Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2026-01-21

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Jan 21
● Final102 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
3,974 head
▲ 3,974 vs last sale 0▲ 3,898 vs year ago 76 · +5,128.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
210 head
▼ 483 vs last sale 693▲ 100 vs year ago 110 · +90.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
138 head
▼ 1,134 vs last sale 1,272▲ 69 vs year ago 69 · +100.0%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (1-14-26): Feeder cattle were not tested last week as last weeks sale featured bred cows and weigh ups. No recent feeder special has been held at Public Auction yards to make a market comparison as the last feeder special was last December. Feeder cattle all sold on good to very good demand for heavy offerings. Quality this week was average to very attractive and ran deep into the sale. Many long strings of very attractive, home raised offerings sold today. All group sizes sold on good demand as package sizes were mostly moderate and buyers pieced together loads as a result. Buyers showed very good demand for all offering suitable to develop into yearlings. Offerings too big to go to grass sold on good to very good demand as well with several cooperate packer orders fighting over high quality offerings. Demand for heavy weight feeding heifers was very good as feeding demand surpassed demand from replacement buyers. Demand did strengthen as the sale progressed and buyers pushed to fill loads. A large crowd was on hand for todays sale. Market activity was active as a result. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower on a lower quality offering. Fewer feeding buyers and a slightly lower quality offering caused feeding cow prices to soften. Slaughter cows sold on mostly moderate demand this week. Breaking cows sold generally steady, boning cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher, while lean cows sold steady to 1.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Young age offerings were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain to average.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $491.45/cwt on 393 head. That ranks 7 of 10 comparable sales and sits +36.53 against this barn's trailing median of $454.92.
Average price
$491.45
393 head · 548 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,693
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$558
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$102.50/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−5.01
vs MT average
+26.12 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1546502.502,742305
Medium 1515485.002,4983thin
Medium and Large 1-2559460.592,57473
Medium and Large 2546400.002,18412thin
One grade step is worth $102.50/cwt here — about $558 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 sale393 hd
491.45
—
MT average3 barns · 1,270 hd
496.46
−5.01
National average169 barns · 18,411 hd
465.33
+26.12
This barn, trailing median10 sales
454.92
+36.53
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—Low1,823170.703,11133
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,668159.242,65630
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,395151.352,11167
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,114146.341,63173
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Low1,185115.001,3631thin

