Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-05-14

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, May 14
● Final97 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,778 head
▲ 1,720 vs last sale 58▲ 105 vs year ago 1,673 · +6.3%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
110 head
▼ 211 vs last sale 321▼ 112 vs year ago 222 · −50.5%
Replacement Cattle receipts
30 head
▼ 731 vs last sale 761▼ 28 vs year ago 58 · −48.3%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were scarcely tested last week as that sale featured bred cows, pairs and weigh up cattle thus no trend can be made. Demand was mostly good to very good for light to moderate offerings. Quality today was mixed from plain to very attractive. Demand was very good for all cattle suitable to go to grass. Demand for heifers was good to very good as order buyers buying for packers and order buyers buying for private feeders both bid aggressively over high quality offerings. No heifers were purchased for replacements this week as demand for heifers to feed was too strong. Many sets of cattle were out of backgrounding lots, however flesh conditions were mostly light to moderate as most cattle were developed specifically for grass. Many cutback cattle were seen today as producers clean out lots. Many sets of unreportable cattle were seen as they had some sort of blemish. Even slightly blemished cattle sold on moderate to good demand as buyers showed good demand for cattle to fill feedlots. Market activity was mostly active today with a good crowd on hand of order buyers, ranchers, and internet bidders actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Packers showed moderate demand for slaughter cows this week. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however firm undertones were noticed, with a larger pool of slaughter buyers noticed this week. Demand for feeding cows remains good. Feeding cows sold steady to firm as packers and private feeders both showed good demand for cows to feed. Cow quality was mostly average today with a limited offering of attractive cows noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly average today. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Bull quality this week was average to attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested today to develop any market trend. Good demand was seen for limited offerings. Quality this week was mostly average.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $380.56/cwt on 74 head. That ranks 1 of 10 comparable sales and sits −74.35 against this barn's trailing median of $454.92.
Average price
$380.56
74 head · 557 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,119
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$412
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$82.53/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+2.67
vs MT average
−4.04 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1556399.842,22446
Medium and Large 1-2540391.002,11112thin
Medium and Large 2571317.311,81216thin
One grade step is worth $82.53/cwt here — about $412 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 sale74 hd
380.56
—
MT average3 barns · 103 hd
377.90
+2.67
National average159 barns · 12,107 hd
384.60
−4.04
This barn, trailing median10 sales
454.92
−74.35
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—Low1,838175.733,23120
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,356156.332,12036
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,615140.752,2732thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,115134.851,50334
Dairy CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,410129.001,8191thin

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)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,650$2,8001thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,390$2,6501thin

