Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2026-08-19

Public Auction Yards

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Wed, Aug 19
● Final84 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1774
Feeder Cattle receipts
604 head
▲ 431 vs last sale 173▲ 20 vs year ago 584 · +3.4%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
404 head
▼ 41 vs last sale 445▲ 140 vs year ago 264 · +53.0%
Replacement Cattle receipts
59 head
▼ 20 vs last sale 79▲ 31 vs year ago 28 · +110.7%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (7-29-26): Feeder steers were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on all offerings under 950 lbs. Heifers over 950 lbs sold with lower undertones. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Most offerings were in small packages to moderate size packages or as singles. Demand was mostly good to very good for yearlings and light to moderate for calves. Demand for calves suffered as hot days continue to be in the forecast for the coming days and limited offerings made building loads difficult. CME positions traded with heavy losses today, however buyers seemed unfazed as they continue to show strong demand for cattle coming off grass. Market activity was active, despite a small buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for feeding cows was moderate this week. Cow quality was mostly plain to average this week and limited demand. Many cows were out of dry country this sale and were thin or plain as a result. Quality selection made it difficult for buyers to build and fill loads. Canadian buyers were back in the market this week as they purchased cows to ship north to feed. Feeding cows sold generally steady on a lower quality offering. Weigh up conditions were also below average as many full cows were noticed this week. Slaughter cow demand was slightly stronger this week as packers all showed need for cows for immediate harvest. The spread between feeding cows and slaughter cows was as tight this sale as it has been in well over a year. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to firm on a lower yielding offering. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-4.00 lower on a poorer yielding offering. Many blemished bulls were seen this week as most offerings come out of breeding pastures. Feeding bull demand was moderate this sale. Feeding bulls sold mostly 5.00 lower on a poorer quality offering. Young age cows were all too lightly tested to develop any market comparison. Quality was mostly plain to average. Many young cows were fleshy coming off grass, especially if they have not calved. Young cow quality this week was mostly plain, and many were purchased to feed.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $350.88/cwt on 17 head, down $24.43 from the prior sale. That ranks 2 of 19 comparable sales and sits −44.57 against this barn's trailing median of $395.45.
Average price
$350.88
▼ 24.43 vs prior sale
17 head · 576 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,020
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$10
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1-2
$50.00/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+10.94
vs MT average
−0.04 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1508395.002,0072thin
Medium 1-2585345.002,01715thin
One grade step is worth $50.00/cwt here — about −$10 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 sale17 hd
350.88
—
MT average2 barns · 42 hd
339.94
+10.94
National average160 barns · 5,295 hd
350.92
−0.04
This barn, trailing median19 sales
395.45
−44.57
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—Low1,790194.333,47888
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,617164.212,65551
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,416164.122,324148
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,168143.601,67745
Dairy CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,602148.032,37130
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Low1,385124.001,7172thin

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)1,260$3,0002thin
Bred Heifers1st Stage (1-3 mo)(<2 yrs)717$2,4753thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,665$3,4502thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,376$3,4257

Every lot

84 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 · Steers18 lots · lightest first
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned288560.00/cwt560.00–560.001,6132
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1484456.82/cwt455.00–457.502,2117
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned486425.00/cwt425.00–425.002,0664
Steers550–600Medium 1570392.00/cwt392.00–392.002,2347
Steers600–650Medium 1644372.50/cwt372.50–372.502,3994
Steers650–700Medium 1Thin Fleshed680370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,51613
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1740370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,7387
Steers750–800Large 1776340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,6384
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1781361.26/cwt361.00–362.002,82111
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1834350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,9194
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1852350.40/cwt337.00–352.002,98519
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1Full888330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,9306
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1906332.46/cwt330.00–337.503,01211
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1Full950319.00/cwt319.00–319.003,0314
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2990304.00/cwt304.00–304.003,0104
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,015317.00/cwt317.00–317.003,2184
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,035304.00/cwt304.00–304.003,1467
Steers1050–1100Large 1Full1,064292.00/cwt292.00–292.003,10710
Feeder Cattle · Heifers22 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1Unweaned230570.00/cwt570.00–570.001,3113
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned308500.00/cwt500.00–500.001,5403
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned478385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,8403
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned508395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,0072
Heifers500–550Medium 1-2547365.00/cwt365.00–365.001,9973
Heifers550–600Medium 1-2594340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,02012
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned612331.00/cwt331.00–331.002,0263
Heifers600–650Medium 1-2631331.00/cwt331.00–331.002,0894
Heifers650–700Medium 1-2698310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,1643
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2723339.72/cwt335.00–341.002,45623
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1735350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,57310
Heifers750–800Large 1-2756315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,3814
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2767325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,4933
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1811339.89/cwt338.00–341.002,75717
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2815302.50/cwt302.50–302.502,4652
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2872304.98/cwt295.00–310.002,6593
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1889321.23/cwt316.00–333.002,85638
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1916315.85/cwt313.50–319.002,89337
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1Full920309.00/cwt309.00–309.002,8432
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1971301.23/cwt295.00–306.502,92547
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,029292.25/cwt292.00–294.003,00716
Heifers1050–1100Large 11,085275.00/cwt275.00–275.002,9843
Feeder Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned392450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,7646
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned481385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,8524
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1Unweaned727330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,3993
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Steers3 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Steers750–800Large 1-2777337.50/cwt337.50–337.502,6223
Beef/Dairy Steers800–850Large 1-2837324.00/cwt324.00–324.002,7126
Beef/Dairy Steers900–950Large 1-2942318.00/cwt318.00–318.002,99616
Feeder Cattle · Beef/Dairy Heifers3 lots · lightest first
Beef/Dairy Heifers650–700Large 2681302.50/cwt302.50–302.502,0605
Beef/Dairy Heifers800–850Large 1-2822314.00/cwt314.00–314.002,58136
Beef/Dairy Heifers1000–1050Large 1-21,013270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,7354
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,225175.86/cwt165.00–185.002,1542
Bulls——Return to Feed1,587191.42/cwt172.50–198.003,03817
Bulls——Return to Feed1,643196.85/cwt193.50–209.003,2344
Bulls——1,844190.58/cwt180.00–196.003,51434
Bulls——1,897200.90/cwt197.00–216.003,81131
Slaughter Cattle · Cows17 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight920130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,1961
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,091162.10/cwt159.00–164.001,7695
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,154149.32/cwt142.50–151.001,7234
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,178172.49/cwt170.00–175.002,0322
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,187136.78/cwt120.00–150.001,62430
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,197158.60/cwt155.00–163.001,8983
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,338168.49/cwt168.00–169.002,2542
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,358178.20/cwt178.00–178.502,4205
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,409160.94/cwt149.00–164.002,26856
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,415146.71/cwt135.00–155.002,07612
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,421170.59/cwt165.50–177.002,42462
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,438132.59/cwt130.00–135.001,9072
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,468160.75/cwt159.50–163.002,3609
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,564167.22/cwt166.00–171.002,61525
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,576161.63/cwt161.50–162.002,5474
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,659164.63/cwt163.00–166.502,7317
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,695159.70/cwt153.00–162.502,70715
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows2 lots · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,385124.00/cwt124.00–124.001,7172
Dairy Cows—Boner 80-85%1,602148.03/cwt147.00–152.002,37130
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows6 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 21,100165.00/cwt165.00–165.001,8152
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,173233.54/cwt200.00–272.502,7392
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,188182.35/cwt172.50–192.502,1662
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,212193.18/cwt188.00–227.502,34114
Stock Cows—Large 11,220225.00/cwt225.00–225.002,7451
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,275179.07/cwt176.00–182.002,2832
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows2 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2603,000.00/head3,000.00–3,000.003,0002
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,475163.50/cwt163.50–163.502,4123
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs2 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,3763,425.00/head3,425.00–3,425.003,4257
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,6653,450.00/head3,450.00–3,450.003,4502
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-27172,475.00/head2,475.00–2,475.002,4753

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.