Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2020-01-15

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-01-15
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-01-15

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Jan 15

● Final26 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774

← Jan 8Jan 15Jan 22 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

151 head

▼ 504 vs last sale 655▲ 151 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Slaughter Cattle receipts

19 head

▼ 141 vs last sale 160▲ 19 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Replacement Cattle receipts

199 head

▼ 922 vs last sale 1,121▲ 199 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Also sold hereRegular saleFri Oct 30, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Extremely cold temperatures and windchill's gripped the state over the last few days. Receipts were very light as a result. All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Cattle were offered in mostly small packages or as singles. Demand overall was light to moderate for very light offerings. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for light offerings. Quality this sale was average. Packers showed mixed demand for slaughter cows as some purchased cows on moderate demand, while others showed very light demand. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeding cows sold on light to moderate demand this week. Feeding cows sold steady to weak in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold mostly 2.00-5.00 lower. Quality was mostly average.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $141.86/cwt on 37 head.

Average price

$141.86

37 head · 622 lb average

Value per head Derived

$882

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$298

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1-2

$29.03/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−12.62

vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	649	146.53	951	19thin
Medium and Large 1-2	534	139.38	744	16thin
Large 1-2	1,063	117.50	1,249	2thin

One grade step is worth $29.03/cwt here — about −$298 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale37 hd

141.86

—

MT average3 barns · 3,085 hd

154.48

−12.62

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Low	1,915	75.58	1,447	3thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,583	58.00	918	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,605	47.00	754	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,088	42.74	465	5thin

Every lot

26 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.

Class	Weight	Grade / description	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Feeder Cattle · Steers8 lots · lightest first
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	384	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	720	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	408	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	751	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	502	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	833	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	551	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	937	11
Steers	—	Medium 1	575	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	932	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 2	625	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	838	2
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	720	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,037	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	928	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,244	5
Feeder Cattle · Heifers7 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	386	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	594	4
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	420	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	634	3
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	533	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	815	13
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	637	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	822	9
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	655	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	884	1
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	950	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,254	5
Heifers	—	Large 1-2	1,063	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	1,249	2
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,815	64.00/cwt	64.00–64.00	1,162	1
Bulls	—	—	1,965	81.37/cwt	78.50–84.00	1,599	2
Slaughter Cattle · Cows4 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	880	35.00/cwt	35.00–35.00	308	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,140	44.67/cwt	43.00–46.00	509	4
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,583	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	918	4
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,605	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	754	1
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows5 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,039	72.96/cwt	58.00–85.00	758	85
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	1,201	47.50/cwt	42.00–49.50	570	28
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	1,270	48.72/cwt	47.00–50.00	619	5
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,427	58.25/cwt	50.00–62.00	831	16
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,444	60.02/cwt	54.00–65.00	867	27

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 →

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Wed)

Wed Jan 15, 2020

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 151Last week 655Year ago 0

Slaughter CattleReceipts 19Last week 160Year ago 0

Replacement CattleReceipts 199Last week 1,121Year ago 0

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,815	64.00	64.00
2	—	1,965	78.50–84.00	81.37

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,605	47.00	47.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,583	58.00	58.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,140	43.00–46.00	44.67

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	880	35.00	35.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,063	117.50	117.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	655	135.00	135.00
5	—	950	132.00	132.00
13	—	533	153.00	153.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	420	151.00	151.00
4	—	386	154.00	154.00
9	—	637	129.00	129.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	551	170.00	170.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	408	184.00	184.00
4	—	384	187.50	187.50
5	—	928	134.00	134.00
3	—	502	166.00	166.00
3	—	720	144.00	144.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	625	134.00	134.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	575	162.00	162.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	27	—	1,444	54.00–65.00	60.02
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	85	—	1,039	58.00–85.00	72.96
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	16	—	1,427	50.00–62.00	58.25

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	28	—	1,201	42.00–49.50	47.50
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	5	—	1,270	47.00–50.00	48.72

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.