Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-05-28

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, May 28
● Final90 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
286 head
▲ 241 vs last sale 45▲ 286 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
786 head
▲ 435 vs last sale 351▲ 786 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
216 head
▼ 1,010 vs last sale 1,226▲ 216 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were scarcely tested last week thus no trend is available. Demand for feeders was good for light offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Several groups of attractive steers were seen this week. Demand was mostly good for cattle which can be turned out on grass. Demand for light weight feeders was also good as several buyers were looking for lightweight feeders under 550 lbs. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed moderate demand for slaughter cows this week. Breaking cows were too lightly tested last week as most offerings were purchased to feed, thus no trend is available. Boning cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher, while lean cows sold 5.00-7.00 higher. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good with several buyers in the stands. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Thin feeding cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher as several buyers were looking for cows with quick compensatory gain. A larger buyer pool was noticed this week for feeding cows. Cow quality was mostly average to very attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mixed from below average to above average. Cow quality offset some of the fill as some heavy muscled high quality cows were seen today. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Bull quality this week was average to attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for true wet bagged cows which lost calves remains very good as these offerings continue to push higher. Feeding quality cows sold generally steady to firm. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive this week.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $379.59/cwt on 42 head. That ranks 1 of 10 comparable sales and sits −75.33 against this barn's trailing median of $454.92.
Average price
$379.59
42 head · 559 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,121
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$210
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2
$58.32/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−5.07
vs MT average
+5.45 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2558383.322,13737
Medium and Large 1552370.002,0423thin
Medium and Large 2593325.001,9272thin
One grade step is worth $58.32/cwt here — about $210 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 sale42 hd
379.59
—
MT average3 barns · 95 hd
384.66
−5.07
National average120 barns · 5,578 hd
374.14
+5.45
This barn, trailing median10 sales
454.92
−75.33
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

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—Low1,784183.423,272117
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,393156.822,185377
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,180151.771,791171
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,687150.302,53628

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)1,343$3,1574thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,520$2,6882thin
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,315$2,6832thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,197$2,6683thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,510$2,6333thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,350$2,5001thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,685$2,3001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,545$3,1001thin
Heifer PairsOpen(<2 yrs)1,081$3,7005

Every lot

90 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 · Steers16 lots · lightest first
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1401480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,9254
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1450435.00/cwt435.00–435.001,9581
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2541397.50/cwt397.50–397.502,15025
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1552370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,0423
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2592353.78/cwt335.00–357.502,09412
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2593325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,9272
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1604365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,2055
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2630337.00/cwt337.00–337.002,1233
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2633307.00/cwt307.00–307.001,9432
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned685319.00/cwt319.00–319.002,1851
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2688316.20/cwt316.00–317.502,1757
Steers700–750Large 1705315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,2213
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1711326.08/cwt313.00–335.002,31854
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1794290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,30327
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1821289.00/cwt289.00–289.002,3734
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2945266.00/cwt266.00–266.002,5142
Feeder Cattle · Heifers10 lots · lightest first
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1460383.20/cwt372.50–385.001,76314
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1500370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,8502
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1554339.77/cwt339.00–342.501,88223
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2595317.79/cwt316.00–319.001,8915
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1629314.00/cwt314.00–314.001,9756
Heifers650–700Large 1655285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,8673
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2667284.56/cwt274.00–290.001,8983
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1740284.00/cwt284.00–284.002,1022
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1764277.50/cwt277.50–277.502,1204
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2778265.00/cwt265.00–265.002,0622
Feeder Cattle · Bulls13 lots · lightest first
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1610320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,9522
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1-2670265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,7761
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2740265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,9611
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1755290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,1901
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1-2805248.00/cwt248.00–248.001,9961
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1865261.00/cwt261.00–261.002,2582
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1-2950246.00/cwt246.00–246.002,3372
Bulls1100–1150Large 11,140226.83/cwt226.00–231.002,5866
Bulls1100–1150Large 1-21,145223.00/cwt223.00–223.002,5532
Bulls1150–1200Large 1-21,150215.00/cwt215.00–215.002,4731
Bulls1150–1200Large 11,170222.00/cwt222.00–222.002,5971
Bulls1200–1250Large 11,218204.47/cwt202.00–207.002,4902
Bulls1250–1300Large 11,265200.00/cwt200.00–200.002,5301
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls8 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,233145.27/cwt138.00–150.001,7913
Bulls——Return to Feed1,444164.70/cwt150.00–169.002,37810
Bulls——Return to Feed1,591176.64/cwt170.00–181.002,81032
Bulls——1,855160.59/cwt150.00–171.002,9795
Bulls——1,914186.32/cwt175.00–192.003,56623
Bulls——1,936196.43/cwt193.00–207.003,80342
Bulls——2,325187.00/cwt187.00–187.004,3481
Bulls——Heavy Weight2,740200.00/cwt200.00–200.005,4801
Slaughter Cattle · Cows21 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight83585.00/cwt85.00–85.007101
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight910139.00/cwt139.00–139.001,2651
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight915110.00/cwt110.00–110.001,0071
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,020105.00/cwt105.00–105.001,0711
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,126144.11/cwt139.00–146.001,6239
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,153136.98/cwt125.00–148.001,57926
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,176156.90/cwt150.00–160.001,84577
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,215128.09/cwt115.00–132.001,55610
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,229162.06/cwt160.00–166.001,99245
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,376163.33/cwt161.00–167.002,24781
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,382146.49/cwt134.00–154.002,02441
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,392159.24/cwt155.00–167.002,21755
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,395157.60/cwt152.00–161.002,199173
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,410135.62/cwt128.00–143.001,91210
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,476147.47/cwt140.00–153.002,17717
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,649151.08/cwt147.00–154.502,49115
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,690138.00/cwt138.00–138.002,3321
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,700163.00/cwt163.00–163.002,7711
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,705157.27/cwt156.00–161.502,6814
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,722142.83/cwt141.00–144.002,4605
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,843149.00/cwt149.00–149.002,7462
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows8 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium 1-2765215.10/cwt212.50–217.501,6462
Stock Cows—Medium 1770248.80/cwt245.00–252.501,9162
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2965211.18/cwt155.00–227.002,03811
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,009249.95/cwt192.00–288.002,52256
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,031178.05/cwt152.50–201.001,83615
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,234180.11/cwt160.00–242.502,22357
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,358165.68/cwt153.00–185.002,25014
Stock Cows—Large 11,410190.00/cwt190.00–190.002,6791
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows12 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1997257.50/cwt257.50–257.502,5677
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1972,668.17/head2,650.00–2,700.002,6683
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,272211.08/cwt204.00–227.502,6853
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3152,682.51/head2,600.00–2,800.002,6832
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3433,156.89/head2,800.00–3,350.003,1574
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3502,500.00/head2,500.00–2,500.002,5001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,4152,425.00/head2,425.00–2,425.002,4251
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4682,650.00/head2,650.00–2,650.002,6502
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,512171.92/cwt163.00–182.502,5994
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,5952,600.00/head2,600.00–2,600.002,6001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,6252,950.00/head2,950.00–2,950.002,9501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,6852,300.00/head2,300.00–2,300.002,3001
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,5453,100.00/head3,100.00–3,100.003,1001
Replacement Cattle · Heifer Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Heifer Pairs—Medium and Large 11,0813,700.00/head3,700.00–3,700.003,7005

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.