Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2026-05-20

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, May 20
● Final74 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
← May 13May 20May 27 →
Feeder Cattle receipts
66 head
▼ 1,377 vs last sale 1,443▲ 21 vs year ago 45 · +46.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
348 head
▲ 237 vs last sale 111▼ 3 vs year ago 351 · −0.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
1,853 head
▲ 1,563 vs last sale 290▲ 627 vs year ago 1,226 · +51.1%
Also sold hereRegular saleFri Oct 30, 2026
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (5-13-26): Feeder cattle were scarcely traded this week as todays sale featured weigh cows, pairs, and bred cows. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding cow demand remains very good. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher on a high quality offering. Additional buyers were in the feeding cow market this week which helped push cows higher as buyers showed good demand for all offerings which would feed. Canadian buyers were mostly absent this week, however offerings still pushed higher as private feeders showed very good demand for feeding cows. Demand for big, young to middle age cows was very good as feeding buyers and replacement buyers both showed good demand for high quality offerings. Many sets of cows were worked through the chute and offered buyers good weigh up conditions. Quality this week was average to very attractive with many sets of cows seen off reputation ranches. Very few cows were purchased for slaughter this week as feeding cow demand was very good. Limited slaughter cow offerings sold with steady undertones. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Bull quality this week was mostly attractive. Demand for young cows suitable to feed or rebreed was good to very good. Feeding and rebreeding buyers both showed good demand this week which helped push young offerings higher. Young cows sold mostly 10.00-12.00 higher. A large offering of cow calf pairs and bred cows was seen this week. Demand for pairs was mostly light to moderate. Drought conditions are driving ranchers to sell their pairs as many do not have enough grass. Drought is also keeping ranchers from buying pairs and many are leaving the state as a result. Pair quality was mixed this week from plain to very attractive. Ranchers opted to sell the light or bottom end of their pairs first as they try to cull down to have enough grass for summer. Several sets of cows were thin as dry conditions have cows chasing grass.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $425.00/cwt on 11 head, down $5.73 from the prior sale. That ranks 15 of 19 comparable sales and sits +29.55 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.
Average price
$425.00
▼ 5.73 vs prior sale
11 head · 593 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,520
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
—
single grade reported
vs the market
−11.21
vs MT average
+6.74 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1593425.002,52011thin
Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale11 hd
425.00
—
MT average2 barns · 49 hd
436.21
−11.21
National average175 barns · 12,602 hd
418.26
+6.74
This barn, trailing median19 sales
395.45
+29.55
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

19 sales
478430382334median 395.4503/1104/1506/0309/0210/21
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $464.07, low $347.53, median $395.45 across 19 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—High1,803221.914,00135
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,398189.732,652129
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,599186.392,98048
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,143170.211,94636

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 Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,234$3,87848
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,449$3,67313
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,489$3,56216
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,549$3,44915
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,428$3,2004thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,176$3,8764thin
Bred Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,055$3,7502thin
Bred Heifers2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,169$3,7004thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,399$5,088326
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,457$4,62734
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,556$4,327125
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,535$4,10891
Heifer PairsOpen(<2 yrs)994$4,28160

