Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-04-10

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2024-04-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-04-10

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Apr 10

● Final37 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774

← Apr 3Apr 10Apr 17 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

330 head

▲ 180 vs last sale 150▼ 2,865 vs year ago 3,195 · −89.7%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

168 head

▼ 48 vs last sale 216▼ 39 vs year ago 207 · −18.8%

Replacement Cattle receipts

85 head

▼ 149 vs last sale 234▲ 20 vs year ago 65 · +30.8%

Also sold hereRegular saleFri Oct 30, 2026

View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were to lightly tested for a trend. Demand good. Slaughter cows sold steady. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00 lower. Quality plain to average on slaughter cattle. Feeding cows sold steady.

Weight class — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $286.67/cwt on 40 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −108.79 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.

Average price

$286.67

40 head · 541 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,552

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$135

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

$23.64/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.80

vs MT average

+22.71 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	542	296.12	1,606	24
Medium and Large 1-2	540	272.48	1,471	16thin

One grade step is worth $23.64/cwt here — about $135 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale40 hd

286.67

—

MT average3 barns · 935 hd

292.46

−5.80

National average181 barns · 13,137 hd

263.96

+22.71

This barn, trailing median19 sales

395.45

−108.79

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

19 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $464.07, low $347.53, median $395.45 across 19 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	—	Average	1,921	134.62	2,586	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,492	132.92	1,983	65
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,314	132.04	1,735	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,204	120.15	1,447	14

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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,038	$2,441	14
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,583	$1,975	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	960	$1,800	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,494	$1,751	3thin

Every lot

37 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	350–400	Medium and Large 1	374	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,421	4
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1	475	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,710	2
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 1-2	605	283.00/cwt	283.00–283.00	1,712	2
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 1	648	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,895	2
Steers	650–700	Medium and Large 1	680	281.85/cwt	277.50–284.00	1,917	12
Steers	850–900	Medium and Large 1	851	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	2,017	6
Feeder Cattle · Heifers12 lots · lightest first
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 1	393	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,267	2
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1-2	404	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,172	4
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 1	487	305.39/cwt	303.00–307.00	1,487	5
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1-2	510	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,454	10
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	531	299.84/cwt	287.50–303.00	1,592	19
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 1	586	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,653	5
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 1-2	590	251.62/cwt	240.00–257.50	1,485	6
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1	612	278.69/cwt	270.00–283.00	1,706	12
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1-2	675	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,553	2
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1	685	263.98/cwt	256.00–267.00	1,808	32
Heifers	750–800	Medium and Large 1	784	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,874	4
Heifers	850–900	Medium and Large 1	854	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	1,691	10
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—	1,465	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,641	1
Bulls	—	—	1,891	132.98/cwt	124.00–143.00	2,515	25
Bulls	—	—	2,220	150.52/cwt	145.00–154.00	3,342	4
Slaughter Cattle · Cows10 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	990	104.32/cwt	101.00–107.50	1,033	3
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,215	122.13/cwt	121.00–123.00	1,484	2
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,273	124.98/cwt	122.00–126.50	1,591	9
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,302	136.66/cwt	132.50–144.00	1,779	11
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,302	133.60/cwt	131.00–138.00	1,739	16
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,353	122.56/cwt	112.00–129.00	1,658	8
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	1,456	138.73/cwt	133.00–142.00	2,020	23
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,475	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	2,154	1
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,500	134.46/cwt	127.00–140.00	2,017	26
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,533	120.47/cwt	116.00–125.00	1,847	15
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	960	1,800.00/head	1,800.00–1,800.00	1,800	1
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,038	2,440.81/head	2,400.00–2,450.00	2,441	14
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,494	1,750.71/head	1,700.00–1,850.00	1,751	3
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,583	1,975.00/head	1,975.00–1,975.00	1,975	2
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows2 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	946	189.88/cwt	184.00–208.00	1,796	52
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,074	168.08/cwt	151.00–180.00	1,805	53

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 10, 2024

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 330Last week 150Year ago 3,195

Slaughter CattleReceipts 168Last week 216Year ago 207

Replacement CattleReceipts 85Last week 234Year ago 65

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,353	112.00–129.00	122.56
16	—	1,302	131.00–138.00	133.60

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
26	—	1,500	127.00–140.00	134.46
1	—	1,475	146.00	146.00
15	—	1,533	116.00–125.00	120.47

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
23	—	1,456	133.00–142.00	138.73

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,215	121.00–123.00	122.13
3	—	990	101.00–107.50	104.32

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	1,302	132.50–144.00	136.66

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,273	122.00–126.50	124.98

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
25	—	1,891	124.00–143.00	132.98
4	—	2,220	145.00–154.00	150.52
1	—	1,465	112.00	112.00

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
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,583	1,975.00	1,975.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,494	1,700.00–1,850.00	1,750.71
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	14	—	1,038	2,400.00–2,450.00	2,440.81
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	960	1,800.00	1,800.00

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	53	—	1,074	151.00–180.00	168.08
(<2 yrs)	Open	52	—	946	184.00–208.00	189.88

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	393	322.50	322.50
5	450–500	487	303.00–307.00	305.39
19	500–550	531	287.50–303.00	299.84
5	550–600	586	282.00	282.00
12	600–650	612	270.00–283.00	278.69
32	650–700	685	256.00–267.00	263.98
4	750–800	784	239.00	239.00
10	850–900	854	198.00	198.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	400–450	404	290.00	290.00
10	500–550	510	285.00	285.00
6	550–600	590	240.00–257.50	251.62
2	650–700	675	230.00	230.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	374	380.00	380.00
2	450–500	475	360.00	360.00
2	600–650	648	292.50	292.50
12	650–700	680	277.50–284.00	281.85
6	850–900	851	237.00	237.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	600–650	605	283.00	283.00

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.