Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-01-17

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-01-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-01-17

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Jan 17

● Final29 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774

← Jan 10Jan 17Jan 24 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

46 head

▼ 52 vs last sale 98▼ 2,932 vs year ago 2,978 · −98.5%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

162 head

▼ 573 vs last sale 735▼ 206 vs year ago 368 · −56.0%

Replacement Cattle receipts

58 head

▼ 744 vs last sale 802▼ 130 vs year ago 188 · −69.1%

Also sold hereRegular saleFri Oct 30, 2026

View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were limited today as extremely cold weather has slowed the volume of cattle being marketed. Temperatures have been mostly below 0 since last weeks sale with even colder Windchill's seen. Feeder cattle were scarcely tested as a result. Demand was mostly good for very light offerings. Market activity was moderate. Weigh up cows comprised most of the market this week. Since last week much of the upper plains was waylaid with a blizzard that slowed the marking of all livestock. Packers returned to the market this week showing need for slaughter cows and bulls as they pushed all slaughter cows higher. All classes of slaughter cows sold 3.00-5.00 higher than last week in a narrow comparison. Private feeders remain active as they purchased cows to feed, despite having to pay higher prices for cows. High quality cows suitable to feed to premium white sold 3.00-5.00 higher. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average with many full offerings noticed. Slaughter bulls were not well compared however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average today.

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 $203.60/cwt on 42 head.

Average price

$203.60

42 head · 836 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,703

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$109

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

$11.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−48.57

vs MT average

Price by quality 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	839	207.00	1,736	29
Medium and Large 1-2	831	196.00	1,628	13thin

One grade step is worth $11.00/cwt here — about $109 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 sale42 hd

203.60

—

MT average2 barns · 1,534 hd

252.17

−48.57

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	1,688	110.45	1,864	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,683	100.02	1,683	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,377	97.59	1,344	63
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,140	90.00	1,026	57

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,537	$1,600	3thin

Every lot

29 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 · Steers2 lots · lightest first
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	570	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,545	2
Steers	—	Medium and Large 1	756	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,709	5
Feeder Cattle · Heifers7 lots · lightest first
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	573	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,450	2
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	701	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,507	7
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	821	197.00/cwt	197.00–197.00	1,617	12
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	855	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	1,736	1
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	904	200.25/cwt	200.25–200.25	1,810	16
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1-2	945	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	1,739	1
Heifers	—	Medium and Large 1	985	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,921	3
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—Light Weight	1,410	98.93/cwt	93.00–102.00	1,395	3
Bulls	—	—	1,586	106.31/cwt	98.00–111.00	1,686	13
Bulls	—	—	1,668	114.42/cwt	112.00–121.00	1,909	8
Bulls	—	—	2,073	119.88/cwt	115.00–121.00	2,485	6
Slaughter Cattle · Cows12 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	915	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	759	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,075	92.43/cwt	90.00–95.00	994	4
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,081	85.93/cwt	81.00–91.00	929	7
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,153	102.26/cwt	98.00–106.00	1,179	23
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,158	79.75/cwt	72.00–86.00	924	12
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,160	62.45/cwt	59.00–68.00	724	5
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,201	90.94/cwt	87.00–95.00	1,092	5
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,314	99.29/cwt	94.50–102.50	1,305	41
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,485	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,544	3
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,490	95.46/cwt	91.00–102.50	1,422	14
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,511	85.79/cwt	79.00–89.00	1,296	5
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,683	100.02/cwt	99.00–102.00	1,683	3
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	1,537	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	3
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows3 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	893	115.45/cwt	110.00–121.00	1,031	2
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	929	135.15/cwt	125.00–165.00	1,256	40
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,113	113.54/cwt	105.50–116.00	1,264	10

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 17, 2024

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 46Last week 98Year ago 2,978

Slaughter CattleReceipts 162Last week 735Year ago 368

Replacement CattleReceipts 58Last week 802Year ago 188

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	855	203.00	203.00
16	—	904	200.25	200.25
3	—	985	195.00	195.00
7	—	701	215.00	215.00
2	—	573	253.00	253.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	821	197.00	197.00
1	—	945	184.00	184.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	570	271.00	271.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	756	226.00	226.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

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)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,537	1,600.00	1,600.00

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	10	—	1,113	105.50–116.00	113.54
(<2 yrs)	Open	40	—	929	125.00–165.00	135.15

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	2	—	893	110.00–121.00	115.45

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,410	93.00–102.00	98.93

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	2,073	115.00–121.00	119.88
13	—	1,586	98.00–111.00	106.31
8	—	1,668	112.00–121.00	114.42

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,075	90.00–95.00	92.43
23	—	1,153	98.00–106.00	102.26
7	—	1,081	81.00–91.00	85.93

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,511	79.00–89.00	85.79
14	—	1,490	91.00–102.50	95.46

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	915	83.00	83.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,485	104.00	104.00
41	—	1,314	94.50–102.50	99.29

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,683	99.00–102.00	100.02

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,201	87.00–95.00	90.94
12	—	1,158	72.00–86.00	79.75
5	—	1,160	59.00–68.00	62.45

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.