Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2021-01-06

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2021-01-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-01-06

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Jan 6

● Final43 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774

← Dec 16Jan 6Jan 13 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

408 head

▼ 451 vs last sale 859▼ 247 vs year ago 655 · −37.7%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

659 head

▼ 194 vs last sale 853▲ 499 vs year ago 160 · +311.9%

Replacement Cattle receipts

211 head

▼ 13 vs last sale 224▼ 910 vs year ago 1,121 · −81.2%

Also sold hereRegular saleFri Oct 30, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers sold with lower undertones in a narrow comparison. Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steers and heifers under 500 lbs sold with higher undertones and steers and heifers over 500 lbs sold with lower undertones. Demand was mostly light to moderate for light offerings. Not enough cattle were on offer for buyers to dig in and start loads. Most cattle were weaned this sale. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to run on grass and develop into yearlings. CME contracts have been volatile over the last few days and buyers showed some caution this sale as they bid on offerings. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Packer buyers were reserved this sale and let feeding buyers purchase the majority of the cows on offer. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower on breaking cows, and mostly 1.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Feeding cows sold generally steady to weak. Cow quality this week was average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average for buyers as most cows were very full. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower. Young age cows sold on mostly light demand this sale. Quality was average to attractive. Demand for rebreed cows has diminished as it is getting too late in the season for fall breeding programs. Additionally, higher grain prices makes this class less appealing to feed. Young age cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower.

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 $139.64/cwt on 217 head.

Average price

$139.64

217 head · 644 lb average

Value per head Derived

$899

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$265

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$36.59/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.21

vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	598	144.09	861	187
Medium 1	759	119.00	903	9thin
Medium and Large 1-2	737	117.00	862	3thin
Large 1	1,048	107.50	1,127	18thin

One grade step is worth $36.59/cwt here — about −$265 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 sale217 hd

139.64

—

MT average2 barns · 641 hd

147.85

−8.21

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	—	High	1,838	72.80	1,338	35
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,588	53.65	852	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,427	51.46	734	210
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,203	45.71	550	227

Every lot

43 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 · Steers7 lots · lightest first
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	423	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	799	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	472	177.97/cwt	176.00–180.00	840	18
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	529	165.50/cwt	165.50–165.50	875	8
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	632	141.09/cwt	139.00–143.50	892	15
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	689	136.50/cwt	136.50–136.50	940	5
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	710	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	888	2
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	743	130.09/cwt	129.00–135.00	967	9
Feeder Cattle · Heifers12 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	330	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	561	70
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	426	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	656	6
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	482	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	733	11
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	545	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	747	3
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	569	133.45/cwt	131.00–137.00	759	5
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	608	128.00/cwt	127.00–129.00	778	12
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	677	130.36/cwt	123.00–132.50	883	13
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	737	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	862	3
Heifers	—	Medium 1	759	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	903	9
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	867	121.50/cwt	121.50–121.50	1,053	35
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	934	121.50/cwt	121.50–121.50	1,135	32
Heifers	—	Large 1	1,048	107.50/cwt	107.50–107.50	1,127	18
Feeder Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1	704	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	866	8
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,797	70.77/cwt	61.50–74.50	1,272	27
Bulls	—	—	1,867	83.29/cwt	83.00–83.50	1,555	3
Bulls	—	—	2,044	77.48/cwt	75.00–80.00	1,584	5
Slaughter Cattle · Cows15 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,147	37.71/cwt	33.00–39.00	433	12
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,179	45.45/cwt	42.00–47.00	536	38
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,197	49.00/cwt	49.00–49.00	587	3
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,206	43.00/cwt	40.00–47.00	519	111
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,220	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	720	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,223	51.88/cwt	47.50–55.00	634	62
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,424	54.04/cwt	49.50–57.00	770	137
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,424	46.04/cwt	41.50–48.50	656	23
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,425	46.35/cwt	44.00–48.00	660	43
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,510	54.33/cwt	53.00–55.00	820	5
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,525	39.50/cwt	39.50–39.50	602	2
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,545	57.44/cwt	57.00–58.50	887	7
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	1,565	52.17/cwt	47.50–54.00	816	11
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	1,625	57.00/cwt	57.00–57.00	926	1
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,719	50.23/cwt	46.00–54.00	863	4
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows3 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	945	78.16/cwt	75.50–90.00	739	35
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	960	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	451	1
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,044	66.91/cwt	47.00–82.00	699	125
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows2 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,155	1,050.00/cwt	1,050.00–1,050.00	12,128	3
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,209	975.00/cwt	975.00–975.00	11,788	4

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 6, 2021

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 408Last week 859Year ago 655

Slaughter CattleReceipts 659Last week 853Year ago 160

Replacement CattleReceipts 211Last week 224Year ago 1,121

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	689	136.50	136.50
9	—	743	129.00–135.00	130.09
18	—	472	176.00–180.00	177.97
4	—	423	189.00	189.00
15	—	632	139.00–143.50	141.09
8	—	529	165.50	165.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	710	125.00	125.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	569	131.00–137.00	133.45
13	—	677	123.00–132.50	130.36
3	—	545	137.00	137.00
12	—	608	127.00–129.00	128.00
11	—	482	152.00	152.00
6	—	426	154.00	154.00
35	—	867	121.50	121.50
32	—	934	121.50	121.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
70	—	330	170.00	170.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
18	—	1,048	107.50	107.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	759	119.00	119.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	737	117.00	117.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	704	123.00	123.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
111	—	1,206	40.00–47.00	43.00
12	—	1,147	33.00–39.00	37.71
3	—	1,197	49.00	49.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,510	53.00–55.00	54.33
2	—	1,525	39.50	39.50
23	—	1,424	41.50–48.50	46.04

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
62	—	1,223	47.50–55.00	51.88
1	—	1,220	59.00	59.00
38	—	1,179	42.00–47.00	45.45

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,719	46.00–54.00	50.23
7	—	1,545	57.00–58.50	57.44

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
137	—	1,424	49.50–57.00	54.04
43	—	1,425	44.00–48.00	46.35

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	1,565	47.50–54.00	52.17
1	—	1,625	57.00	57.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,867	83.00–83.50	83.29
5	—	2,044	75.00–80.00	77.48
27	—	1,797	61.50–74.50	70.77

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
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	125	—	1,044	47.00–82.00	66.91
(<2 yrs)	Open	35	—	945	75.50–90.00	78.16

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	960	47.00	47.00

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 Stage (4-6 mo)	4	—	1,209	975.00	975.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	3	—	1,155	1,050.00	1,050.00

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.