Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-04-24

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Apr 24
● Final103 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,004 head
▼ 3,056 vs last sale 4,060▲ 746 vs year ago 258 · +289.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
332 head
▲ 259 vs last sale 73▼ 305 vs year ago 637 · −47.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
325 head
▼ 50 vs last sale 375▲ 40 vs year ago 285 · +14.0%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle offerings were were too lightly tested today to develop a full market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Demand for feeders was mostly good for light to moderate offerings. Quality today was plain to average, with a limited offering of attractive feeders seen. Most calves were offered in small packages this week. Market activity today was mostly active, with small to average size crowd on hand, internet bidding was active throughout the sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly mixed demand with slaughter cows selling on light to moderate demand and feeding quality cows selling on moderate to good demand. Packers showed lighter demand for all slaughter cows on offer. Slaughter cows sold mostly generally steady to weak on breaking cow, boning cows sold 5.00-7.00 lower, lean cows were not well compared. Cows suitable to feed sold generally steady. Several private feeders and packer buyers all big aggressively on high quality cows suitable to feed. Despite lighter demand from packer buyers, private feeders continue to show very good demand for cows. Cow quality was average to attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mixed. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand from feeding and rebreed cow buyers was good to very good. Young cow offerings were heavy as they comprised a large part of the cow offering.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $283.12/cwt on 160 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −112.33 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.
Average price
$283.12
160 head · 549 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,554
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$256
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$40.75/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−1.02
vs MT average
+12.93 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1550292.451,60980
Medium and Large 1-2546278.631,52265
Medium 1588256.001,5054thin
Medium and Large 2538251.701,35311thin
One grade step is worth $40.75/cwt here — about $256 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale160 hd
283.12
—
MT average3 barns · 263 hd
284.14
−1.02
National average178 barns · 11,596 hd
270.19
+12.93
This barn, trailing median19 sales
395.45
−112.33
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
478430382334median 395.4503/1104/1506/0309/0210/21
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,736135.842,35929
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,635133.212,17828
CowsPremium White 65-75%Low2,068132.002,7303thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,429122.271,747106
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,181115.731,36791

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,372$2,8717
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,345$2,4504thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,467$2,4257

