Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2023-02-07

Public Auction Yards

Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Tue, Feb 7
● Final23 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2257
Receipts
3,184 head
3,991 vs last sale 7,175 497 vs year ago 3,681 · 13.5%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

The Public Auction Yards held their Annual Blue Ribbon II Sale today. Demand for cows was good to very good. Buyers filled the stands as a very large crowd was on hand for todays special sale. Buyers bid both ringside as well as on the internet throughout todays sale which stretched late into the afternoon. Many sets of cows stayed in the state as some ranchers are beginning to restock herds. Prices for young to middle age cows were mostly $200-300 per head higher than the first Blue ribbon sale in December. Aged, broken mouth cows, sold mostly $300-400 higher than Decembers special. Bred heifers traded mostly 200.00 higher. Offerings were moderate to heavy with over 3,000 head of bred cows on offer. Quality was mostly average to very attractive. High feed costs continue to weigh on buyers minds, however higher salvage values for slaughter cows and fewer days till turnout helped push cow prices higher. Demand from outside states remains good as buyers from the Dakotas, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming were active in buying cows. Local demand was much stronger today as over 50% of todays offering stayed inside the state. Demand for AI heifers was very good, while pasture bred heifers were met with moderate to good demand. Market activity was mostly active throughout todays sale. 3rd trimester is from now through mid May, second trimester is mid May to mid August, first trimester is after mid August.

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 Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,216$2,006105
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,210$1,976543
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,350$1,892485
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,306$1,88214
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,480$1,66424
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,402$1,581396
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,636$1,4757
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,366$1,402479
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,075$1,4002thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,380$1,3167
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,076$1,988651
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)(<2 yrs)1,056$1,56511

Every lot, as filed

23 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Replacement Cattle Special - Billings, MT (Seasonal)
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 1Non-Legible BANGS1,2661,775.00/head1,775.00–1,775.001,7758
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4801,664.14/head1,575.00–1,825.001,66424
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2421,737.93/head1,675.00–1,750.001,73862
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed9881,812.55/head1,700.00–1,850.001,81336
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,2101,259.57/head1,225.00–1,325.001,26011
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,3001,244.80/head1,210.00–1,375.001,24541
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,0751,400.00/head1,400.00–1,400.001,4002
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2162,006.12/head1,625.00–2,150.002,006105
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,6361,475.00/head1,475.00–1,475.001,4757
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3801,316.35/head1,310.00–1,325.001,3167
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3711,417.73/head1,300.00–1,585.001,418431
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS1,2021,725.00/head1,725.00–1,725.001,7253
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3061,881.58/head1,875.00–1,900.001,88214
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0561,565.07/head1,525.00–1,600.001,56511
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0902,005.18/head1,850.00–2,135.002,005589
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed9531,886.59/head1,875.00–1,900.001,88745
Bred HeifersMedium 19351,650.00/head1,650.00–1,650.001,65017
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS1,4141,350.00/head1,350.00–1,350.001,3507
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2242,024.25/head1,825.00–2,300.002,024442
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3831,366.59/head1,350.00–1,375.001,36715
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4091,598.98/head1,400.00–1,850.001,599370
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3511,898.39/head1,650.00–2,075.001,898472
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,4071,450.00/head1,450.00–1,450.001,4505

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.