Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-11-22

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Fri, Nov 22
● Final100 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1776
Feeder Cattle receipts
2,104 head
▲ 88 vs last sale 2,016▲ 699 vs year ago 1,405 · +49.8%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
70 head
▼ 66 vs last sale 136▼ 10 vs year ago 80 · −12.5%
Replacement Cattle receipts
32 head
▼ 56 vs last sale 88▲ 10 vs year ago 22 · +45.5%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer calves under 500 lbs sold 10.00-20.00 higher in a narrow comparison; steers 500 lbs and heavier sold mostly 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Heifer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly steady to weak on a lower quality offering; heifer calves over 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. All yearling cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was good. One load lot of yearling heifers was offered today. Calf quality was mostly plain to attractive. Quality overall was not as attractive as last week. Demand for calves was good to very good for all weight classes. Weaned offerings were heavier this week and stronger premiums were given for offerings which were weaned. Some weaned offerings were pushing heavy amounts of fill today and many were dirty. Buyers discounted many of these type offerings. Many loads of calves continue to be purchased to sell north into Canada while light weight offerings continue to sell south to wheat pastures or west to California grass. Package sizes were small to moderate this week, with many singles and packages of 5 head or less noticed. Demand for packages under 5 head remains light. Market activity was mostly active today with a larger buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Cow quality today was mostly plain. Most of the offering was comprised of low and very low dressing cows.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $331.53/cwt on 303 head. That ranks 1 of 6 comparable sales and sits −98.83 against this barn's trailing median of $430.35.
Average price
$331.53
303 head · 549 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,822
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$120
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1
$23.97/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+7.65
vs MT average
+22.27 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1549334.411,835266
Medium and Large 1-2561311.511,74812thin
Large 1552310.441,71425
One grade step is worth $23.97/cwt here — about $120 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale303 hd
331.53
—
MT average5 barns · 1,015 hd
323.88
+7.65
National average182 barns · 24,645 hd
309.26
+22.27
This barn, trailing median6 sales
430.35
−98.83
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

6 sales
518483449414median 430.3502/2710/0210/1610/2310/30
Steers 500–600 lb: high $503.89, low $428.05, median $430.35 across 6 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

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
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,41095.201,3425thin
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,01787.0788554
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Low1,41087.001,2271thin

