Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-03-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer and heifer calves were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on all feeder cattle offerings. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Lots of variation was seen in quality again this week. Package sizes were mostly small this week with a large portion of the offering with packages of 5 head or less. Demand for light cattle continues to improve as differed CME feeder cattle contracts continue to inch higher. The August, September and October contracts all traded above 290.00 as of todays close. Feeder contracts have had several days of strong gains this week which helped provide support for buyers backgrounding light calves. Ranchers were especially active in buying lightweight cattle this week. Market activity was active this sale with bidders both ringside and over the internet actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for light offerings. Regional packers and major packers continue to push to own high quality offerings. Major packers purchased cows mostly to feed while regional packers purchased cows to slaughter. Demand for both slaughter and feeding cows was good this week, however quality this week was not as attractive as last week which hindered demand in places. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to weak on a lower quality offering. Feeding cows sold fully steady on all offerings. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today and similar to last week. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. A small offering of bred cows was seen this week most cows were expected to calve from May through the Fall. Quality for bred cows was mostly average this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $319.20/cwt on 13 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −114.67 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$319.20

13 head · 565 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,803

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$79

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

$4.48/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−14.53

vs MT average

+4.62 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	574	321.61	1,846	6thin
Medium and Large 1-2	557	317.13	1,767	7thin

One grade step is worth $4.48/cwt here — about $79 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

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 sale13 hd

319.20

—

MT average3 barns · 473 hd

333.72

−14.53

National average174 barns · 12,680 hd

314.58

+4.62

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−114.67

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	1,817	173.33	3,149	35
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,585	149.60	2,371	19
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,750	148.50	2,599	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,425	140.29	1,999	86
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,136	128.43	1,459	67

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)	1,218	$3,042	6
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,379	$2,961	23
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,235	$2,955	59
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,285	$2,800	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,298	$2,400	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,233	$2,339	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,250	$2,336	20
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,036	$2,295	24
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,470	$2,133	3thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,162	$3,000	5
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,265	$2,975	1thin

Every lot, as filed

79 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 1	450–500	497	358.93/cwt	352.50–359.50	1,784	39
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	335	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,273	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,250	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,938	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,098	2,434.75/head	2,400.00–2,600.00	2,435	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,379	2,960.81/head	2,650.00–3,000.00	2,961	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	574	321.61/cwt	320.00–325.00	1,846	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	709	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,198	6
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,162	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,218	3,042.16/head	3,000.00–3,050.00	3,042	6
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,265	2,975.00/head	2,975.00–2,975.00	2,975	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,007	217.44/cwt	181.00–234.00	2,190	46
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,262	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,292	2,432.35/head	2,300.00–2,475.00	2,432	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	618	341.88/cwt	335.00–347.50	2,113	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,843	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,410	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,022	2,290.13/head	2,250.00–2,400.00	2,290	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	740	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,961	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,285	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,235	2,955.40/head	2,800.00–3,010.00	2,955	59
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,131	180.30/cwt	150.00–225.00	2,039	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	765	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,989	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	455	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	1,604	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	377	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,451	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	942	162.76/cwt	135.00–185.00	1,533	21
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,298	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,053	179.77/cwt	175.00–185.00	1,893	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	668	278.73/cwt	277.50–280.00	1,862	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	325	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,316	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	815	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,976	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	650–700	674	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,719	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	546	317.98/cwt	315.00–322.50	1,736	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,233	2,339.46/head	2,300.00–2,400.00	2,339	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,403	132.62/cwt	127.00–136.00	1,861	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,426	153.72/cwt	149.50–160.00	2,192	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,145	124.86/cwt	115.00–133.00	1,430	13
Bulls	—	—	1,968	176.69/cwt	170.00–179.00	3,477	9
Bulls	—	—	1,588	162.44/cwt	162.00–163.00	2,580	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,400	157.73/cwt	155.00–161.50	2,208	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,250	93.26/cwt	85.00–102.00	1,166	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,361	145.48/cwt	139.00–149.00	1,980	17
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,481	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	2,251	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,563	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	2,438	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	826	104.53/cwt	98.00–106.00	863	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,218	149.66/cwt	148.50–153.50	1,823	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	1,100	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,221	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,136	114.48/cwt	106.00–123.00	1,300	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,503	139.53/cwt	133.00–145.00	2,097	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,162	141.00/cwt	135.00–148.00	1,638	25
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,457	125.40/cwt	117.50–131.00	1,827	13
Bulls	—	—	2,308	178.25/cwt	178.00–179.00	4,114	4
Bulls	—	—	1,950	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	3,569	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,621	147.93/cwt	144.00–149.00	2,398	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,480	150.86/cwt	149.00–155.00	2,233	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,195	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,583	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,533	166.25/cwt	161.00–177.00	2,549	6
Bulls	—	—	1,989	187.39/cwt	185.00–191.00	3,727	7
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	795	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,749	1
Bred Cows	Medium 1-2	—	830	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	3
Heifers	Large 1	800–850	815	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	2,070	2
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,160	211.61/cwt	205.00–215.00	2,455	3
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,750	148.50/cwt	148.50–148.50	2,599	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,740	135.60/cwt	132.50–137.00	2,359	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	592	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,569	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	445	407.50/cwt	407.50–407.50	1,813	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,166	1,875.77/head	1,650.00–2,100.00	1,876	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	798	251.00/cwt	249.00–255.00	2,003	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	339	379.72/cwt	375.00–400.00	1,287	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	740	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	2,131	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,038	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	2,450	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	843	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	2,129	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	393.01/cwt	375.00–398.00	1,611	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	390	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,521	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	408	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,714	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	440	407.50/cwt	407.50–407.50	1,793	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,590	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	578	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,023	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	912	253.97/cwt	250.00–256.00	2,316	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,953	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 →