Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-12-20

Public Auction Yards

Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Fri, Dec 20
● Final34 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2257
Receipts
4,393 head
3,088 vs last sale 7,481 60 vs year ago 4,333 · +1.4%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Today, Public Auction Yards hosted the Annual Northland bred cow and heifer sale. Historically this sale is held at Billings Livestock Commission, however this year Public auction yards hosted this consignment only sale. Over 4,300 head of cows were pregnancy checked for todays sale. Demand was mostly good to very good on a heavy offering of bred cows. Buyers filled the stands as a large crowd was on hand for the annual special sale which stretched late into the evening. Very good demand was seen for cows of all ages. Buyers bid both ringside as well as on the internet throughout the sale. A large portion of cow offering stayed in the state as ranchers are busy restocking herds. Quality was mixed from plain to very attractive. Package sizes varied greatly throughout the day. The best demand was seen for large consignments of home raised cows and heifers. Small packages of cows and heifers, mostly under 10 head, sold with significantly lighter demand compared to larger packages of cows and heifers. All calving dates sold with good demand this sale as many ranchers see little incentive to calve early given the price of light weight yearlings. Demand for AI heifers was very good, while pasture bred heifers were met with good demand. The heifers tagged as muscle score 2 were bred to Wagyu bulls. Market activity was active throughout todays sale with buyers bidding rapidly on all classes. 3rd trimester is from now through the last week of March, second trimester is the last week of March to the last week of June, first trimester is anything that calves after the last week of June.

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)Young (2-4 yrs)1,162$3,124669
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,348$2,909190
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,177$2,880299
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,331$2,71322
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,364$2,452383
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,351$2,32145
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,168$2,29026
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,360$2,129506
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,368$2,058135
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,118$1,9008
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,052$2,98288
Bred Heifers2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,050$2,912642
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)(<2 yrs)995$2,830407
Bred Heifers1st Stage (1-3 mo)(<2 yrs)922$2,5003thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,316$3,12328

Every lot, as filed

34 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 CowsLarge 1Broken Mouth1,2902,080.58/head1,950.00–2,100.002,08115
Bred CowsLarge 11,2772,200.00/head2,200.00–2,200.002,20041
Bred CowsLarge 11,3992,600.00/head2,600.00–2,600.002,6005
Bred HeifersMedium 19312,550.00/head2,550.00–2,550.002,5507
Bred HeifersMedium 19222,500.00/head2,500.00–2,500.002,5003
Bred HeifersMedium 18762,595.65/head2,400.00–2,700.002,596105
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 21,0602,763.64/head2,760.00–2,800.002,764110
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0492,956.54/head2,700.00–3,450.002,957513
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3072,525.00/head2,525.00–2,525.002,52519
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1-21,0792,591.26/head2,550.00–2,650.002,59112
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,5102,450.00/head2,450.00–2,450.002,45014
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1602,904.47/head2,700.00–3,000.002,904279
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3522,951.76/head2,700.00–3,000.002,952171
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,1702,650.00/head2,650.00–2,650.002,65014
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,4472,099.51/head1,850.00–2,175.002,10017
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2042,750.00/head2,750.00–2,750.002,7506
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1181,900.00/head1,900.00–1,900.001,9008
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3312,713.07/head2,550.00–2,825.002,71322
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,3401,950.00/head1,950.00–1,950.001,9503
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2462,465.45/head2,400.00–2,600.002,46511
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,1522,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,80022
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,0542,214.91/head2,200.00–2,300.002,21512
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3712,501.95/head2,150.00–2,985.002,502325
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,3232,587.50/head2,525.00–2,775.002,58824
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0303,045.26/head2,800.00–3,125.003,04574
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1543,160.18/head2,900.00–3,650.003,160618
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0362,911.37/head2,800.00–3,010.002,911302
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3512,321.04/head2,050.00–2,550.002,32145
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,3163,122.67/head3,100.00–3,225.003,12328
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3742,068.42/head1,900.00–2,250.002,068130
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,2011,800.00/head1,800.00–1,800.001,8005
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,2121,743.69/head1,500.00–1,785.001,74439
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3752,181.25/head1,925.00–2,500.002,181431
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,3691,799.77/head1,750.00–1,850.001,80021

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.