Every lot, as filed

100 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.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers38 lots · lightest first
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1267515.38/cwt500.00–520.001,37611
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned323474.54/cwt460.00–490.001,5336
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned323455.00/cwt455.00–455.001,4708
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2343424.67/cwt400.00–430.001,45715
Steers300–350Medium and Large 2343405.00/cwt405.00–405.001,3894
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned370379.63/cwt375.00–415.001,4059
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned374455.63/cwt435.00–461.001,70414
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1379445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,68714
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2393410.00/cwt410.00–410.001,6113
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1409415.07/cwt390.00–435.001,69822
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned421403.60/cwt385.00–435.001,69962
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned424367.14/cwt360.00–369.001,55710
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2429360.62/cwt357.50–370.001,5478
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned468373.81/cwt350.00–384.001,74968
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2478331.27/cwt317.50–352.501,5835
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1479358.58/cwt344.50–370.001,718106
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned530330.55/cwt307.00–335.001,7526
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1531339.63/cwt337.00–342.001,80335
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned532342.87/cwt338.00–346.001,824129
Steers500–550Large 1Unweaned541327.00/cwt327.00–327.001,7697
Steers500–550Large 1544307.00/cwt307.00–307.001,67012
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned574317.00/cwt317.00–317.001,82011
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1576322.52/cwt312.50–338.001,85891
Steers550–600Large 1582298.00/cwt298.00–298.001,7346
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned592292.47/cwt290.00–297.501,7316
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2606290.34/cwt283.00–299.001,75911
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned607305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,85142
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1629301.42/cwt292.00–307.001,89657
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1658285.50/cwt285.50–285.501,87910
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned660285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,8815
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2690251.00/cwt251.00–251.001,7324
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Full693273.00/cwt273.00–273.001,8926
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned693250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,7333
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1736268.44/cwt266.00–270.001,97669
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2745252.00/cwt252.00–252.001,8772
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1Full826243.00/cwt243.00–243.002,0074
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1970220.00/cwt220.00–220.002,1341
Steers1100–1150Large 11,105210.50/cwt210.50–210.502,3263
Feeder Cattle · Heifers38 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned262397.00/cwt397.00–397.001,0405
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned300342.50/cwt342.50–342.501,0284
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned328375.96/cwt360.00–395.001,23327
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1345373.59/cwt372.50–377.001,2894
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1378355.00/cwt348.00–370.001,34216
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2388337.23/cwt332.50–339.001,30814
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned392344.79/cwt337.00–359.001,35225
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned398334.00/cwt334.00–334.001,32915
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2400280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,1209
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1421327.15/cwt323.00–335.001,37722
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned426331.10/cwt326.00–345.001,41040
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2437321.76/cwt321.00–322.001,40623
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1464315.18/cwt300.00–320.001,46267
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned467318.40/cwt306.00–327.501,48741
Heifers450–500Medium 2478210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,0043
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned487299.34/cwt289.00–305.001,45827
Heifers450–500Medium 1Unweaned487286.22/cwt284.00–287.001,39423
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Full490282.50/cwt282.50–282.501,3845
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned505265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,3382
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned520305.19/cwt299.00–308.501,587122
Heifers500–550Large 1545257.50/cwt257.50–257.501,4036
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2548276.35/cwt255.00–279.001,51418
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1549292.00/cwt292.00–292.001,60372
Heifers550–600Medium 1555257.50/cwt257.50–257.501,4293
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned568253.00/cwt253.00–253.001,4372
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Full569262.00/cwt256.00–266.001,49133
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned581280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,62741
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1607274.48/cwt260.00–289.001,66641
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned610256.69/cwt249.00–260.001,56616
Heifers600–650Large 1632232.50/cwt232.50–232.501,4693
Heifers600–650Large 1Unweaned635242.00/cwt242.00–242.001,5373
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1653249.00/cwt249.00–249.001,6265
Heifers650–700Large 1684234.00/cwt234.00–234.001,6017
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1Unweaned739234.00/cwt234.00–234.001,7296
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1759246.07/cwt231.00–247.001,86857
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1914219.00/cwt219.00–219.002,0028
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,003215.50/cwt215.50–215.502,16140
Heifers1100–1150Large 11,105199.50/cwt199.50–199.502,2044
Feeder Cattle · Bulls9 lots · lightest first
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1310485.00/cwt485.00–485.001,5042
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 2398322.50/cwt322.50–322.501,2843
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2429387.50/cwt387.50–387.501,66210
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned430282.50/cwt282.50–282.501,2152
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2450338.00/cwt338.00–338.001,5212
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned465332.00/cwt332.00–332.001,5441
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned506320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,6197
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned577265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,5293
Bulls1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,010210.00/cwt210.00–210.002,1211
Slaughter Cattle · Cows8 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight96183.00/cwt83.00–83.0079827
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,02491.27/cwt90.00–93.0093512
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,06878.18/cwt75.00–79.008356
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,08798.55/cwt95.00–102.001,0716
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,248105.03/cwt103.00–107.001,3112
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,25095.00/cwt95.00–95.001,1881
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,36576.00/cwt76.00–76.001,0371
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,421100.00/cwt100.00–100.001,4214
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,41087.00/cwt87.00–87.001,2271
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows6 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed821187.00/cwt187.00–187.001,5358
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed894150.00/cwt150.00–150.001,3417
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2933163.51/cwt162.00–165.001,5262
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1938176.01/cwt160.00–194.501,6512
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1955170.00/cwt170.00–170.001,6241
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,025129.71/cwt110.00–156.001,3304

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.