Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2020-01-29

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2020-01-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-01-29

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Jan 29

● Final41 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774

← Jan 22Jan 29Feb 5 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

285 head

▼ 182 vs last sale 467▲ 285 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Slaughter Cattle receipts

220 head

▲ 31 vs last sale 189▲ 220 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago

Replacement Cattle receipts

351 head

▲ 82 vs last sale 269▲ 351 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: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend for steers, however lower undertones were noticed. Feeder heifers 500-699 lbs sold 3.00-6.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and offered in small packages or as singles. Feeder cattle sold on mostly light demand for light offerings. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed lighter demand for all types and classes of cows this week. Fewer feeding buyers in the market allowed packers to purchase the majority of the offering this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-5.00 lower on boning and lean cows, breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold 2.00-5.00 lower. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. A small portion of the bull offering returned to the country to feed this week. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold steady to weak in a narrow comparison. Quality was 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 $139.04/cwt on 96 head.

Average price

$139.04

96 head · 642 lb average

Value per head Derived

$892

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$436

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$23.02/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−9.94

vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	547	145.00	793	11thin
Medium 1-2	366	142.50	522	5thin
Medium and Large 1	646	139.70	902	72
Medium and Large 1-2	610	125.00	763	2thin
Large 1	1,008	121.98	1,230	6thin

One grade step is worth $23.02/cwt here — about −$436 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 sale96 hd

139.04

—

MT average4 barns · 2,556 hd

148.98

−9.94

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	—	Average	1,931	76.91	1,485	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,803	58.15	1,048	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,398	53.61	749	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,136	46.99	534	146

Every lot

41 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 1-2	383	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	670	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	395	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	721	1
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	439	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	790	5
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	456	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	798	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	517	164.55/cwt	161.00–166.00	851	7
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	640	150.29/cwt	149.50–155.00	962	29
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	678	146.90/cwt	144.00–149.00	996	22
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	704	143.25/cwt	143.25–143.25	1,008	11
Feeder Cattle · Heifers9 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium 1-2	366	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	522	5
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	534	152.52/cwt	150.00–157.50	814	30
Heifers	—	Medium 1	547	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	793	11
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	610	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	763	2
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	628	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	842	2
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	670	132.61/cwt	130.00–133.50	888	27
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	710	129.50/cwt	129.00–130.00	919	2
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	881	125.04/cwt	124.50–127.50	1,102	11
Heifers	—	Large 1	1,008	121.98/cwt	119.50–122.50	1,230	6
Feeder Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1	677	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	907	3
Bulls	—	Large 1	1,050	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	1,187	3
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,711	63.73/cwt	60.00–71.00	1,090	7
Bulls	—	—	1,930	80.54/cwt	75.00–83.00	1,554	19
Bulls	—	—	2,330	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	1,957	1
Bulls	—	—Heavy Weight	2,505	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	2,129	2
Slaughter Cattle · Cows10 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	953	47.69/cwt	46.00–49.50	454	2
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	970	50.95/cwt	50.00–54.00	494	4
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	979	26.00/cwt	26.00–26.00	255	14
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,130	35.40/cwt	34.00–39.00	400	6
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,135	48.41/cwt	40.00–51.50	549	91
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,252	54.17/cwt	52.00–57.50	678	28
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,270	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	800	1
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,365	56.50/cwt	53.00–58.50	771	13
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,445	49.43/cwt	46.00–51.50	714	9
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,803	58.15/cwt	55.00–61.00	1,048	2
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,280	910.00/cwt	910.00–910.00	11,648	5
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows7 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	1,058	55.13/cwt	51.50–61.00	583	8
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,063	71.93/cwt	55.00–95.00	765	131
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,148	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	677	2
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	1,156	52.08/cwt	52.00–52.50	602	6
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	1,220	51.68/cwt	51.00–52.00	630	10
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,363	60.87/cwt	55.00–63.00	830	69
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,386	56.27/cwt	51.00–61.00	780	31

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 29, 2020

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 285Last week 467Year ago 0

Slaughter CattleReceipts 220Last week 189Year ago 0

Replacement CattleReceipts 351Last week 269Year ago 0

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,803	55.00–61.00	58.15

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	1,365	53.00–58.50	56.50
9	—	1,445	46.00–51.50	49.43

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,270	63.00	63.00
6	—	1,130	34.00–39.00	35.40
28	—	1,252	52.00–57.50	54.17
91	—	1,135	40.00–51.50	48.41

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	970	50.00–54.00	50.95
14	—	979	26.00	26.00
2	—	953	46.00–49.50	47.69

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
19	—	1,930	75.00–83.00	80.54
7	—	1,711	60.00–71.00	63.73
1	—	2,330	84.00	84.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	2,505	85.00	85.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	366	142.50	142.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	547	145.00	145.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,008	119.50–122.50	121.98

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
30	—	534	150.00–157.50	152.52
27	—	670	130.00–133.50	132.61
11	—	881	124.50–127.50	125.04
2	—	710	129.00–130.00	129.50
2	—	628	134.00	134.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	610	125.00	125.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	517	161.00–166.00	164.55
5	—	439	180.00	180.00
4	—	456	175.00	175.00
1	—	395	182.50	182.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
29	—	640	149.50–155.00	150.29
22	—	678	144.00–149.00	146.90
11	—	704	143.25	143.25

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	383	175.00	175.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	677	134.00	134.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,050	113.00	113.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	5	—	1,280	910.00	910.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	131	—	1,063	55.00–95.00	71.93
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	69	—	1,363	55.00–63.00	60.87
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	31	—	1,386	51.00–61.00	56.27

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,148	59.00	59.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,156	52.00–52.50	52.08
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	8	—	1,058	51.50–61.00	55.13
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	10	—	1,220	51.00–52.00	51.68

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.