Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-02-27
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-02-27

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer calves were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on steers under 550 lbs and higher undertones were noticed on steers over 550 lbs. All heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on heifers under 600 lbs on a lower quality offering. Steady undertones were noticed on all heifers over 650 lbs. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average with a limited offering of attractive feeders seen. Quality was not as attractive as last sale two weeks ago. Package sizes were mostly small this week with many packages under 5 head. Market activity was moderate to active this sale with bidders both ringside and over the internet actively bidding on offerings. A smaller buyer pool was noticed this sale compared to last. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Cow offerings were too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on lean cows and steady to weak undertones were noticed on boning cows. Breaking cows were not well tested last sale thus no comparisons can be made. Major packers showed lighter demand for slaughter cows this week while regional packers continue to show good demand for all offerings. Major packers opted to send most offerings to feed this week as warmer weather has increased cow availability around the northern tier of the country. Feeding cow demand was good to very good this week. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed on a larger offering. Thin fleshed feeding cows sold with steady undertones in a very narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed. Demand for bulls was very good this week as packers competed over limited offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was average to attractive. Several heifers that lost calves were seen this week. These offerings were met with very good demand.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $357.18/cwt on 24 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −130.60 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$357.18

24 head · 572 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,041

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+2.30

vs MT average

+8.94 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	572	357.18	2,041	24

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

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 sale24 hd

357.18

—

MT average3 barns · 201 hd

354.89

+2.30

National average180 barns · 14,929 hd

348.24

+8.94

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−130.60

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	1,935	167.17	3,234	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,637	145.29	2,378	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,398	140.19	1,960	147
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,165	138.86	1,618	231

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)	1,265	$2,950	6
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,120	$2,800	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,537	$2,550	5
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,465	$2,250	5
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,400	$2,071	5
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,155	$1,900	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,265	$1,865	7

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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	736	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,987	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	473	343.07/cwt	332.00–350.00	1,623	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,450	145.46/cwt	145.00–146.00	2,109	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	801	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	2,059	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	638	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,137	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	622	297.09/cwt	289.00–302.00	1,848	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	717	263.28/cwt	260.00–266.00	1,888	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	460	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,610	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,450	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,126	174.74/cwt	147.00–222.50	1,968	93
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	836	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	2,266	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	756	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,943	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	415	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,473	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	321	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,348	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	488	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,610	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,234	1,826.12/head	1,750.00–1,900.00	1,826	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	1,715	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,017	215.29/cwt	189.00–240.00	2,189	106
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,155	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	737	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,850	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	736	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,061	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	487	359.46/cwt	357.50–362.50	1,751	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,265	2,950.12/head	2,850.00–2,975.00	2,950	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,400	2,070.78/head	2,050.00–2,100.00	2,071	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,465	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	917	201.92/cwt	193.00–220.00	1,852	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,038	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,453	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,112	152.52/cwt	142.00–172.50	1,696	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,380	142.61/cwt	137.00–146.00	1,968	77
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,275	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,862	1
Bulls	—	—	1,955	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	3,343	1
Bulls	—	—	1,995	168.23/cwt	161.00–179.00	3,356	7
Bulls	—	—	2,240	188.21/cwt	183.00–194.00	4,216	2
Bulls	—	—	1,671	153.83/cwt	149.00–159.00	2,570	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,650	139.71/cwt	136.00–143.50	2,305	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,707	152.55/cwt	150.50–154.00	2,604	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,407	127.19/cwt	121.00–134.00	1,790	24
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,147	118.33/cwt	109.00–131.00	1,357	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,195	146.35/cwt	146.00–147.00	1,749	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,151	142.80/cwt	135.00–145.50	1,644	115
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,628	145.39/cwt	143.00–150.00	2,367	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,000	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	1,000	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	865	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,021	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,168	117.70/cwt	115.00–124.00	1,375	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,540	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,218	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,545	131.56/cwt	128.00–134.50	2,033	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	753	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	2,026	2
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	467	362.87/cwt	362.00–370.00	1,695	27
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	730	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,752	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	150.34/cwt	147.00–160.00	2,135	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,418	141.89/cwt	135.00–145.50	2,012	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,247	139.73/cwt	137.00–141.00	1,742	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	752	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	2,188	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	343.94/cwt	340.00–346.00	1,445	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	680	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,795	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	683	298.63/cwt	298.00–303.00	2,040	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	708	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,926	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	628	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	1,680	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	690	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,742	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	671	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,852	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	549	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,031	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	434	367.43/cwt	362.50–370.00	1,595	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	830	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,909	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	1050–1100	1,057	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	2,405	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,884	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,537	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	576	354.62/cwt	348.00–369.00	2,043	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	405	414.58/cwt	410.00–415.00	1,679	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,120	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	1

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 →