Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-12-09

Public Auction Yards

Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Tue, Dec 9
● Final48 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 2257
Receipts
8,171 head
4,708 vs last sale 3,463 690 vs year ago 7,481 · +9.2%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

The Public Auction Yards held their Annual Blue Ribbon sale over the last two days with over 8100 head consigned. Demand for both cows and bred heifers was mostly good to very good and remained consistent throughout the two day sale. A large crowd was on hand for Tuesdays sale and a slightly smaller crowd was noticed on Wednesday, however demand remained consistent both days. Quality was mostly average to very attractive with many cows and heifers off reputation ranches. The stands were filled with a good mix of both order buyers and ranchers. Cows were purchased to ship all over the western portions of the country; Many local ranchers across the state were present buying cows to fill pastures across the state and into Wyoming. Ranchers bought large volumes of cows with many willing to take the entire consignment, some multiple load lots in size! Demand for dispersions was very good as these consignments topped the market in their perspective age groups. Demand for all heifers was very good. AI bred heifers sold with the best demand but even pasture bred heifers that will calve in a large calving windows sold with good demand. Market activity was active to very active.

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)1,201$4,1742,139
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,355$3,846264
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,268$3,830355
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,354$3,586153
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,355$3,54764
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,420$3,5007
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,430$3,303246
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,090$3,15793
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,310$2,983502
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,361$2,910590
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,329$2,89786
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,462$2,8003thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,183$2,71932
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,269$2,6507
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,575$2,5003thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,224$2,26346
Bred Heifers2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,072$4,0492,261
Bred Heifers1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)(<2 yrs)1,006$3,695288
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,076$3,66315

Every lot, as filed

48 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 11,1832,719.39/head2,710.00–2,725.002,71932
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2792,905.22/head2,700.00–3,100.002,90550
Bred CowsLarge 11,3982,885.00/head2,885.00–2,885.002,88536
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2073,559.57/head3,200.00–3,650.003,56041
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2413,953.78/head3,710.00–4,075.003,954269
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2692,650.00/head2,650.00–2,650.002,6507
Bred CowsLarge 11,4243,175.06/head3,100.00–3,300.003,17534
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1964,258.16/head3,850.00–4,650.004,2581,872
Bred CowsMedium 19903,163.51/head2,700.00–3,400.003,1648
Bred CowsLarge 11,3403,700.00/head3,700.00–3,700.003,70035
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3132,400.00/head2,400.00–2,400.002,4002
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,0853,173.88/head3,000.00–3,250.003,17491
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3543,585.72/head3,410.00–3,625.003,586153
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3483,555.15/head3,500.00–3,600.003,55559
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3643,922.69/head3,500.00–4,300.003,923241
Bred CowsLarge 11,4883,100.00/head3,100.00–3,100.003,1002
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1573,500.00/head3,500.00–3,500.003,5006
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2343,039.73/head3,000.00–3,050.003,04021
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,2003,437.40/head3,000.00–3,900.003,43798
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,2182,281.14/head2,200.00–2,600.002,28138
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,0503,550.00/head3,550.00–3,550.003,55028
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,1762,000.00/head2,000.00–2,000.002,0005
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3442,541.21/head2,300.00–2,650.002,54112
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4263,293.27/head2,800.00–3,600.003,293219
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,2622,401.81/head2,200.00–2,500.002,40216
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3142,995.51/head2,450.00–3,125.002,996480
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,3052,458.27/head2,300.00–2,600.002,45833
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3702,957.52/head2,650.00–3,600.002,958536
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,5752,500.00/head2,500.00–2,500.002,5003
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4203,500.00/head3,500.00–3,500.003,5007
Bred HeifersMedium 19213,363.83/head2,800.00–3,650.003,36464
Bred HeifersMedium 1-2Non-Legible BANGS8052,600.00/head2,600.00–2,600.002,60010
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,1003,700.00/head3,700.00–3,700.003,70033
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1Fancy1,0094,638.41/head4,600.00–4,700.004,63865
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,2372,536.47/head2,200.00–2,675.002,53616
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,4423,450.00/head3,450.00–3,450.003,4505
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0763,663.02/head3,550.00–3,975.003,66315
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1-21,0263,475.00/head3,475.00–3,475.003,47516
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0123,764.66/head3,525.00–3,910.003,765257
Bred HeifersLarge 11,0253,000.00/head3,000.00–3,000.003,0005
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1-21,0043,554.92/head3,400.00–3,725.003,55521
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,0794,061.82/head3,700.00–4,450.004,0622,078
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4622,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,8003
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,2052,100.00/head2,100.00–2,100.002,1004
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2982,250.00/head2,250.00–2,250.002,2504
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,6603,850.00/head3,850.00–3,850.003,85011
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,3193,731.69/head3,700.00–3,775.003,73298
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Fancy1,5514,050.00/head4,050.00–4,050.004,05015

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.