Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-10-09

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Oct 9
● Final96 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
437 head
▲ 186 vs last sale 251▼ 162 vs year ago 599 · −27.0%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
617 head
▲ 320 vs last sale 297▼ 174 vs year ago 791 · −22.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
162 head
▲ 101 vs last sale 61▼ 88 vs year ago 250 · −35.2%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows comprised most of todays sale. Packers showed light demand for slaughter cows but moderate to good demand for feeding cows. Private feeding buyers showed good demand for all cows suitable to feed. Very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest this sale. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to weak on breaking cows; boning and lean cows sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower. Feeding cows sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower with the biggest decrease seen in poorer quality and lower yielding cows. Bidding was very active for high quality feeding cows. A very large buyer pool was seen for feeding cows this week. Cow quality was mixed from plain to attractive. Weigh conditions were mostly average today. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 1.00 higher. Feeding bull demand was slightly stronger this week as a few private buyers showed light demand for feeding bulls. Quality today was mostly average to attractive for bulls and similar to last weeks offering. Feeding bulls sold mostly 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 higher. Demand from rebreed buyers was mostly good. More buyer were actively bidding on young cows this week compared to last.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $282.82/cwt on 36 head. That ranks 1 of 10 comparable sales and sits −172.10 against this barn's trailing median of $454.92.
Average price
$282.82
36 head · 549 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,553
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$223
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1
$44.29/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−14.60
vs MT average
−11.49 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1555290.291,61226
Medium and Large 1-2510275.001,4036thin
Large 1565246.001,3904thin
One grade step is worth $44.29/cwt here — about $223 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale36 hd
282.82
—
MT average4 barns · 430 hd
297.42
−14.60
National average177 barns · 23,944 hd
294.31
−11.49
This barn, trailing median10 sales
454.92
−172.10
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
525476427379median 454.9203/1804/1506/2409/3010/21
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—High1,741146.742,55463
CowsBoner 80-85%Very Low1,409123.731,744257
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,615123.161,98952
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,177111.461,312171
Dairy CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,649101.001,66511
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%High1,39393.171,29811

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 Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,095$2,0669
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,096$2,0008
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,241$1,5399

