Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-02-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-02-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer calves under 850 lbs sold mostly 10.00 lower, with the exception of 600-649 lbs steers which sold generally steady. Steers over 850 lbs were not well compared. All weights of feeder heifers sold mostly 10.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average with a limited offering of attractive cattle noted. CME feeder positions traded sharply lower today and buyers were more reserved as they bid on offerings. Package sizes were mostly small to moderate with many singles in the offering. Market activity was active this sale with bidders both ringside and over the internet actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold sharply higher on all classes as packers showed very good demand for slaughter cows. Packers were forced to competed with small regional packers as well as farmer feeders looking for feeding quality cows. Most slaughter cows cost over $300 dressed this sale. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-8.00 higher on high quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white. Short term feeding cows and thin fleshed cows sold sharply higher with most sales 9.00-12.00 higher. Cows were mixed for destination as cows were purchased both for feed and for immediate harvest. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for bulls was very good this week as packers competed over limited offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was average to attractive and similar to last week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $357.24/cwt on 163 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −130.54 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$357.24

163 head · 548 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,958

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$71

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2

$39.91/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+4.06

vs MT average

+14.86 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	536	368.50	1,975	117
Medium and Large 1-2	579	328.59	1,903	46

One grade step is worth $39.91/cwt here — about $71 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.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

21 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $525.97, low $398.08, median $487.78 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 sale163 hd

357.24

—

MT average3 barns · 204 hd

353.18

+4.06

National average187 barns · 18,766 hd

342.38

+14.86

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−130.54

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	—	Low	1,869	163.56	3,057	47
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,634	145.91	2,385	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,416	141.18	1,999	105
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,175	137.59	1,616	214

Every lot, as filed

70 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,047	198.71/cwt	160.00–212.50	2,080	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	476	388.27/cwt	377.50–392.00	1,848	46
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,199	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	1,834	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	923	263.56/cwt	261.00–264.00	2,433	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	569	334.78/cwt	330.00–360.00	1,905	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	679	299.67/cwt	294.00–314.00	2,035	108
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	531	373.46/cwt	367.00–376.00	1,983	102
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	612	331.11/cwt	312.00–341.00	2,026	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	499	316.00/cwt	316.00–316.00	1,577	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	582	303.36/cwt	301.50–315.00	1,766	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	435	398.00/cwt	398.00–398.00	1,731	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	479	338.57/cwt	335.00–340.00	1,622	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	691	273.79/cwt	261.00–278.00	1,892	48
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	448	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,568	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	398	417.00/cwt	417.00–417.00	1,660	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	535	320.29/cwt	320.00–321.00	1,714	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	724	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,796	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,331	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	2,183	101
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,047	170.36/cwt	150.00–187.50	1,784	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	469	283.34/cwt	255.00–365.00	1,329	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	807	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	2,009	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	705	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,939	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	639	283.58/cwt	282.00–287.50	1,812	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,173	153.27/cwt	151.00–155.50	1,798	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	626	284.29/cwt	281.00–292.50	1,780	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	589	325.14/cwt	320.00–328.50	1,915	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	682	285.62/cwt	282.00–287.00	1,948	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	447	354.50/cwt	347.50–385.00	1,585	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Replacement	550–600	567	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	1,712	45
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,519	149.61/cwt	149.50–150.00	2,273	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,433	144.27/cwt	135.00–148.00	2,067	61
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,366	139.17/cwt	132.00–148.00	1,901	23
Bulls	—	—	1,592	146.53/cwt	130.00–159.00	2,333	11
Bulls	—	—	2,490	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	4,382	1
Bulls	—	—	1,946	169.75/cwt	162.00–172.00	3,303	32
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,358	153.70/cwt	150.00–157.50	2,087	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,275	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,849	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,823	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	2,333	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,341	120.96/cwt	113.00–132.00	1,622	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,241	147.10/cwt	146.50–152.00	1,826	37
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,850	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	4,560	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	908	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,071	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,485	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	2,265	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,764	144.99/cwt	143.00–149.50	2,558	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,147	126.94/cwt	117.00–132.00	1,456	44
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,172	141.33/cwt	135.00–142.00	1,656	113
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,118	101.00/cwt	101.00–101.00	1,129	4
Heifers	Medium 2	400–450	423	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,195	6
Steers	Medium 1-2	350–400	351	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,281	4
Bulls	Large 1-2	1250–1300	1,298	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	2,272	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,173	128.63/cwt	125.00–129.00	1,509	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	129.96/cwt	129.00–131.00	1,818	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,497	152.17/cwt	152.00–152.50	2,278	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	586	296.53/cwt	290.00–301.00	1,738	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	634	304.09/cwt	287.00–312.50	1,928	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	533	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,839	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	387	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,277	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	526	308.04/cwt	303.00–320.00	1,620	23
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	620	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,922	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	458	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	1,706	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	660	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,815	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	681	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,934	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	750–800	779	273.83/cwt	273.00–274.00	2,133	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	870	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	2,123	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	798	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	2,123	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	723	285.64/cwt	280.00–287.00	2,065	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	963	250.50/cwt	250.50–250.50	2,412	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	804	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	2,219	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	781	275.92/cwt	275.00–277.50	2,155	105
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1200–1250	1,208	201.50/cwt	201.50–201.50	2,434	10

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 →