Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-01-22

Public Auction Yards

Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-01-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-01-22

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Jan 22

● Final34 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774

← Jan 15Jan 22Jan 29 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

76 head

▼ 138 vs last sale 214▼ 128 vs year ago 204 · −62.7%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

110 head

▼ 253 vs last sale 363▼ 924 vs year ago 1,034 · −89.4%

Replacement Cattle receipts

69 head

▼ 760 vs last sale 829▼ 345 vs year ago 414 · −83.3%

Also sold hereRegular saleFri Oct 30, 2026

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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a very limited offering. Demand was very good for very light offerings. Quality this week was mostly average. Most cattle were offered in small group or as singles. CME positions pushed sharply higher today giving buyers additional confidence in current market conditions. Market activity was mostly active today, with buyers both ringside and over the internet rapidly bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand today for light offerings. Cow quality this sale was mostly average to attractive. Demand for slaughter cows was good as packers only purchased cows for immediate harvest and pushed feed cow buyers in order to secure offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher on all classes. Demand for high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white was very good. These offerings sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. A large buyer pool of cow buyers was on hand for todays light sale. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for slaughter bulls was mostly good this sale. Bull quality was average to attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today with many offerings pushing moderate to heavy amounts of fill. Cold and windy conditions had most cow and bull offerings very full this sale. Despite fill, cow quality was mostly attractive today and many heavy muscled cows or cow that had been on feed were seen. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold sharply higher in a narrow comparison. Demand from both rebreed buyers and feeders was very good today. Quality this week was average to attractive. Many young cows were purchased to return to the country to feed.

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 $320.96/cwt on 14 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −74.49 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.

Average price

$320.96

14 head · 524 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,681

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$375

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

$57.35/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.21

vs MT average

+16.54 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	531	337.35	1,791	10thin
Medium and Large 2	506	280.00	1,417	4thin

One grade step is worth $57.35/cwt here — about $375 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 sale14 hd

320.96

—

MT average4 barns · 934 hd

320.75

+0.21

National average149 barns · 17,148 hd

304.42

+16.54

This barn, trailing median19 sales

395.45

−74.49

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	1,858	139.64	2,594	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,696	141.72	2,403	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,368	134.19	1,836	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,168	123.17	1,439	43

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)	1,555	$2,100	2thin

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 · Steers3 lots · lightest first
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	515	378.00/cwt	378.00–378.00	1,947	6
Steers	550–600	Medium and Large 1Full	584	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,898	4
Steers	650–700	Medium and Large 1Full	676	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,994	4
Feeder Cattle · Heifers7 lots · lightest first
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 1-2	368	362.07/cwt	350.00–375.00	1,332	2
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 2	506	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,417	4
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	531	337.35/cwt	332.50–338.50	1,791	10
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1	625	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	1,831	1
Heifers	850–900	Medium and Large 1	858	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	2,102	6
Heifers	1100–1150	Large 1	1,122	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	2,502	3
Heifers	1150–1200	Large 1	1,168	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,500	2
Feeder Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	400–450	Medium and Large 1	400	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,480	2
Bulls	550–600	Medium and Large 1	575	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,754	1
Bulls	750–800	Medium and Large 1-2	765	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,913	1
Bulls	950–1000	Medium and Large 1	978	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	2,323	2
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	—	—Return to Feed	1,300	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,560	1
Bulls	—	—	1,757	135.40/cwt	131.50–143.00	2,379	6
Bulls	—	—	2,233	151.50/cwt	151.00–152.00	3,383	2
Bulls	—	—	2,270	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	3,655	1
Slaughter Cattle · Cows11 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	882	80.07/cwt	70.00–85.00	706	3
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,085	115.33/cwt	107.50–120.00	1,251	9
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	1,218	132.76/cwt	125.00–136.00	1,617	28
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,235	100.33/cwt	99.00–102.00	1,239	3
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,354	135.42/cwt	126.00–138.50	1,834	41
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	1,375	120.05/cwt	117.00–123.00	1,651	3
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	1,540	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,141	1
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,635	136.50/cwt	134.00–138.00	2,232	4
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,640	130.29/cwt	127.00–134.00	2,137	2
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	1,725	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	2,501	1
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,770	145.78/cwt	143.50–146.50	2,580	5
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	805	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	1,550	1
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,065	192.63/cwt	160.00–231.00	2,052	30
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1	1,137	166.49/cwt	138.00–184.00	1,893	30
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,150	131.42/cwt	128.00–135.00	1,511	2
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,555	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	2

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 Jan 22, 2025

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 76Last week 214Year ago 204

Slaughter CattleReceipts 110Last week 363Year ago 1,034

Replacement CattleReceipts 69Last week 829Year ago 414

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	2,233	151.00–152.00	151.50
1	—	2,270	161.00	161.00
6	—	1,757	131.50–143.00	135.40

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,300	120.00	120.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,540	139.00	139.00
1	—	1,725	145.00	145.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,635	134.00–138.00	136.50
5	—	1,770	143.50–146.50	145.78

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,640	127.00–134.00	130.29

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
41	—	1,354	126.00–138.50	135.42
3	—	1,375	117.00–123.00	120.05

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,085	107.50–120.00	115.33
28	—	1,218	125.00–136.00	132.76

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	882	70.00–85.00	80.07

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,235	99.00–102.00	100.33

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	805	192.50	192.50
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,150	128.00–135.00	131.42

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	30	—	1,065	160.00–231.00	192.63
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	30	—	1,137	138.00–184.00	166.49

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	1,555	2,100.00	2,100.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	400	370.00	370.00
1	550–600	575	305.00	305.00
2	950–1000	978	237.50	237.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	750–800	765	250.00	250.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
10	500–550	531	332.50–338.50	337.35
1	600–650	625	293.00	293.00
6	850–900	858	245.00	245.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	368	350.00–375.00	362.07

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	500–550	506	280.00	280.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	1100–1150	1,122	223.00	223.00
2	1150–1200	1,168	214.00	214.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
4	550–600	584	325.00	325.00
4	650–700	676	295.00	295.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	500–550	515	378.00	378.00

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.