Every lot

102 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 · Steers35 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1230730.00/cwt730.00–730.001,6791
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1304703.24/cwt685.00–705.002,13812
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2320605.00/cwt605.00–605.001,9361
Steers350–400Medium 1362620.00/cwt620.00–620.002,2443
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2371593.69/cwt575.00–620.002,2036
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1373653.74/cwt640.00–670.002,43813
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2379545.00/cwt545.00–545.002,0665
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1412598.80/cwt590.00–622.502,46778
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2429567.69/cwt560.00–575.002,4356
Steers400–450Medium 1436562.68/cwt557.50–580.002,45328
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1467562.40/cwt551.00–585.002,62649
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2480522.23/cwt505.00–531.002,50741
Steers500–550Medium 1515485.00/cwt485.00–485.002,4983
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2523492.57/cwt481.00–495.002,57630
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1524520.82/cwt497.00–544.002,729171
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2546400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,18412
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned563475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,6748
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1574479.38/cwt457.50–499.002,752126
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2584438.28/cwt427.50–472.502,56043
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned611440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,6889
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1626441.28/cwt417.00–457.502,762299
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2639401.27/cwt392.00–414.002,5647
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2659381.10/cwt369.00–386.002,51118
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1672414.31/cwt399.50–421.002,784175
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2690390.62/cwt365.00–395.002,69571
Steers650–700Large 1696391.00/cwt391.00–391.002,7218
Steers700–750Large 1720380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,7363
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1725394.44/cwt385.00–405.002,860172
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2727380.03/cwt375.00–382.002,76359
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1757388.95/cwt369.00–393.002,94482
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2789359.64/cwt357.00–365.002,8383
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2805350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,8181
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1820367.05/cwt358.50–370.503,01072
Steers800–850Large 1836349.00/cwt349.00–349.002,91810
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1888345.00/cwt345.00–345.003,0645
Feeder Cattle · Heifers29 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1-2267510.00/cwt510.00–510.001,3629
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2332510.88/cwt500.00–525.001,6968
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1346542.07/cwt540.00–545.001,87612
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1371544.77/cwt540.00–547.502,02164
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2385420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,6172
Heifers400–450Medium 1415450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,8686
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1423501.92/cwt490.00–525.002,12329
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2428486.87/cwt465.00–495.002,08433
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1480478.17/cwt470.00–495.002,29574
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2484451.75/cwt430.00–467.502,18644
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Fancy508489.00/cwt481.00–494.002,48429
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2521410.58/cwt390.00–420.002,13920
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2524432.14/cwt422.50–440.002,26438
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1526460.27/cwt440.00–475.002,421273
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Fancy554456.00/cwt456.00–456.002,52614
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2569410.19/cwt395.00–420.002,33413
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1579431.14/cwt422.00–448.002,496372
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned604411.00/cwt411.00–411.002,4827
Heifers600–650Large 1612375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,2959
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1628399.11/cwt387.00–425.002,506185
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2633360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,27910
Heifers650–700Large 1655360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,35826
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1663383.73/cwt371.50–392.502,54492
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2673356.21/cwt342.50–362.502,39722
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1723367.24/cwt365.00–374.002,65579
Heifers750–800Large 1753330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,4852
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1761350.34/cwt342.50–367.502,66672
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2763325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,4802
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1820327.99/cwt327.00–335.002,6908
Feeder Cattle · Bulls10 lots · lightest first
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1381630.00/cwt630.00–630.002,40038
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1430590.63/cwt570.00–591.002,54055
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2440550.00/cwt550.00–550.002,4206
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1482510.00/cwt510.00–510.002,4583
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1523494.17/cwt462.50–515.002,58520
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1570446.61/cwt420.00–460.002,54632
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1635398.32/cwt395.00–417.502,52939
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1693384.00/cwt384.00–384.002,6619
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1-2725334.59/cwt320.00–350.002,4268
Bulls1050–1100Large 11,083270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,9245
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,083150.47/cwt150.00–151.001,6302
Bulls——1,665161.91/cwt152.00–171.002,69615
Bulls——1,978180.73/cwt177.00–188.003,57513
Bulls——2,333193.45/cwt190.00–197.004,5132
Bulls——Heavy Weight2,625167.00/cwt167.00–167.004,3841
Slaughter Cattle · Cows15 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight918111.87/cwt105.00–120.001,0272
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,075112.94/cwt102.50–121.001,2144
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,090141.73/cwt127.00–150.001,54532
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,095168.21/cwt165.00–170.001,8426
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,140131.68/cwt130.00–137.501,5015
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,169158.51/cwt150.00–163.001,85324
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,350124.95/cwt123.00–126.001,6874
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,389146.97/cwt131.00–152.002,04118
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,389138.66/cwt130.00–148.001,9268
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,404159.08/cwt155.00–164.502,23337
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,530152.00/cwt152.00–152.002,3264
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,568163.02/cwt162.00–166.002,5568
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,638151.51/cwt149.00–158.002,4826
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,732164.13/cwt160.00–167.002,84310
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,113157.37/cwt155.00–160.003,3252
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,185115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,3631
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows7 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2962217.68/cwt171.00–250.002,09433
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,009274.13/cwt237.00–290.002,76638
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,068220.94/cwt215.00–227.502,3602
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,075229.27/cwt200.00–282.502,46555
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,158171.00/cwt171.00–171.001,9802
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,357190.11/cwt184.00–199.002,5803
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,360167.89/cwt163.00–173.002,2832

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.