Every lot

74 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Wed)
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 · Heifers4 lots · lightest first
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1593425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,52011
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2620365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,2631
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2827333.50/cwt333.50–333.502,75810
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2Full860325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,79510
Feeder Cattle · Bulls7 lots · lightest first
Bulls1000–1050Medium and Large 1Fancy1,015325.00/cwt325.00–325.003,2994
Bulls1000–1050Medium and Large 11,015309.37/cwt307.50–310.003,1404
Bulls1050–1100Large 1Fancy1,060331.00/cwt331.00–331.003,5091
Bulls1200–1250Large 11,225260.00/cwt260.00–260.003,1851
Bulls1300–1350Large 11,345257.50/cwt257.50–257.503,4631
Bulls1350–1400Large 11,375238.00/cwt238.00–238.003,2732
Bulls1400–1450Large 11,425225.00/cwt225.00–225.003,2061
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,420190.00/cwt190.00–190.002,6981
Bulls——Return to Feed1,585211.55/cwt210.00–213.003,3532
Bulls——Return to Feed1,671220.34/cwt215.00–223.503,68218
Bulls——2,013223.78/cwt220.00–226.004,5058
Bulls——2,056232.92/cwt227.00–252.004,7896
Slaughter Cattle · Cows15 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight822131.31/cwt125.00–135.001,0793
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,079129.77/cwt122.00–138.001,4004
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,111166.86/cwt155.00–173.001,8548
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,189165.33/cwt159.00–167.501,9664
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,219192.08/cwt189.00–193.002,34113
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,221180.36/cwt174.00–187.502,2024
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,313169.48/cwt169.00–170.002,2252
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,380185.81/cwt180.00–189.002,56444
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,390169.84/cwt163.00–175.002,36110
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,410196.76/cwt190.00–204.002,77471
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,493145.96/cwt145.00–147.002,1792
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,516174.00/cwt174.00–174.002,63810
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,588193.47/cwt192.00–204.003,07226
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,689184.07/cwt182.00–187.003,1099
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,702173.28/cwt172.00–175.002,9493
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs19 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,1843,893.03/head3,600.00–4,150.003,89324
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium 11,2084,150.00/head4,150.00–4,150.004,1506
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,2163,350.00/head3,350.00–3,350.003,3505
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2314,540.84/head4,250.00–4,600.004,54119
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,2414,650.00/head4,650.00–4,650.004,6504
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,3234,432.57/head4,350.00–4,475.004,43311
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,3353,650.00/head3,650.00–3,650.003,6506
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4333,771.28/head3,600.00–4,000.003,77110
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,4365,283.24/head4,910.00–5,400.005,283263
Cow-Calf Pairs—Large 11,4434,400.00/head4,400.00–4,400.004,4005
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,4443,950.00/head3,950.00–3,950.003,9504
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,4943,600.00/head3,600.00–3,600.003,6004
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,4963,866.15/head3,500.00–4,350.003,86624
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,5004,300.00/head4,300.00–4,300.004,3002
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,5244,909.53/head4,650.00–5,125.004,91022
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,5644,189.97/head3,925.00–4,450.004,19075
Cow-Calf Pairs—Large 11,5784,025.00/head4,025.00–4,025.004,02511
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,5914,626.82/head4,200.00–4,925.004,62777
Cow-Calf Pairs—Large 11,6564,100.00/head4,100.00–4,100.004,1004
Replacement Cattle · Heifer Pairs3 lots · lightest first
Heifer Pairs—Medium 19564,083.86/head3,950.00–4,350.004,08427
Heifer Pairs—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed9994,375.00/head4,375.00–4,375.004,37518
Heifer Pairs—Medium and Large 11,0584,525.00/head4,525.00–4,525.004,52515
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows10 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,0273,350.00/head3,350.00–3,350.003,3508
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1613,741.27/head3,700.00–3,750.003,74119
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3804,202.85/head4,150.00–4,300.004,20321
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3813,475.00/head3,475.00–3,475.003,4754
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,3832,945.90/head2,550.00–3,150.002,9463
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,4283,200.00/head3,200.00–3,200.003,2004
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,4383,460.98/head3,375.00–3,550.003,4614
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4543,766.57/head3,500.00–3,875.003,7679
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,5253,591.42/head3,550.00–3,650.003,59112
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,5913,574.59/head3,300.00–3,650.003,57512
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows8 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium 1800316.16/cwt305.00–320.002,5294
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,045247.07/cwt240.00–255.002,5822
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,049292.98/cwt245.00–330.003,07343
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,067223.13/cwt192.50–295.002,38111
Stock Cows—Large 11,083220.24/cwt205.00–235.002,3852
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,113283.67/cwt242.50–288.003,15712
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,192231.48/cwt191.00–300.002,75967
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,276196.61/cwt193.00–210.002,5098
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers3 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 11,0553,750.00/head3,750.00–3,750.003,7502
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 11,1693,700.00/head3,700.00–3,700.003,7004
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 11,1763,875.58/head3,850.00–3,900.003,8764

This sale against other markets

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.
Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →