Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-06-04

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Jun 4
● Final82 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
274 head
▼ 12 vs last sale 286▲ 199 vs year ago 75 · +265.3%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
526 head
▼ 260 vs last sale 786▼ 52 vs year ago 578 · −9.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
222 head
▲ 6 vs last sale 216▼ 43 vs year ago 265 · −16.2%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for feeders was good for light offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. One very attractive set of beef on dairy cattle sold today and these offerings were met with very good demand. Most feeders were offered in small groups or as singles this sale. A few consignments of fall calves were seen and demand for limited offerings was mostly good. Market activity was moderate to active with a large buyer pool noticed for todays light offering. Weigh up cows and bulls comprised most of the sale today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed light to moderate demand for slaughter cows this week and slightly lighter demand than last week. Fewer cows were purchased for immediate harvest this week as packers purchased most cows to feed. Many sets of cows which normally would sell to private feeders or as slaughter cows were purchased for short term feed as packers are starting to put cows away for the 4th of July holiday. Breaking and boning slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 lower with last weeks sale in a narrow comparison. Lean cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. 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 generally steady. Thin feeding cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower on a poorer quality offering. A large buyer pool was noticed again 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. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to firm on a higher quality offering. Bull quality this week was average to very attractive, with many high yielding bulls on offer. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Demand for true wet bagged cows which lost calves remains very good as these offerings continue to push higher. Buyers were willing to buy cows older than 2 years old as long as they had had a calf this past year, for rebreeding or recip orders. Cows sold for similar money for 2 or 3 year olds which lost calves this sale. Feeding quality young cows sold generally steady. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $316.76/cwt on 22 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −78.70 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.
Average price
$316.76
22 head · 542 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,717
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$574
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2
$123.52/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−13.23
vs MT average
−21.48 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1530348.521,8478thin
Medium and Large 1-2546339.001,8517thin
Medium and Large 2532302.501,6093thin
Medium 2566225.001,2744thin
One grade step is worth $123.52/cwt here — about $574 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 sale22 hd
316.76
—
MT average3 barns · 78 hd
329.99
−13.23
National average164 barns · 13,536 hd
338.24
−21.48
This barn, trailing median19 sales
395.45
−78.70
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—Average1,905184.513,51685
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,413155.752,201214
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,203148.151,782122
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,660148.022,45733
Dairy CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,703142.502,4272thin
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%High1,374127.631,7539thin

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)1,375$2,7908
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,584$2,6815
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,615$2,5501thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,575$2,3501thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,225$2,1501thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,200$1,8501thin

Every lot

82 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 · Steers8 lots · lightest first
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned430400.00/cwt400.00–400.001,7201
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned487402.50/cwt402.50–402.501,9606
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2530372.38/cwt365.00–380.001,9745
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1550365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,0081
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2618344.94/cwt342.50–352.502,1328
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1680337.50/cwt337.50–337.502,2952
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1715313.08/cwt309.00–321.002,2393
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1925270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,4981
Feeder Cattle · Heifers11 lots · lightest first
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned403395.00/cwt395.00–395.001,5922
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned464380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,7636
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned530348.52/cwt340.00–357.501,8478
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2532302.50/cwt302.50–302.501,6093
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2546339.00/cwt339.00–339.001,8517
Heifers550–600Medium 2566225.00/cwt225.00–225.001,2744
Heifers600–650Large 1-2617240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,4813
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2670282.50/cwt282.50–282.501,8932
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2730275.00/cwt275.00–275.002,0082
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1838277.00/cwt277.00–277.002,3212
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2880256.00/cwt256.00–256.002,2532
Feeder Cattle · Bulls8 lots · lightest first
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2420360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,5122
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2515355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,8284
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2595321.00/cwt321.00–321.001,9106
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1640329.00/cwt329.00–329.002,1062
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1-2883240.00/cwt240.00–240.002,1192
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1-2980225.00/cwt225.00–225.002,2051
Bulls1200–1250Medium and Large 11,201190.00/cwt190.00–190.002,2824
Bulls1250–1300Large 11,275185.00/cwt185.00–185.002,3592
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Steers2 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Steers800–850Large 1-2823278.00/cwt278.00–278.002,2885
Beef/Dairy Steers900–950Large 1-2924277.50/cwt277.50–277.502,56446
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Heifers700–750Large 1-2734270.00/cwt270.00–270.001,9829
Beef/Dairy Heifers850–900Large 1-2857270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,31455
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls10 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,359159.98/cwt146.00–170.502,1745
Bulls——Return to Feed1,642177.86/cwt172.00–186.002,92021
Bulls——1,724167.86/cwt161.00–171.002,8945
Bulls——Return to Feed1,900189.00/cwt189.00–189.003,5913
Bulls——2,007182.29/cwt176.00–186.003,65923
Bulls——2,097199.55/cwt189.00–213.004,18523
Bulls——Natural2,220212.00/cwt212.00–212.004,7061
Bulls——2,303195.00/cwt195.00–195.004,4912
Bulls——Heavy Weight2,530175.00/cwt175.00–175.004,4281
Bulls——Heavy Weight2,605183.00/cwt183.00–183.004,7671
Slaughter Cattle · Cows19 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight900130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,1702
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight927110.86/cwt107.00–115.001,0283
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,161138.55/cwt117.50–147.001,60923
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,205137.57/cwt132.00–143.001,6582
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,206152.84/cwt149.00–156.001,84341
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,210120.48/cwt110.00–129.001,45810
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,256159.72/cwt158.00–163.002,00641
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,369162.75/cwt160.00–169.002,22853
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,389142.66/cwt135.00–148.001,98215
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,404135.30/cwt130.00–139.001,9006
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,427156.65/cwt148.00–160.002,235126
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,483143.05/cwt136.00–148.002,12113
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,535155.00/cwt155.00–155.002,3791
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,555142.00/cwt142.00–142.002,2081
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,622148.93/cwt144.00–153.002,41620
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,651148.18/cwt148.00–149.002,4465
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,705143.83/cwt142.00–146.502,4525
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,775162.00/cwt162.00–162.002,8761
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,235142.00/cwt142.00–142.003,1741
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows3 lots · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,283147.00/cwt147.00–147.001,8863
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,419117.94/cwt116.00–119.001,6746
Dairy Cows—Boner 80-85%1,703142.50/cwt142.50–142.502,4272
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows8 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium 1751228.56/cwt225.00–230.001,7167
Stock Cows—Medium 1795240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,9084
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2825170.00/cwt170.00–170.001,4031
Stock Cows—Medium 2895167.50/cwt167.50–167.501,4991
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2946210.12/cwt186.00–235.001,98816
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2946186.43/cwt161.00–217.501,76420
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,000253.84/cwt183.00–282.002,53853
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,132211.11/cwt164.00–267.002,39090
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows11 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,2001,850.00/head1,850.00–1,850.001,8501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2252,150.00/head2,150.00–2,150.002,1501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2872,583.92/head2,500.00–2,700.002,5845
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4053,300.00/head3,300.00–3,300.003,3002
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,425185.00/cwt185.00–185.002,6361
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,430171.59/cwt167.50–176.002,4542
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,5752,350.00/head2,350.00–2,350.002,3501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,5842,681.40/head2,650.00–2,700.002,6815
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,585152.00/cwt152.00–152.002,4091
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,6152,550.00/head2,550.00–2,550.002,5501
Bred Cows—Large 11,7552,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,8001

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.