Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2023-03-29

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2023-03-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-03-29

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

● Final59 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774

← Mar 22Mar 29Apr 5 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

239 head

▼ 507 vs last sale 746▲ 49 vs year ago 190 · +25.8%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

358 head

▼ 98 vs last sale 456▼ 81 vs year ago 439 · −18.5%

Replacement Cattle receipts

212 head

▼ 36 vs last sale 248▼ 93 vs year ago 305 · −30.5%

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 and this week to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed on all feeders on offer. Demand for feeders was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and buyers were selective as they picked through offerings. Most cattle were sold in small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on all offerings. Demand improved as the sale progressed. Quality this week was average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were average to attractive to buyers, however weigh conditions were not as attractive to buyers this week as they were last week. Packer buyers opted to send a few set of cows to feed again this week. Feeding cows sold steady on an attractive offering. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Bull quality overall was not as attractive today as last sale. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Buyers showed the best demand for high quality cows which had lost calves. Young offerings sold generally steady.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $225.34/cwt on 126 head.

Average price

$225.34

126 head · 595 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,342

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$631

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Small and Medium 2-3

$118.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+5.35

vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	504	243.00	1,226	10thin
Medium and Large 1	615	233.19	1,434	106
Small and Medium 2-3	478	124.50	595	10thin

One grade step is worth $118.50/cwt here — about $631 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 sale126 hd

225.34

—

MT average2 barns · 351 hd

219.98

+5.35

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	1,679	103.80	1,743	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,641	93.74	1,539	41
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,418	92.26	1,308	123
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,188	84.95	1,009	136

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,247	$1,632	19
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,458	$1,450	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,430	$1,325	6
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	979	$1,425	12
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,052	$2,000	9

Every lot

59 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 · Steers13 lots · lightest first
Steers	—	Small and Medium 2-3	378	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	586	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	411	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,048	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	448	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,232	2
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	457	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,211	16
Steers	—	Small and Medium 2-3	459	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	551	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	519	253.22/cwt	250.00–255.00	1,314	26
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	548	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,365	2
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	576	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	1,313	4
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	587	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,456	24
Steers	—	Small and Medium 2-3	603	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	603	3
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	679	216.58/cwt	211.00–221.00	1,471	12
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	797	186.48/cwt	185.00–187.00	1,486	23
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	973	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	1,635	3
Feeder Cattle · Heifers9 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	403	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,018	6
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	438	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,012	4
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	484	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,113	8
Heifers	—	Medium 2	515	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	953	3
Heifers	—	Medium 1	538	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	1,108	3
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	576	205.82/cwt	203.00–212.00	1,186	13
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	640	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,280	2
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	671	186.24/cwt	184.00–187.00	1,250	8
Heifers	—	Medium 1	743	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	1,241	4
Feeder Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1	648	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,354	8
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1-2	830	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	1,349	1
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1-2	928	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,364	2
Bulls	—	Medium and Large 1-2	985	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,379	1
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—Light Weight	1,295	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	1,101	1
Bulls	—	—	1,602	98.53/cwt	87.00–105.00	1,578	10
Bulls	—	—	1,871	112.88/cwt	107.00–119.00	2,112	4
Bulls	—	—	2,065	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,870	1
Slaughter Cattle · Cows15 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	890	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	823	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	956	81.84/cwt	81.00–82.00	782	6
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,145	85.63/cwt	85.00–87.00	980	3
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,148	67.74/cwt	66.00–70.50	778	3
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,156	79.32/cwt	72.00–84.00	917	44
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,230	88.59/cwt	85.00–94.00	1,090	76
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,240	95.68/cwt	95.00–97.00	1,186	3
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,400	92.29/cwt	87.00–96.00	1,292	55
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,417	84.90/cwt	81.00–87.00	1,203	9
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,423	91.88/cwt	88.00–96.00	1,307	46
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,476	98.62/cwt	96.75–104.50	1,456	13
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,613	89.96/cwt	88.00–90.50	1,451	9
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,620	94.87/cwt	94.00–97.50	1,537	29
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,775	98.50/cwt	98.50–98.50	1,748	1
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	2,010	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,849	2
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium 1	1,155	1,627.19/head	1,400.00–1,675.00	1,627	15
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	1,430	1,325.00/head	1,325.00–1,325.00	1,325	6
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,458	1,450.00/head	1,450.00–1,450.00	1,450	4
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,591	1,650.00/head	1,650.00–1,650.00	1,650	4
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs	—	Medium 1	1,052	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	9
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows7 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	795	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	962	1
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	876	126.67/cwt	108.00–140.00	1,110	9
Stock Cows	—	Medium 1	930	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,293	3
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	939	93.72/cwt	84.00–106.00	880	9
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	972	140.90/cwt	120.00–163.00	1,370	55
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,132	104.79/cwt	90.00–124.00	1,186	51
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Fancy	1,435	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	2,009	1
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers	—	Medium 1	966	1,450.00/head	1,450.00–1,450.00	1,450	8
Bred Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2Non-Legible BANGS	1,005	1,375.00/head	1,375.00–1,375.00	1,375	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 Mar 29, 2023