Every lot

103 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.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers23 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2378320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,2105
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1394391.00/cwt391.00–391.001,54118
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2421332.68/cwt320.00–350.001,4017
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1437364.17/cwt360.00–372.501,59111
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Full460310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,4263
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1494356.00/cwt356.00–356.001,7597
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2512316.82/cwt311.00–325.001,6227
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1534335.05/cwt330.00–340.001,78932
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Full550310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,7053
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2566321.02/cwt316.00–328.001,8177
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1585330.33/cwt330.00–331.001,9326
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2608275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,6722
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1632306.60/cwt305.50–312.001,93824
Steers600–650Medium 1638281.00/cwt281.00–281.001,7936
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2682270.75/cwt270.00–271.001,8474
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1690276.00/cwt276.00–276.001,9044
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1741273.00/cwt273.00–273.002,0235
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2763259.50/cwt259.50–259.501,9803
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1770259.74/cwt259.00–262.002,0004
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1833244.50/cwt244.50–244.502,0375
Steers1000–1050Large 1-21,015207.00/cwt207.00–207.002,1018
Steers1050–1100Large 1-21,068202.50/cwt202.50–202.502,1633
Steers1050–1100Medium and Large 11,070207.00/cwt207.00–207.002,2153
Feeder Cattle · Heifers31 lots · lightest first
Heifers350–400Medium 1385310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,19420
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2394311.72/cwt311.00–316.001,22820
Heifers400–450Medium 2418282.50/cwt282.50–282.501,1815
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2421292.91/cwt280.00–300.001,2336
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1440320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,4083
Heifers450–500Medium 1-2460260.00/cwt260.00–260.001,1966
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1471319.20/cwt312.00–322.001,50356
Heifers450–500Medium 2476247.50/cwt247.50–247.501,1787
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2479303.71/cwt302.00–306.001,45516
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2490280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,3722
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1511309.50/cwt309.50–309.501,58227
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2521290.39/cwt280.00–295.001,51334
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2531250.97/cwt240.00–265.001,3339
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Full543280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,5203
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2568271.77/cwt257.50–276.001,54424
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2568255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,4482
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1572283.99/cwt282.00–290.001,62450
Heifers550–600Medium 1588256.00/cwt256.00–256.001,5054
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Full595245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,4587
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1615277.85/cwt273.00–278.501,70933
Heifers600–650Medium 2631215.00/cwt215.00–215.001,3574
Heifers600–650Medium 1637243.11/cwt240.00–252.501,5498
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2640261.84/cwt257.00–264.001,67623
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1670260.31/cwt252.00–266.001,74431
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2688232.00/cwt232.00–232.001,5962
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1734248.71/cwt245.00–251.001,82623
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1787239.23/cwt235.00–241.001,88335
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 2800205.00/cwt205.00–205.001,6405
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1825227.22/cwt223.00–235.001,8756
Heifers950–1000Large 1-2963172.50/cwt172.50–172.501,6612
Heifers1000–1050Large 1-21,013165.12/cwt161.00–170.001,67311
Feeder Cattle · Bulls12 lots · lightest first
Bulls50–100Medium and Large 172662.85/head650.00–675.006636
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1355370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,3142
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2554280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,5517
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1603280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,6882
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1-2623245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,5263
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1668252.00/cwt252.00–252.001,6832
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1720252.00/cwt252.00–252.001,8144
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1760241.00/cwt241.00–241.001,8328
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1829217.00/cwt217.00–217.001,7994
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1955216.00/cwt216.00–216.002,0633
Bulls1050–1100Medium and Large 11,055211.43/cwt210.00–212.502,2317
Bulls1050–1100Large 11,068211.00/cwt211.00–211.002,2532
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls7 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,375112.00/cwt112.00–112.001,5401
Bulls——Return to Feed1,377131.15/cwt130.00–132.501,8063
Bulls——Light Weight1,385134.00/cwt134.00–134.001,8562
Bulls——1,587127.85/cwt125.00–130.002,0294
Bulls——1,811137.75/cwt133.00–145.002,49515
Bulls——2,065151.41/cwt150.00–153.003,1273
Bulls——2,370134.00/cwt134.00–134.003,1761
Slaughter Cattle · Cows20 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight87382.52/cwt82.00–83.007202
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight968101.51/cwt100.00–103.009834
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight993112.00/cwt112.00–112.001,1122
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,058112.67/cwt112.50–113.001,1923
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,12487.26/cwt80.00–91.009813
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,186107.68/cwt101.00–112.001,27716
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,197127.60/cwt125.00–131.001,52712
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,224120.38/cwt117.00–123.001,47346
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,227114.97/cwt114.00–116.001,4113
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,371121.60/cwt117.00–130.001,6679
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,407126.96/cwt120.00–135.001,78655
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,408118.31/cwt107.00–121.001,66614
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,435140.86/cwt139.00–142.002,0213
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,509112.19/cwt101.00–116.001,69325
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,525135.77/cwt134.00–140.002,07011
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,631140.59/cwt140.00–143.002,2935
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,684137.07/cwt136.00–139.002,3085
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,774121.51/cwt117.00–124.002,1566
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,790119.00/cwt119.00–119.002,1301
Cows—Premium White 65-75%Heavy Weight2,068132.00/cwt132.00–132.002,7303
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows2 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3452,450.00/head2,450.00–2,450.002,4504
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3722,871.44/head2,825.00–2,950.002,8717
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows7 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium 1768195.36/cwt194.00–197.501,5008
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2907157.03/cwt130.00–172.501,4243
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2942176.63/cwt163.50–194.001,66421
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1953185.88/cwt160.00–207.001,77197
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,041159.19/cwt126.00–186.001,65791
Stock Cows—Large 11,127157.71/cwt129.00–171.001,7777
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,453144.74/cwt144.50–146.002,1036
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,4672,425.00/head2,425.00–2,425.002,4257

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.