Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2024-10-23

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Oct 23
● Final87 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
446 head
▼ 134 vs last sale 580▼ 19 vs year ago 465 · −4.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
692 head
▼ 218 vs last sale 910▲ 77 vs year ago 615 · +12.5%
Replacement Cattle receipts
277 head
▼ 322 vs last sale 599▲ 75 vs year ago 202 · +37.1%
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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. Demand for slaughter cows was light. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last week. Many lame, low yielding cows were seen this sale. Many of these offerings were to lame for buyers to feed and were purchased by packer buyers. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly light. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-5.00 lower on boning and lean cows, breaking cows sold steady to weak. Private feeding buyers showed mostly moderate to good demand today. Quality hampered demand this week as quality was not as attractive as last weeks sale. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. Fewer buyers were in the stands this week buying feeding cows. Weigh conditions were mostly below average today with many cows pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-5.00 lower Feeding bull sold generally steady. Quality today was mostly average to for bulls and lower than last weeks offering. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00-8.00 lower. Demand from rebreed buyers was mostly moderate. Demand for this class of cow was lower this week as quality was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last weeks offering.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $250.80/cwt on 25 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −144.65 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.
Average price
$250.80
25 head · 546 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,368
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$435
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2
$49.50/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−26.28
vs MT average
−8.83 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1572269.501,5429thin
Medium and Large 1-2548266.671,4606thin
Large 1575242.001,3921thin
Medium and Large 2538227.501,2243thin
Medium 2503220.001,1076thin
One grade step is worth $49.50/cwt here — about $435 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale25 hd
250.80
—
MT average5 barns · 991 hd
277.08
−26.28
National average195 barns · 25,856 hd
259.63
−8.83
This barn, trailing median19 sales
395.45
−144.65
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—Low1,732143.112,47978
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,677124.442,08728
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,408120.691,700265
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,169106.901,249231
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Low1,56092.001,4351thin

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)1,160$2,0383thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,114$2,01014

Every lot

87 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 · Steers20 lots · lightest first
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned255437.50/cwt437.50–437.501,1161
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned328425.00/cwt425.00–425.001,3944
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned383381.63/cwt377.50–390.001,4623
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned385360.54/cwt350.00–367.501,3885
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2Unweaned432307.50/cwt307.50–307.501,3283
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned477315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,50317
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned495310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,5352
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned514306.33/cwt300.00–307.501,57513
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned528295.00/cwt295.00–295.001,5584
Steers500–550Medium 2Unweaned538217.50/cwt217.50–217.501,1708
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2Unweaned553265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,4654
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned572291.24/cwt290.00–294.001,66619
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned609273.49/cwt270.00–276.001,66612
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned686241.00/cwt241.00–241.001,6534
Steers700–750Medium and Large 2Unweaned723241.50/cwt241.50–241.501,7464
Steers750–800Large 1Unweaned760232.00/cwt232.00–232.001,7632
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1827247.00/cwt247.00–247.002,0435
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1860241.00/cwt241.00–241.002,0731
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2903228.50/cwt228.50–228.502,0636
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,020228.00/cwt228.00–228.002,3262
Feeder Cattle · Heifers22 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned273365.09/cwt355.00–375.009972
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned417299.82/cwt295.00–307.501,25014
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned474280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,32710
Heifers500–550Medium 2Unweaned503220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,1076
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2Unweaned538227.50/cwt227.50–227.501,2243
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned542269.00/cwt269.00–269.001,4585
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned572269.50/cwt269.50–269.501,5429
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned575255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,4661
Heifers550–600Large 1Unweaned575242.00/cwt242.00–242.001,3921
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned610254.28/cwt251.00–256.001,5513
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2725232.00/cwt232.00–232.001,6821
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2774229.46/cwt226.00–231.001,77613
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2823225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,8522
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2850217.50/cwt217.50–217.501,8491
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1857228.00/cwt228.00–228.001,9546
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1935224.15/cwt222.50–227.002,0968
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1-2935211.00/cwt211.00–211.001,9731
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1963220.17/cwt215.50–222.002,1208
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1Full990202.00/cwt202.00–202.002,0002
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,008218.84/cwt211.00–222.002,20627
Heifers1050–1100Large 11,072209.76/cwt208.50–212.002,24911
Heifers1150–1200Large 1Full1,173182.00/cwt182.00–182.002,1353
Feeder Cattle · Bulls9 lots · lightest first
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1524293.96/cwt290.00–300.001,54010
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1568265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,5052
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1625256.65/cwt256.00–260.001,60418
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1-2995219.00/cwt219.00–219.002,1792
Bulls1050–1100Medium and Large 1-21,081205.00/cwt205.00–205.002,2165
Bulls1100–1150Large 11,140202.50/cwt202.50–202.502,3091
Bulls1100–1150Large 1-21,140189.17/cwt187.50–192.502,1573
Bulls1150–1200Large 1-21,195177.50/cwt177.50–177.502,1211
Bulls1200–1250Large 11,240180.00/cwt180.00–180.002,2321
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls7 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,192130.75/cwt130.00–131.001,5594
Bulls——Return to Feed1,521144.40/cwt139.00–146.002,19616
Bulls——1,736136.94/cwt122.50–143.502,37729
Bulls——1,872150.32/cwt144.00–156.002,81419
Bulls——1,891144.00/cwt144.00–144.002,7235
Bulls——1,995162.19/cwt160.00–164.503,2364
Bulls——Heavy Weight2,650133.00/cwt133.00–133.003,5251
Slaughter Cattle · Cows18 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight80177.93/cwt72.50–86.006244
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight907107.16/cwt107.00–107.509723
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight95588.04/cwt87.00–90.008413
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,162106.44/cwt99.00–111.001,23726
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,16895.95/cwt88.00–106.001,12153
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,182117.18/cwt109.00–125.001,38580
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,18584.50/cwt75.00–88.501,00130
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,216128.98/cwt125.00–132.001,56827
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,229110.29/cwt108.00–115.501,3555
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,403125.10/cwt116.00–130.501,755157
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,411103.59/cwt95.00–109.001,46240
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,414110.95/cwt104.00–115.001,56933
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,423132.10/cwt130.50–138.001,88033
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,42389.05/cwt87.00–91.001,2672
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,570127.23/cwt125.50–130.001,9984
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,635119.58/cwt116.00–122.001,9554
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,690127.62/cwt125.50–130.502,15714
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,748118.38/cwt113.00–124.002,0696
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,56092.00/cwt92.00–92.001,4351
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows7 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed775130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,0081
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed812152.50/cwt152.50–152.501,2383
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2919160.59/cwt140.00–185.001,47614
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1972190.14/cwt150.00–218.001,848116
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2977133.92/cwt130.00–150.001,3089
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,092153.05/cwt128.00–185.001,67175
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 21,115105.00/cwt105.00–105.001,1711
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,0701,835.37/head1,500.00–1,875.001,8358
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1602,038.36/head1,900.00–2,225.002,0383
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1722,242.53/head2,200.00–2,250.002,2436

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.