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 239Last week 746Year ago 190

Slaughter CattleReceipts 358Last week 456Year ago 439

Replacement CattleReceipts 212Last week 248Year ago 305

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	15	—	1,155	1,400.00–1,675.00	1,627.19

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	6	—	1,430	1,325.00	1,325.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	—	1,591	1,650.00	1,650.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	—	1,458	1,450.00	1,450.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	9	—	1,052	2,000.00	2,000.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	55	—	972	120.00–163.00	140.90
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	51	—	1,132	90.00–124.00	104.79

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	9	—	876	108.00–140.00	126.67
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	9	—	939	84.00–106.00	93.72

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	3	—	930	139.00	139.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	795	121.00	121.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,435	140.00	140.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Heifers — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	8	—	966	1,450.00	1,450.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Non-Legible BANGS$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	—	1,005	1,375.00	1,375.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	973	168.00	168.00
24	—	587	248.00	248.00
16	—	457	265.00	265.00
12	—	679	211.00–221.00	216.58
2	—	448	275.00	275.00
26	—	519	250.00–255.00	253.22
23	—	797	185.00–187.00	186.48

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Small and Medium 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	378	155.00	155.00
4	—	459	120.00	120.00
3	—	603	100.00	100.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	411	255.00	255.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	576	228.00	228.00
2	—	548	249.00	249.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	671	184.00–187.00	186.24
6	—	403	252.50	252.50
8	—	484	230.00	230.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	515	185.00	185.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	438	231.00	231.00
2	—	640	200.00	200.00
13	—	576	203.00–212.00	205.82

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	743	167.00	167.00
3	—	538	206.00	206.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	928	147.00	147.00
1	—	985	140.00	140.00
1	—	830	162.50	162.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	648	209.00	209.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
76	—	1,230	85.00–94.00	88.59
3	—	1,148	66.00–70.50	67.74
44	—	1,156	72.00–84.00	79.32
3	—	1,240	95.00–97.00	95.68

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
29	—	1,620	94.00–97.50	94.87
9	—	1,613	88.00–90.50	89.96
1	—	1,775	98.50	98.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,145	85.00–87.00	85.63

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	2,010	92.00	92.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
55	—	1,400	87.00–96.00	92.29
13	—	1,476	96.75–104.50	98.62
9	—	1,417	81.00–87.00	84.90

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
46	—	1,423	88.00–96.00	91.88

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	890	92.50	92.50
6	—	956	81.00–82.00	81.84

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,602	87.00–105.00	98.53
1	—	2,065	139.00	139.00
4	—	1,871	107.00–119.00	112.88

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,295	85.00	85.00

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.