Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-09-24

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Sep 24
● Final87 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
385 head
▼ 451 vs last sale 836▲ 41 vs year ago 344 · +11.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
344 head
▲ 164 vs last sale 180▼ 92 vs year ago 436 · −21.1%
Replacement Cattle receipts
292 head
▲ 168 vs last sale 124▲ 177 vs year ago 115 · +153.9%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. All calves were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was mostly good for light offerings. Demand for calves was mostly good to very good. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most offerings were in small packages this week with many singles noted. Many blemished cattle continue to be seen as producers took advantage of record high feeder cattle prices. CME positions sold off slightly today following sharply higher movement seen earlier in the week. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Slaughter cows were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Very few offerings were purchased for feed this week as feeding cow buyers kept cow prices above slaughter cow orders. Lean and boning fleshed feeding cows sold sharply higher with most sales 6.00-10.00 higher. Fleshy feeding cows sold steady to firm. The spread between slaughter cows and feeding cows remains unusually large as cheap feed continues to entice buyers to put cows on feed. Weigh up conditions were average to above average with many sets of very empty cows coming off grass seen. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Many bulls continue to go on feed as packers and private buyers hope to add yield to bulls run down from breeding season. Feeding bulls sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Stronger demand was seen for replacement young cow offerings this week. Quality 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 $380.00/cwt on 4 head. That ranks 6 of 19 comparable sales and sits −15.45 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.
Average price
$380.00
4 head · 525 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,995
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
—
single grade reported
vs the market
−6.67
vs MT average
+14.15 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2525380.001,9954thin
Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale4 hd
380.00
—
MT average2 barns · 12 hd
386.67
−6.67
National average172 barns · 11,458 hd
365.85
+14.15
This barn, trailing median19 sales
395.45
−15.45
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—Low1,763189.413,34057
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,419170.912,425118
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,651168.192,77733
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,208160.941,94589
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Low1,539125.351,9298thin

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 Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,231$3,3077
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,357$3,21216
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,391$3,02311
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,333$2,69353
Bred Heifers1st Stage (1-3 mo)(<2 yrs)908$2,92010
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,384$4,4509

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 · Steers15 lots · lightest first
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned275700.00/cwt700.00–700.001,9252
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned320640.00/cwt640.00–640.002,0481
Steers400–450Large 1Unweaned445490.00/cwt490.00–490.002,1814
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2517420.00/cwt420.00–420.002,1713
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned555441.00/cwt441.00–441.002,4485
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned567429.00/cwt429.00–429.002,4329
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned606402.50/cwt402.50–402.502,43910
Steers600–650Medium 1-2608372.50/cwt372.50–372.502,2652
Steers600–650Large 1Unweaned615390.00/cwt390.00–390.002,3993
Steers650–700Medium 1693394.00/cwt394.00–394.002,7304
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1758379.00/cwt379.00–379.002,8733
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2798361.00/cwt361.00–361.002,8814
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1818360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,94511
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2843350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,9512
Steers1050–1100Large 11,079314.56/cwt309.00–320.003,39410
Feeder Cattle · Heifers22 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned277620.00/cwt620.00–620.001,7175
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned333522.44/cwt520.00–530.001,7404
Heifers450–500Large 1Unweaned472399.00/cwt399.00–399.001,8836
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Full483390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,8844
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned525380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,9954
Heifers650–700Medium 1-2665337.50/cwt337.50–337.502,2443
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1721368.48/cwt366.00–370.002,6578
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2737357.00/cwt357.00–357.002,63111
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 2768334.00/cwt334.00–334.002,5655
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2796325.50/cwt325.00–327.502,5915
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2822326.03/cwt321.00–327.002,68018
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1Full828329.00/cwt329.00–329.002,7247
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1878327.32/cwt326.00–330.002,8749
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2895310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,7752
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1-2916312.77/cwt312.00–313.002,86513
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1948323.00/cwt323.00–323.003,0622
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1964319.52/cwt315.00–323.003,08034
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,040313.84/cwt313.50–315.003,26413
Heifers1050–1100Large 11,055311.00/cwt311.00–311.003,2811
Heifers1050–1100Large 1Fancy1,062317.00/cwt317.00–317.003,36723
Heifers1200–1250Large 1-2Fleshy1,225257.00/cwt257.00–257.003,1483
Heifers1300–1350Large 1Full1,338240.00/cwt240.00–240.003,2112
Feeder Cattle · Bulls6 lots · lightest first
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned413500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,0652
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned462485.00/cwt485.00–485.002,2413
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1853342.50/cwt342.50–342.502,9222
Bulls1050–1100Large 11,093282.50/cwt282.50–282.503,0883
Bulls1100–1150Large 11,118271.49/cwt269.00–274.003,0352
Bulls1150–1200Large 11,176250.00/cwt250.00–250.002,9404
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls9 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,355172.00/cwt172.00–172.002,3311
Bulls——Return to Feed1,536181.46/cwt172.50–188.002,78714
Bulls——Return to Feed1,614194.38/cwt185.00–202.003,13712
Bulls——Return to Feed1,705200.00/cwt200.00–200.003,4101
Bulls——1,884179.38/cwt160.00–185.003,3806
Bulls——Natural1,894200.00/cwt200.00–200.003,7883
Bulls——1,915200.07/cwt198.00–201.003,8313
Bulls——1,967192.36/cwt187.00–196.003,78416
Bulls——2,370197.00/cwt197.00–197.004,6691
Slaughter Cattle · Cows15 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%935108.00/cwt108.00–108.001,0101
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,178130.11/cwt115.00–143.001,53320
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,205169.23/cwt163.00–174.002,03930
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,209152.68/cwt146.00–157.001,8466
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,239175.65/cwt175.00–177.002,17632
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,383175.63/cwt174.50–177.002,42956
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,439169.46/cwt161.00–174.002,43952
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,448137.38/cwt135.00–140.001,9892
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,490151.00/cwt151.00–151.002,2501
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,493152.73/cwt147.00–157.002,2804
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,555169.00/cwt169.00–169.002,6282
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,602161.00/cwt161.00–161.002,5793
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,622171.21/cwt170.00–173.002,77725
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,760155.67/cwt155.50–156.002,7403
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,847155.00/cwt155.00–155.002,8633
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,539125.35/cwt124.00–126.001,9298
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,3844,450.00/head4,450.00–4,450.004,4509
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium 1-28832,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,8006
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-29463,100.00/head3,100.00–3,100.003,1004
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows7 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2964257.14/cwt227.50–265.002,4798
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,010259.46/cwt221.00–290.002,62137
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,125197.14/cwt192.50–202.002,2182
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,135229.13/cwt192.00–265.002,60136
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,291186.90/cwt176.00–189.502,41319
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,310184.00/cwt184.00–184.002,4101
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,415169.00/cwt169.00–169.002,3911
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows9 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,121293.00/cwt293.00–293.003,28512
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1533,200.00/head3,200.00–3,200.003,2002
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,2022,019.70/head2,000.00–2,050.002,0207
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2623,350.00/head3,350.00–3,350.003,3505
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2762,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,8004
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,350206.29/cwt186.00–208.502,78528
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3532,795.14/head2,525.00–2,850.002,79546
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3573,212.17/head3,050.00–3,400.003,21216
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4563,150.00/head3,150.00–3,150.003,1507

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.