	99.00–109.00	103.61
5	—	1,800	115.50	115.50

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	13	—	1,309	106.00–108.00	106.71
(<2 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,105	130.00–182.50	143.05

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.