Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-04-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-04-10

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer and heifer calves were all too lightly tested today to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last weeks feeder cattle special. Cattle were offered in mostly small packages or as singles which was a stark difference to last weeks Spring N.I.L.E. feeder cattle special which had mostly long strings of feeders and load lots. No load lots were seen this week. Market activity was active this sale despite light offerings. A moderate crowd of buyers were on hand for todays sale with buyers both ringside as well as over the internet. Weigh up cows comprised most of todays sale. Demand for cows was good to very good. Regional packers and major packers were both active in buying cows this week. Regional packers purchased cows mostly for immediate harvest, while major packers purchased cows mostly to feed. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-4.00 higher on all classes. Feeding cow demand was very good this sale as Canadian cow buyers jumped back in the market and showed very good demand for cows to feed. High quality feeding cows sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Lean feeding cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly average today. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00 to 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand from feeding bull buyers was mostly good and many light or thin fleshed bulls sold to feed this week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 5.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive and overall more attractive than last week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $314.36/cwt on 19 head. That ranks 1 of 21 comparable sales and sits −119.50 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$314.36

19 head · 562 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,766

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$70

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

$1.73/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−13.41

vs MT average

−2.19 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	554	315.30	1,745	7thin
Medium and Large 2	503	315.00	1,584	2thin
Medium and Large 1	579	313.57	1,816	10thin

One grade step is worth $1.73/cwt here — about −$70 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

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 sale19 hd

314.36

—

MT average3 barns · 47 hd

327.77

−13.41

National average178 barns · 10,561 hd

316.55

−2.19

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−119.50

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	1,856	175.67	3,261	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,589	157.84	2,508	41
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,415	156.71	2,218	216
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,182	144.69	1,710	75
Dairy Bulls	—	Low	1,905	145.00	2,762	1thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,155	109.29	1,262	4thin

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)	1,288	$3,209	6
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,507	$2,979	6
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,502	$2,702	15
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,152	$2,423	4thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,348	$2,133	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,550	$4,100	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,838	$3,600	2thin
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,101	$4,292	39

Every lot, as filed

85 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	—	1,166	188.33/cwt	161.00–229.50	2,196	45
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,550	4,100.00/head	4,100.00–4,100.00	4,100	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,838	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	2
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,101	4,292.14/head	4,200.00–4,300.00	4,292	39
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,502	2,701.58/head	2,700.00–2,725.00	2,702	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	742	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	2,137	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	421	421.00/cwt	421.00–421.00	1,772	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,005	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,362	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	793	286.23/cwt	285.00–290.00	2,270	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	653	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,894	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,290	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,000	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	705	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	1,967	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	690	310.67/cwt	310.00–311.00	2,144	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	566	369.36/cwt	362.50–370.00	2,091	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	284	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,250	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	602	342.00/cwt	342.00–342.00	2,059	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	488	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,952	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,538	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	355.39/cwt	351.00–360.00	1,695	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	579	313.57/cwt	313.00–316.00	1,816	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,906	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	830	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	2,150	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	780	278.00/cwt	278.00–278.00	2,168	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	458	347.49/cwt	345.00–350.00	1,592	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	788	255.14/cwt	254.00–258.00	2,011	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	537	325.04/cwt	322.50–330.00	1,745	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	446	344.08/cwt	342.50–362.50	1,535	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	417	405.47/cwt	390.00–413.00	1,691	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	825	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,310	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	987	214.41/cwt	200.00–233.00	2,116	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,003	180.57/cwt	155.00–215.00	1,811	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	604	282.66/cwt	280.00–284.00	1,707	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,003	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	2,267	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	503	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,584	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	715	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,916	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	371	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,410	6
Bulls	—	—	2,485	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	4,821	1
Bulls	—	—	1,605	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	2,504	1
Dairy Bulls	—	—	1,905	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	2,762	1
Bulls	—	—	2,167	179.84/cwt	177.00–182.00	3,897	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,512	171.76/cwt	164.00–175.00	2,597	5
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,265	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,733	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,391	164.31/cwt	161.00–166.00	2,286	76
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	940	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	940	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,552	157.03/cwt	155.00–159.00	2,437	23
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,155	109.29/cwt	104.00–111.00	1,262	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,624	159.71/cwt	159.50–160.00	2,594	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,732	155.75/cwt	152.00–159.00	2,698	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,194	126.92/cwt	117.00–136.00	1,515	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,220	158.81/cwt	157.00–162.00	1,937	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,495	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	2,437	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,414	132.59/cwt	122.00–138.00	1,875	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,091	131.38/cwt	117.50–144.00	1,433	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,203	151.16/cwt	144.00–156.00	1,818	34
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,415	156.44/cwt	150.00–160.00	2,214	90
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,334	144.45/cwt	139.00–148.00	1,927	5
Bulls	—	—	2,060	188.47/cwt	185.00–191.00	3,882	9
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,580	152.92/cwt	145.00–163.00	2,416	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,164	142.61/cwt	139.00–146.00	1,660	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,225	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,286	1
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,197	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	2,466	3
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,083	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	2,209	3
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,298	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	2,492	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,095	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	2,387	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,507	157.43/cwt	156.00–160.00	2,372	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,473	146.79/cwt	142.00–153.00	2,162	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	566	308.00/cwt	308.00–308.00	1,743	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	825	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,145	1
Steers	Medium 1Fleshy	650–700	699	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	2,048	4
Steers	Medium 1Fleshy	800–850	841	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	2,220	10
Bulls	Medium 1	700–750	725	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	1,722	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	805	232.95/cwt	231.00–239.00	1,875	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	843	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	2,226	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,348	2,132.74/head	2,050.00–2,200.00	2,133	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	390	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,287	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	317	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,442	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	465	399.97/cwt	397.50–402.50	1,860	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	540	366.00/cwt	366.00–366.00	1,976	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,288	3,208.83/head	3,150.00–3,300.00	3,209	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	991	233.31/cwt	190.00–269.00	2,312	97
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,400	184.50/cwt	184.50–184.50	2,583	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	853	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	2,380	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,507	2,979.18/head	2,975.00–3,000.00	2,979	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	750–800	778	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	2,015	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,152	2,422.64/head	2,400.00–2,450.00	2,423	4

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 →