Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-04-03

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-04-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-04-03

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Apr 3

● Final34 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774

← Mar 27Apr 3Apr 10 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

150 head

▲ 79 vs last sale 71▼ 224 vs year ago 374 · −59.9%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

216 head

▲ 83 vs last sale 133▲ 0 vs year ago 216 · +0.0%

Replacement Cattle receipts

234 head

▲ 159 vs last sale 75▲ 133 vs year ago 101 · +131.7%

Also sold hereRegular saleFri Oct 30, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were were too lightly tested today to develop any market trend. Demand for feeders was mostly moderate to good for very light offerings. Quality today was plain to average. Most calves were offered in small packages or as singles. Market activity today was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand. Cow quality was average to attractive today. Packers showed good demand for all cows on offer this week. Most of the high quality offerings were purchased to feed this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher on all offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly steady. Weigh up conditions were mixed. Private feeding cow buyers showed good demand for high quality cows again this week as they competed with packer buyers over limited offerings. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-4.00 higher. Demand from feeding and rebreed cow buyers continues to be good. Limited bred and replacement cows continue to sell on very good demand.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $332.54/cwt on 8 head. That ranks 1 of 10 comparable sales and sits −122.38 against this barn's trailing median of $454.92.

Average price

$332.54

8 head · 509 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,693

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+10.60

vs MT average

+21.78 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	509	332.54	1,693	8thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale8 hd

332.54

—

MT average3 barns · 84 hd

321.94

+10.60

National average173 barns · 11,586 hd

310.76

+21.78

This barn, trailing median10 sales

454.92

−122.38

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

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

10 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $510.69, low $392.59, median $454.92 across 10 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

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	1,889	137.99	2,606	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,527	135.05	2,062	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,357	134.76	1,829	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,216	119.39	1,452	18

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)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,260	$1,957	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,125	$1,950	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,385	$1,850	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,225	$1,775	1thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,260	$1,600	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	960	$1,400	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,107	$2,293	3thin

Every lot

34 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 · Steers6 lots · lightest first
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1	478	344.97/cwt	341.00–365.00	1,649	12
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	509	332.54/cwt	325.00–340.00	1,693	8
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 1-2	633	268.83/cwt	260.00–280.00	1,702	8
Steers	650–700	Medium and Large 1-2	666	267.90/cwt	250.00–279.00	1,784	8
Steers	700–750	Medium and Large 1-2	745	254.50/cwt	254.50–254.50	1,896	4
Steers	750–800	Medium and Large 1-2	789	242.93/cwt	237.00–249.00	1,917	2
Feeder Cattle · Heifers5 lots · lightest first
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 1-2	458	317.18/cwt	315.00–317.50	1,453	8
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1-2	512	297.00/cwt	297.00–297.00	1,521	9
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1-2	603	262.87/cwt	260.00–270.00	1,585	7
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1	660	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,683	4
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1-2	667	243.24/cwt	237.50–246.00	1,622	3
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,662	122.58/cwt	116.00–130.00	2,037	5
Bulls	—	—	1,876	137.23/cwt	131.00–142.00	2,574	12
Bulls	—	—	2,146	155.23/cwt	150.00–157.00	3,331	5
Slaughter Cattle · Cows11 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,043	114.96/cwt	114.00–116.00	1,199	2
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,046	110.13/cwt	106.00–114.00	1,152	4
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,290	123.06/cwt	115.00–129.00	1,587	10
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,313	145.73/cwt	141.00–150.00	1,913	5
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,348	134.73/cwt	127.00–139.00	1,816	27
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,363	123.95/cwt	123.00–125.00	1,689	2
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,385	122.84/cwt	115.00–129.00	1,701	7
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,395	138.95/cwt	134.00–145.00	1,938	7
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,475	119.20/cwt	117.00–125.00	1,758	4
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,488	133.49/cwt	125.00–139.00	1,986	11
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	1,572	140.80/cwt	136.00–142.00	2,213	14
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows6 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	960	1,400.00/head	1,400.00–1,400.00	1,400	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,125	1,950.00/head	1,950.00–1,950.00	1,950	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,225	1,775.00/head	1,775.00–1,775.00	1,775	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,260	1,956.86/head	1,910.00–1,975.00	1,957	3
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,260	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,385	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	1
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	859	191.82/cwt	177.50–210.00	1,648	21
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,057	167.44/cwt	145.00–181.00	1,770	20
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,107	2,293.37/head	2,050.00–2,450.00	2,293	3

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 Apr 3, 2024

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 150Last week 71Year ago 374

Slaughter CattleReceipts 216Last week 133Year ago 216

Replacement CattleReceipts 234Last week 75Year ago 101

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,662	116.00–130.00	122.58
5	—	2,146	150.00–157.00	155.23
12	—	1,876	131.00–142.00	137.23

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
27	—	1,348	127.00–139.00	134.73
5	—	1,313	141.00–150.00	145.73
7	—	1,385	115.00–129.00	122.84

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,475	117.00–125.00	119.20
11	—	1,488	125.00–139.00	133.49

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,290	115.00–129.00	123.06
4	—	1,046	106.00–114.00	110.13

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,043	114.00–116.00	114.96
2	—	1,363	123.00–125.00	123.95

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,572	136.00–142.00	140.80

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,395	134.00–145.00	138.95

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	600–650	633	260.00–280.00	268.83
8	650–700	666	250.00–279.00	267.90
4	700–750	745	254.50	254.50
2	750–800	789	237.00–249.00	242.93

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	450–500	478	341.00–365.00	344.97
8	500–550	509	325.00–340.00	332.54

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	650–700	660	255.00	255.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	450–500	458	315.00–317.50	317.18
9	500–550	512	297.00	297.00
7	600–650	603	260.00–270.00	262.87
3	650–700	667	237.50–246.00	243.24

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	960	1,400.00	1,400.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,225	1,775.00	1,775.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	1,385	1,850.00	1,850.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,260	1,910.00–1,975.00	1,956.86
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	1	—	1,260	1,600.00	1,600.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,125	1,950.00	1,950.00

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	20	—	1,057	145.00–181.00	167.44
(<2 yrs)	Open	21	—	859	177.50–210.00	191.82

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,107	2,050.00–2,450.00	2,293.37

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.