Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-01-17

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Fri, Jan 17
● Final101 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1776
Feeder Cattle receipts
4,833 head
▲ 3,368 vs last sale 1,465▲ 3,359 vs year ago 1,474 · +227.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
49 head
▼ 43 vs last sale 92▲ 22 vs year ago 27 · +81.5%
Replacement Cattle receipts
18 head
▼ 4 vs last sale 22▼ 2 vs year ago 20 · −10.0%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (12-13-24): The last Friday feeder special was in the middle of December and market conditions have improved constantly since then. Feeder steer calves under 700 lbs sold 10.00-18.00 higher; steers over 700 lbs were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Heifers 450-649 lbs sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher; heifers over 650 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for all feeder calves was good. Offerings were heavy. While prices were higher than last months feeder special, it is worth noting that calf prices were slightly lower compared to similar special feeder calf sales last week. Calf quality was mixed from plain to very attractive. Most calves were weaned from 45-100 days. Demand for all calves to go to grass remains good to very good. Package sizes were mixed today, however buyers showed good demand for all calves on offer. Demand remained constant throughout the sale which stretched well into the evening. A moderate size buyer pool was on hand for todays sale and buyers bid rapidly on feeders as they pushed to fill loads. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light for very light offerings. Slaughter cows sold on mostly light demand as buyers were concerned about leaving cows over the weekend due to subzero temperatures. Cow quality today was mostly average. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average as most cows filled up due to very cold conditions. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly moderate demand as quality was attractive.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $339.04/cwt on 772 head. That ranks 1 of 6 comparable sales and sits −91.31 against this barn's trailing median of $430.35.
Average price
$339.04
772 head · 563 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,908
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$198
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$52.41/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−6.35
vs MT average
−3.41 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1557349.911,951537
Medium 1573324.851,861130
Large 1-2540312.501,6887thin
Medium and Large 1-2580300.321,74393
Medium and Large 2589297.501,7525thin
One grade step is worth $52.41/cwt here — about $198 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale772 hd
339.04
—
MT average4 barns · 1,191 hd
345.39
−6.35
National average190 barns · 32,836 hd
342.45
−3.41
This barn, trailing median6 sales
430.35
−91.31
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
Bulls—Average1,692137.202,3217thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,940120.002,3281thin
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,172111.471,30618
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,426105.301,5026thin
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Average1,310108.001,4152thin
Dairy CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,68392.001,5482thin

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 Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,440$2,0501thin

