Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2025-11-12

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Nov 12
● Final86 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
478 head
▲ 478 vs last sale 0▼ 335 vs year ago 813 · −41.2%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
1,261 head
▼ 596 vs last sale 1,857▼ 505 vs year ago 1,766 · −28.6%
Replacement Cattle receipts
544 head
▼ 1,841 vs last sale 2,385▼ 59 vs year ago 603 · −9.8%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested last week as last weeks sale featured bred cows and weigh ups. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand for heavy offerings. Demand for feeding cows was mostly moderate to good, but demand did diminish as buyers filled loads and exited the market. Buyers remaining late in the day showed lighter demand as supplies were heavy. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-6.00 lower on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Thin feeding cows mostly 3.00-6.00 lower. Demand for thin feeding cows was lighter this week as buyers have had seen heavy offerings over the past few weeks across the northern portion of the country. Most blemished cows were purchased by packers for immediate harvest as feeding buyers showed significantly lighter demand for blemished and thin feeding cows. Slaughter cows sold unevenly as regional packers were in the market this week buying cows for harvest. These buyers purchased their loads and exited the market. Cow prices slipped sharply lower after regional packers filled their loads. Breaking cows sold 3.00 lower to 3.00 higher, boning and lean cows sold 10.00 higher to sharply lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive with lots of variation in quality noticed. Slaughter bulls sold 5.00-8.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00-15.00 lower. Demand for young offerings was lighter this week as it is getting late in the year to set up cows up for fall calving.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $351.24/cwt on 48 head. That ranks 3 of 19 comparable sales and sits −44.22 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.
Average price
$351.24
48 head · 555 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,948
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$94
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1-2
$62.00/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−28.98
vs MT average
−12.72 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1522386.002,01515thin
Medium and Large 1-2537350.961,88614thin
Medium 1-2593324.001,92119thin
One grade step is worth $62.00/cwt here — about $94 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale48 hd
351.24
—
MT average5 barns · 1,393 hd
380.21
−28.98
National average183 barns · 20,348 hd
363.96
−12.72
This barn, trailing median19 sales
395.45
−44.22
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—Low1,796166.922,99845
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,570169.282,65782
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,365159.732,180528
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,175140.431,649305

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)1,124$3,08120
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,244$3,02911
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,303$2,6086
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,320$2,32323
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,399$2,22610
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,346$2,1505
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,432$4,00015

Every lot

86 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 · Steers14 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned325535.00/cwt535.00–535.001,7394
Steers400–450Medium 1Unweaned400480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,9202
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned458430.00/cwt430.00–430.001,9693
Steers450–500Medium 1Unweaned477410.00/cwt410.00–410.001,9563
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned495445.00/cwt445.00–445.002,20310
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2Unweaned508375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,9052
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Full524401.00/cwt401.00–401.002,1014
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned574411.00/cwt411.00–411.002,3594
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned595350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,0832
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned611377.43/cwt374.00–380.002,3067
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned629334.37/cwt326.00–370.002,10327
Steers600–650Large 1-2Unweaned645325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,0962
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1-2908310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,8152
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2951308.00/cwt308.00–308.002,9295
Feeder Cattle · Heifers15 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned305480.00/cwt480.00–480.001,4641
Heifers350–400Medium 1Unweaned375450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,6884
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2Unweaned420315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,3232
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned471390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,83712
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned522386.00/cwt386.00–386.002,01515
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned526355.93/cwt327.50–371.001,8729
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned558342.00/cwt330.00–350.001,9085
Heifers550–600Medium 1-2593324.00/cwt324.00–324.001,92119
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned619315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,9509
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1802312.50/cwt312.50–312.502,5069
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2829287.12/cwt280.00–290.002,38016
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1850315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,6781
Heifers850–900Medium 1Fleshy863255.00/cwt255.00–255.002,2016
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2950287.50/cwt287.50–287.502,7311
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1970295.00/cwt295.00–295.002,86214
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Steers3 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Steers750–800Large 1-2754310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,3374
Beef/Dairy Steers800–850Large 1-2837306.00/cwt306.00–306.002,5616
Beef/Dairy Steers950–1000Large 1-2Fleshy998287.00/cwt287.00–287.002,86422
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Heifers850–900Large 1-2Fleshy888273.00/cwt273.00–273.002,42419
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls8 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,225167.50/cwt167.50–167.502,0521
Bulls——Light Weight1,282135.10/cwt131.00–142.501,7323
Bulls——Return to Feed1,430162.50/cwt162.50–162.502,3241
Bulls——1,759157.83/cwt147.50–167.002,77614
Bulls——Return to Feed1,772172.98/cwt170.00–182.003,06511
Bulls——1,958176.14/cwt172.00–181.003,44913
Bulls——2,215192.00/cwt192.00–192.004,2531
Bulls——Heavy Weight2,540182.00/cwt182.00–182.004,6231
Slaughter Cattle · Cows25 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight840130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,0921
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight865107.50/cwt107.50–107.509301
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight90657.66/cwt40.00–80.005226
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight94790.58/cwt87.50–95.008584
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,158144.65/cwt120.00–164.001,67513
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,16370.86/cwt50.00–87.5082416
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,171145.71/cwt120.00–158.001,70656
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,173169.57/cwt165.00–182.501,98940
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,177101.44/cwt90.00–119.001,19458
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,205162.52/cwt159.00–165.501,95887
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,219169.78/cwt164.00–174.002,07023
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,287163.49/cwt157.00–179.002,10484
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,34496.76/cwt92.50–97.501,3007
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,371152.95/cwt121.00–162.002,097101
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,375165.57/cwt160.00–173.002,277244
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,375110.44/cwt102.00–122.501,51926
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,388138.11/cwt125.00–153.501,91713
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,420177.59/cwt173.00–178.002,52253
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,484179.18/cwt179.00–180.002,6595
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,524172.75/cwt168.00–178.002,63336
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,556167.42/cwt164.00–168.502,60515
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,615134.33/cwt132.50–136.002,1692
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,616172.99/cwt169.50–177.502,79611
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,663159.69/cwt147.00–166.002,65612
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,120167.00/cwt167.00–167.003,5401
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows10 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1243,080.63/head2,700.00–3,350.003,08120
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2223,135.66/head2,800.00–3,300.003,1369
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,243172.50/cwt172.50–172.502,1443
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2752,150.00/head2,150.00–2,150.002,1501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3082,700.00/head2,700.00–2,700.002,7005
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,3092,213.06/head2,200.00–2,250.002,21312
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3312,441.96/head2,375.00–2,500.002,44211
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3432,550.00/head2,550.00–2,550.002,5502
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3462,150.00/head2,150.00–2,150.002,1505
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3992,225.71/head2,100.00–2,500.002,22610
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows9 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed748220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,6463
Stock Cows—Medium 1796252.50/cwt252.50–252.502,0105
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2890180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,6021
Stock Cows—Large 1905255.00/cwt255.00–255.002,3081
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2977209.96/cwt180.00–235.002,05126
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2987236.63/cwt200.00–270.002,33610
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1990268.13/cwt210.00–310.002,654119
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,108217.47/cwt176.00–310.002,410128
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,199176.96/cwt165.00–180.002,12214
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,4324,000.00/head4,000.00–4,000.004,00015

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.