Every lot

96 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 · Steers22 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1Unweaned226410.00/cwt410.00–410.009274
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned298412.50/cwt412.50–412.501,2293
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned313402.50/cwt402.50–402.501,2609
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned353397.50/cwt397.50–397.501,40321
Steers350–400Medium 1-2Unweaned363315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,1435
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned401342.01/cwt340.00–350.001,37120
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned407331.41/cwt322.50–337.501,3495
Steers400–450Medium 1-2Unweaned438262.50/cwt262.50–262.501,1508
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned475304.00/cwt304.00–304.001,4445
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned510275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,4036
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned536304.00/cwt304.00–304.001,6294
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Full541292.00/cwt292.00–292.001,5804
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned563286.86/cwt280.00–294.001,61518
Steers550–600Large 1Unweaned565246.00/cwt246.00–246.001,3904
Steers600–650Large 1Unweaned617230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,4193
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned626276.00/cwt276.00–276.001,7287
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned630252.00/cwt252.00–252.001,5884
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned663265.16/cwt262.00–270.001,7585
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1Unweaned741245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,8156
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2825247.00/cwt247.00–247.002,0382
Steers800–850Medium 1840222.50/cwt222.50–222.501,8692
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1988229.50/cwt229.50–229.502,2672
Feeder Cattle · Heifers25 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned274370.58/cwt365.00–380.001,0155
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned318325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,0346
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2Unweaned397285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,1313
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned467280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,3083
Heifers450–500Large 1Unweaned470271.00/cwt271.00–271.001,2741
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned513262.00/cwt262.00–262.001,3442
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned521270.64/cwt270.00–272.001,4109
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned553265.59/cwt264.00–266.001,46910
Heifers550–600Large 1Unweaned585233.00/cwt233.00–233.001,3632
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned608255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,5506
Heifers650–700Medium 1-2688221.55/cwt219.00–225.001,52414
Heifers700–750Medium 1Fleshy709210.00/cwt210.00–210.001,4894
Heifers700–750Medium 1-2749217.50/cwt217.50–217.501,62911
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1Full841230.00/cwt230.00–230.001,9348
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1Full877226.00/cwt226.00–226.001,9823
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2896219.00/cwt219.00–219.001,9624
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1919220.00/cwt220.00–220.002,0226
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1966216.00/cwt216.00–216.002,0876
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy968196.00/cwt196.00–196.001,8972
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2970206.00/cwt206.00–206.001,9983
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,024211.41/cwt209.00–212.002,1655
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,045203.50/cwt203.50–203.502,1271
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,048195.00/cwt195.00–195.002,0442
Heifers1050–1100Large 11,081203.64/cwt200.00–207.002,2016
Heifers1200–1250Large 11,225190.00/cwt190.00–190.002,3282
Feeder Cattle · Bulls9 lots · lightest first
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned345377.50/cwt377.50–377.501,30210
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned368370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,3622
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned475297.00/cwt297.00–297.001,4112
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned565272.50/cwt272.50–272.501,5402
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1993208.00/cwt208.00–208.002,0653
Bulls1100–1150Large 11,124194.20/cwt193.00–195.002,1835
Bulls1150–1200Large 11,178186.98/cwt185.00–189.002,2032
Bulls1200–1250Large 11,205183.00/cwt183.00–183.002,2053
Bulls1250–1300Large 1-21,275150.00/cwt150.00–150.001,9131
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls6 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,475140.96/cwt136.00–144.002,07923
Bulls——Return to Feed1,500150.37/cwt146.00–153.002,2564
Bulls——1,734139.97/cwt128.00–146.002,42713
Bulls——2,003152.21/cwt148.00–159.003,04917
Bulls——2,117165.43/cwt161.00–170.003,5025
Bulls——Heavy Weight2,550167.00/cwt167.00–167.004,2591
Slaughter Cattle · Cows21 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight93595.38/cwt94.00–96.008923
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight995107.50/cwt107.50–107.501,0701
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,055122.50/cwt122.50–122.501,2921
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,08386.58/cwt82.50–88.0093810
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,125104.27/cwt100.00–112.501,17329
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,14299.91/cwt90.00–105.001,14136
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,224127.11/cwt126.00–130.001,55627
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,226120.41/cwt111.00–125.501,47657
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,269108.79/cwt106.00–112.001,3817
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,376108.15/cwt101.00–111.001,48812
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,400134.94/cwt133.00–138.001,88946
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,402124.09/cwt117.00–130.001,740165
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,432111.87/cwt103.00–115.001,60222
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,50097.50/cwt97.50–97.501,4631
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,537114.55/cwt112.00–119.001,76111
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,552122.23/cwt120.00–126.001,89715
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,590117.48/cwt116.00–119.001,8684
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,630128.07/cwt128.00–128.502,0887
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,638130.11/cwt128.00–132.002,1312
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,639116.39/cwt109.00–119.001,9086
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,656124.76/cwt120.00–127.002,06618
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows4 lots · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,040125.00/cwt125.00–125.001,3001
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,33492.98/cwt91.00–94.001,2406
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,57085.50/cwt85.50–85.501,3424
Dairy Cows—Boner 80-85%1,649101.00/cwt101.00–101.001,66511
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,0952,065.58/head1,985.00–2,150.002,0669
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,0962,000.00/head2,000.00–2,000.002,0008
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS1,1751,450.00/head1,450.00–1,450.001,4505
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3241,650.00/head1,650.00–1,650.001,6504
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows5 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium 1716168.00/cwt168.00–168.001,2034
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2926168.30/cwt147.50–180.001,5584
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1990190.46/cwt156.00–207.001,88680
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,074140.88/cwt140.00–144.001,5135
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,183145.62/cwt132.00–172.501,72329

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.