Every lot, as filed

101 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 · Steers39 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1322483.30/cwt470.00–510.001,5565
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2342470.00/cwt470.00–470.001,6073
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1357475.00/cwt475.00–475.001,69610
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2378425.31/cwt415.00–435.001,60817
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned386447.50/cwt447.50–447.501,7275
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1415428.85/cwt394.00–449.001,78093
Steers400–450Medium 1430367.50/cwt367.50–367.501,58011
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2441384.85/cwt377.50–387.501,69711
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1471382.25/cwt370.00–391.001,800188
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2474364.09/cwt352.50–367.501,72647
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned474315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,4938
Steers450–500Medium 1477357.32/cwt350.00–363.001,70411
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2519327.37/cwt321.00–332.501,6998
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1532359.52/cwt347.00–374.001,913177
Steers500–550Medium 1534338.37/cwt320.00–345.001,80715
Steers500–550Large 1-2540312.50/cwt312.50–312.501,6887
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1570345.19/cwt330.00–354.001,968360
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned576281.00/cwt281.00–281.001,61923
Steers550–600Medium 1578323.09/cwt316.50–328.001,867115
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2589297.50/cwt297.50–297.501,7525
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2590303.99/cwt290.00–321.001,79462
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed603341.50/cwt341.50–341.502,05949
Steers600–650Large 1606282.99/cwt277.00–299.001,71515
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned608271.00/cwt271.00–271.001,6485
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2619293.49/cwt287.00–301.001,81722
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1622326.76/cwt314.00–336.502,032429
Steers600–650Medium 1637305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,94348
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2667285.14/cwt279.00–289.001,90213
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1685300.73/cwt290.00–310.002,060242
Steers700–750Large 1709274.60/cwt272.50–286.001,94740
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1722294.70/cwt280.00–303.002,128145
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2732277.12/cwt275.00–280.002,0297
Steers750–800Medium 1750265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,98811
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2757278.00/cwt278.00–278.002,1043
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1771275.23/cwt270.00–284.002,12223
Steers750–800Large 1794271.30/cwt254.00–276.002,15414
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1834266.95/cwt262.00–270.002,226122
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1883263.62/cwt261.00–264.002,3288
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1931256.00/cwt256.00–256.002,38330
Feeder Cattle · Heifers38 lots · lightest first
Heifers350–400Medium 1365320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,1683
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2368370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,3622
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1392385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,5095
Heifers350–400Medium 1-2398312.50/cwt312.50–312.501,2446
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2410347.50/cwt347.50–347.501,42527
Heifers400–450Medium 1424328.60/cwt312.50–340.001,39317
Heifers400–450Medium 1-2432285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,23121
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1442350.60/cwt349.00–390.001,55060
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2443320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,4185
Heifers400–450Large 1443312.50/cwt312.50–312.501,38417
Heifers450–500Medium 1462315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,4559
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1481341.64/cwt329.00–352.001,64389
Heifers450–500Large 1482310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,49419
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed504348.50/cwt348.50–348.501,75674
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1519329.73/cwt319.00–346.001,711287
Heifers500–550Medium 1530312.00/cwt312.00–312.001,6546
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2535310.08/cwt306.00–317.501,65929
Heifers500–550Large 1537294.53/cwt294.00–295.001,58215
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2545267.50/cwt267.50–267.501,4584
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Replacement554339.50/cwt339.50–339.501,88169
Heifers550–600Medium 1569292.50/cwt292.50–292.501,6643
Heifers550–600Large 1574282.79/cwt280.00–286.001,62313
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2577288.64/cwt285.00–294.001,66517
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1578303.71/cwt297.00–324.001,755252
Heifers600–650Large 1600278.00/cwt278.00–278.001,66817
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2623262.02/cwt244.00–270.001,6328
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1626296.92/cwt285.00–299.501,859206
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1Fancy651293.00/cwt293.00–293.001,90715
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2672258.03/cwt256.00–260.001,73414
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1677271.26/cwt266.00–287.001,836110
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1717261.05/cwt255.00–264.001,87242
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1Fancy778257.00/cwt257.00–257.001,99930
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1817247.00/cwt247.00–247.002,01829
Heifers800–850Large 1840220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,8486
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1874238.00/cwt238.00–238.002,08020
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1-2907202.00/cwt202.00–202.001,8326
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2974215.00/cwt215.00–215.002,09410
Heifers1050–1100Large 11,067207.32/cwt205.00–208.002,21222
Feeder Cattle · Bulls7 lots · lightest first
Bulls400–450Large 1433345.00/cwt345.00–345.001,4946
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1456372.50/cwt372.50–372.501,6996
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2519320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,66114
Bulls550–600Large 1561305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,7115
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1594293.48/cwt274.00–309.001,74318
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2622280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,7423
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1758244.00/cwt244.00–244.001,85012
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,110145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,6101
Bulls——1,657129.12/cwt123.00–133.002,1403
Bulls——1,920142.68/cwt142.00–143.002,7393
Slaughter Cattle · Cows9 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,085105.79/cwt105.00–110.001,1486
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,15067.50/cwt67.50–67.507761
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,20598.00/cwt98.00–98.001,1811
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,223120.62/cwt120.00–121.001,47510
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,362100.26/cwt97.00–102.001,3663
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,425106.00/cwt106.00–106.001,5111
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,485110.00/cwt110.00–110.001,6341
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,560115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,7941
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,940120.00/cwt120.00–120.002,3281
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows2 lots · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,310108.00/cwt108.00–108.001,4152
Dairy Cows—Boner 80-85%1,68392.00/cwt92.00–92.001,5482
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,4402,050.00/head2,050.00–2,050.002,0501
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2863177.62/cwt175.00–180.001,5332
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,280131.00/cwt131.00–131.001,6771

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.