Every lot

97 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 · Steers34 lots · lightest first
Steers250–300Medium and Large 2273445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,2156
Steers300–350Small 2325200.00/cwt200.00–200.006508
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2358445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,5933
Steers350–400Small 2364190.00/cwt190.00–190.006924
Steers350–400Medium 1377425.00/cwt425.00–425.001,6026
Steers400–450Medium 1-2426355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,5125
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2477409.14/cwt407.50–412.501,9526
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2495390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,9311
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1538428.00/cwt428.00–428.002,3036
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2540391.00/cwt391.00–391.002,11112
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1559395.62/cwt392.00–406.002,21240
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2571317.31/cwt300.00–335.001,81216
Steers600–650Large 1620346.00/cwt346.00–346.002,1454
Steers600–650Medium 2636257.00/cwt257.00–257.001,63517
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1638365.44/cwt360.00–383.002,33272
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2648355.00/cwt355.00–355.002,30042
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1684336.85/cwt334.00–357.502,304166
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2684326.41/cwt323.00–329.002,23323
Steers700–750Large 1704301.83/cwt298.00–323.002,12526
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2721314.31/cwt302.00–320.002,26646
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1724326.07/cwt324.00–332.002,36116
Steers700–750Medium and Large 2740272.96/cwt270.00–277.502,02023
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1783318.86/cwt312.50–329.002,497156
Steers750–800Large 1783291.00/cwt291.00–291.002,2792
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2793295.00/cwt295.00–295.002,3395
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1830307.25/cwt307.00–310.002,55047
Steers850–900Large 1850287.00/cwt287.00–287.002,44014
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1Fleshy861275.00/cwt275.00–275.002,3685
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1918286.36/cwt280.00–292.002,62947
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1953273.00/cwt273.00–273.002,6022
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1Fleshy991261.00/cwt261.00–261.002,58717
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1Full992264.00/cwt264.00–264.002,61910
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,021261.00/cwt261.00–261.002,6656
Steers1050–1100Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy1,068244.00/cwt244.00–244.002,60616
Feeder Cattle · Heifers35 lots · lightest first
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2447340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,5203
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1483370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,7879
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2488331.87/cwt325.00–332.501,62016
Heifers500–550Medium 2512280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,4349
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1515369.17/cwt360.00–370.001,90112
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2519336.14/cwt330.00–337.501,74511
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2526300.89/cwt295.00–302.001,58313
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2576320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,8436
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1580332.75/cwt330.00–334.001,93013
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2581305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,7724
Heifers550–600Medium 2587280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,6444
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1611324.00/cwt324.00–324.001,9807
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2639322.32/cwt302.50–323.502,06034
Heifers600–650Medium 1-2Spayed640285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,8247
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2641271.00/cwt271.00–271.001,7376
Heifers650–700Large 1655291.00/cwt291.00–291.001,9067
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2683299.91/cwt297.50–305.002,0483
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2Spayed685275.00/cwt275.00–275.001,88412
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1690311.22/cwt305.00–322.502,147181
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1721299.44/cwt290.00–309.002,15942
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2734279.81/cwt275.00–287.002,0545
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 2738271.00/cwt271.00–271.002,0002
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 2Fleshy774243.00/cwt243.00–243.001,8814
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1Fleshy775272.50/cwt272.50–272.502,11224
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2778272.00/cwt272.00–272.002,11614
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1Fancy783299.96/cwt299.00–304.002,34930
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1Full804261.00/cwt261.00–261.002,0984
Heifers800–850Large 1806266.00/cwt266.00–266.002,14417
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1809283.15/cwt280.00–284.002,29139
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2815260.75/cwt252.50–269.002,1254
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2Spayed815258.00/cwt258.00–258.002,1035
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1877265.16/cwt260.00–266.002,32519
Heifers850–900Large 1893242.00/cwt242.00–242.002,1612
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1903258.43/cwt258.00–259.002,33423
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1956255.00/cwt255.00–255.002,43821
Feeder Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1600357.50/cwt357.50–357.502,1451
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 2608312.50/cwt312.50–312.501,90011
Bulls1250–1300Large 1-21,290180.00/cwt180.00–180.002,3222
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,418164.13/cwt162.50–166.002,3272
Bulls——Return to Feed1,753179.34/cwt170.00–187.003,1442
Bulls——1,816165.77/cwt152.00–177.003,0104
Bulls——1,892175.64/cwt171.00–179.003,3239
Bulls——2,045194.60/cwt187.00–207.503,9803
Slaughter Cattle · Cows13 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight837116.23/cwt112.00–120.009734
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight845142.50/cwt142.50–142.501,2041
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,143121.80/cwt115.00–128.001,3929
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,150150.93/cwt147.00–158.501,7368
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,171132.44/cwt120.00–144.001,5519
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,229160.59/cwt159.00–164.001,9743
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,329155.74/cwt150.00–159.002,07024
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,355148.00/cwt148.00–148.002,0051
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,409162.89/cwt160.00–167.002,2957
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,413146.93/cwt143.00–149.002,0763
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,470161.00/cwt161.00–161.002,3671
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,585142.00/cwt142.00–142.002,2511
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,645139.50/cwt139.50–139.502,2951
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Boner 80-85%1,410129.00/cwt129.00–129.001,8191
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows2 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3902,650.00/head2,650.00–2,650.002,6501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,6502,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,8001
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2953225.62/cwt210.00–245.002,1502
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,007242.58/cwt226.00–261.002,4433
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,085175.00/cwt175.00–175.001,8991
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,170183.38/cwt165.00–216.002,1467

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.