Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-08-13
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-08-13

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (7-23-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on all offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Several sets of yearlings coming off grass were seen this sale. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Group sizes were small to moderate with many singles noticed. Market activity was mostly moderate with a small buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand and light offerings. Demand for feeding cows was mostly moderate. Canadian buyers continue to buy cows to ship north and feed. American packers showed a desire to purchase cows lower and showed slightly lighter demand for all cows on offer. All feeding cows sold mostly 5.00 lower compared to the last sale, three weeks ago. Cow quality was mostly plain to average and overall not as attractive as the previous sale. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly moderate to good. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on breaking cows and mostly 3.00 to 5.00 higher on boning and lean cows in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mixed with both full and empty cows noticed. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for young rebreed cows was mostly moderate on a plain to average quality offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $332.50/cwt on 25 head, down $4.98 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −101.36 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$332.50

▼ 4.98 vs prior sale

25 head · 591 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,965

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

−34.19 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 2	591	332.50	1,965	25

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 $433.86 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 sale25 hd

332.50

—

MT average1 barns · 25 hd

332.50

+0.00

National average162 barns · 7,051 hd

366.69

−34.19

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−101.36

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	—	High	1,784	205.03	3,659	103
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,814	173.00	3,138	9thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,554	170.85	2,655	103
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,387	168.37	2,336	193
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,165	158.16	1,843	68
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,658	163.50	2,711	2thin

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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,525	$3,100	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,485	$2,900	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,475	$2,750	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,847	$4,250	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,553	$4,000	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,509	$3,500	8

Every lot, as filed

69 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
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,106	169.74/cwt	164.00–175.00	1,877	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,336	161.33/cwt	152.00–167.00	2,155	52
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,057	149.19/cwt	136.00–153.00	1,577	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,463	177.97/cwt	171.00–179.00	2,604	53
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,206	167.11/cwt	166.00–169.00	2,015	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,633	163.08/cwt	161.00–164.00	2,663	8
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,658	163.50/cwt	163.50–163.50	2,711	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,386	147.06/cwt	140.00–155.00	2,038	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,540	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	2,664	1
Bulls	—	—	2,453	203.51/cwt	201.00–206.00	4,992	2
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,814	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	3,138	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,185	156.52/cwt	142.00–163.00	1,855	38
Bulls	—	—	1,854	207.43/cwt	201.00–216.00	3,846	46
Bulls	—	—	1,752	196.15/cwt	185.00–201.00	3,437	20
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,142	180.89/cwt	175.00–187.50	2,066	3
Bulls	—	—	1,971	221.56/cwt	215.00–230.50	4,367	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,641	158.91/cwt	152.00–163.00	2,608	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,668	168.72/cwt	165.00–170.50	2,814	19
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,278	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	3,054	2
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,063	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	2,998	3
Heifers	Large 1Full	1150–1200	1,185	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	3,117	2
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,380	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	2,498	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,393	192.92/cwt	187.00–199.00	2,687	8
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,603	204.08/cwt	201.00–209.00	3,271	9
Heifers	Medium 1Full	750–800	768	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,304	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,170	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	2,779	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,143	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	2,812	3
Heifers	Large 1Full	1100–1150	1,136	261.11/cwt	260.00–263.00	2,966	8
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,155	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,772	1
Steers	Large 1Full	1050–1100	1,058	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	3,269	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,245	197.00/cwt	197.00–197.00	2,453	1
Heifers	Medium 2	550–600	591	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,965	25
Heifers	Medium 2	750–800	779	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,220	6
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	689	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,274	11
Steers	Medium 1	750–800	765	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,563	2
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	675	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	2,346	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,018	301.62/cwt	296.00–307.00	3,070	59
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,525	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,475	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,262	213.40/cwt	193.00–245.00	2,693	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,108	197.10/cwt	182.00–205.00	2,184	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	1,410	186.15/cwt	177.00–201.00	2,625	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	872	322.02/cwt	321.00–327.00	2,808	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	974	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	3,185	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	967	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	2,746	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	896	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,643	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,043	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	2,983	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	1150–1200	1,173	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,933	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	872	311.50/cwt	311.50–311.50	2,716	26
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,164	239.39/cwt	220.00–275.00	2,786	29
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,507	210.02/cwt	209.00–211.00	3,165	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	513	422.50/cwt	422.50–422.50	2,167	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	745	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,831	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	929	312.07/cwt	308.00–314.50	2,899	15
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,847	4,250.00/head	4,250.00–4,250.00	4,250	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,485	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,363	184.50/cwt	183.00–186.00	2,515	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	984	309.10/cwt	306.00–314.00	3,042	44
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	919	303.12/cwt	302.50–305.00	2,786	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Full	800–850	810	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,471	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,125	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	3,038	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,509	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,553	4,000.00/head	4,000.00–4,000.00	4,000	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,383	180.71/cwt	180.00–183.00	2,499	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,408	170.61/cwt	168.00–179.50	2,402	95
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	855	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	1,389	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,224	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,237	156.45/cwt	154.00–162.00	1,935	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,450	162.02/cwt	157.00–169.50	2,349	11

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 →