Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-07-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-07-10

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(6-26-25): Feeder steer and heifer calves were all too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Many blemished offerings continue to be seen as consigners take advantage of another week of higher prices. Demand for cutting bulls remains very good as several buyers were searching for bulls to cut and make steers. Market activity was active with good participation noticed both ringside and over the internet. Weigh up cows comprised most of the offering this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. A larger portion of the cow offering was purchased for harvest this week as southern packers buyers were very active in buying cows. Prices for slaughter cows in the south are currently above Northern prices which allows Southern packers to be more competitive with Northern packers. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher on breaking cows and boning cows. Lean cows sold 3.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher, with the largest increase in price seen for low dressing feeding cows as several buyers were willing to take slightly blemished cows to feed. Cow quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last sales offering. Young age cows sold with lower undertones on a much plainer offering and limited selection. Demand for fleshy young cows remains very good as several buyers purchased this type of cow to blend onto market ready loads.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $323.87/cwt on 6 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −105.36 against this barn's trailing median of $429.23.

Average price

$323.87

6 head · 542 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,754

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−11.04

vs MT average

−17.66 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	542	323.87	1,754	6thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

21 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.35, low $332.50, median $429.23 across 21 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale6 hd

323.87

—

MT average2 barns · 19 hd

334.91

−11.04

National average157 barns · 9,726 hd

341.53

−17.66

This barn, trailing median21 sales

429.23

−105.36

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,717	186.41	3,201	151
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	High	1,575	170.62	2,687	34
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,558	164.43	2,562	131
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,407	159.79	2,249	431
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,164	151.01	1,758	70

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,565	$3,000	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,620	$3,529	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,600	$3,278	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,529	$3,113	4thin
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,220	$3,400	2thin

Every lot, as filed

76 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Thu)

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Steers	Medium and Large 2	950–1000	955	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	2,617	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	585	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,960	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	603	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,764	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	573	307.74/cwt	305.00–313.00	1,763	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	850	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	2,355	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,120	161.52/cwt	158.00–170.00	1,809	3
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,220	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,177	191.80/cwt	171.00–230.00	2,257	80
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,285	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	2,107	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	552	388.00/cwt	388.00–388.00	2,142	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	636	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,067	4
Bulls	Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,048	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	2,589	2
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 2-3	200–250	238	650.00/head	650.00–650.00	650	2
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 3-4	200–250	215	425.00/head	425.00–425.00	425	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	800	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,780	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	991	192.49/cwt	182.50–205.00	1,908	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,195	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	1,960	1
Bulls	—	—	1,868	185.00/cwt	183.00–188.00	3,456	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,417	161.61/cwt	159.00–163.00	2,290	21
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,155	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,657	1
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,213	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,547	2
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,122	236.98/cwt	232.00–239.00	2,659	7
Bulls	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,098	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,525	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,753	158.36/cwt	154.00–160.00	2,776	6
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,854	207.61/cwt	205.00–213.00	3,849	10
Bulls	—	—	1,918	198.11/cwt	193.50–218.00	3,800	35
Bulls	—Non-Traditional	—	1,437	193.74/cwt	193.50–196.00	2,784	10
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,617	169.08/cwt	169.00–169.50	2,734	6
Bulls	—	—	1,532	163.17/cwt	162.00–166.00	2,500	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,213	144.66/cwt	139.00–151.00	1,755	7
Bulls	—	—	2,360	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	4,814	1
Bulls	—	—	1,893	186.57/cwt	177.00–193.00	3,532	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,401	142.57/cwt	135.00–145.00	1,997	17
Bulls	—Non-Traditional	—	1,250	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	2,281	3
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,695	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	3,221	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,589	167.54/cwt	165.50–170.00	2,662	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	845	135.83/cwt	132.50–140.00	1,148	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,590	162.39/cwt	160.00–164.00	2,582	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,110	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	1,743	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,669	180.68/cwt	175.00–188.00	3,016	30
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,330	168.42/cwt	163.00–176.00	2,240	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,386	159.02/cwt	153.50–163.50	2,204	210
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,420	165.94/cwt	163.50–170.00	2,356	135
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,659	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	3,318	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,512	152.25/cwt	147.00–155.00	2,302	31
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,377	149.10/cwt	132.50–153.00	2,053	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,164	129.79/cwt	110.00–142.00	1,511	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,174	146.59/cwt	143.00–149.00	1,721	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,170	157.45/cwt	150.00–163.00	1,842	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,177	164.89/cwt	164.00–166.00	1,941	7
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,553	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	2,531	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,626	152.82/cwt	146.00–154.00	2,485	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,499	167.75/cwt	164.00–170.00	2,515	62
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	895	234.43/cwt	190.00–252.50	2,098	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,500	3,350.00/head	3,350.00–3,350.00	3,350	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,493	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,635	3,450.00/head	3,450.00–3,450.00	3,450	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	835	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,630	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,040	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	2,626	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	744	305.26/cwt	305.00–309.00	2,271	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	100–150	100	800.00/head	800.00–800.00	800	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,565	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,094	222.50/cwt	190.00–240.00	2,434	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	593	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	2,081	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	777	302.13/cwt	290.00–305.00	2,348	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	100–150	100	800.00/head	800.00–800.00	800	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,005	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	2,387	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,600	3,278.01/head	3,250.00–3,300.00	3,278	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,668	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	510	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,734	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	456	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,528	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	880	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,552	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	621	319.00/cwt	319.00–319.00	1,981	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	793	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	2,284	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	634	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,092	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	366	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,318	5

How this sale compares

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.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →