Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-05-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-05-29

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer and heifer calves were all too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand was mostly good to very good for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. The bulk of the feeder offering was offered in moderate size packages with a few load lots noticed. Demand for replacement heifers was very good this sale as quality was attractive. Market activity was active with good participation noticed both ringside and over the internet. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Slaughter cows sold on mostly moderate demand. Too few cows were purchased for slaughter to develop any market trend. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good. Feeding cows sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison The best demand for feeding cows was for lean cows. Buyers showed very good demand for thin offerings as these would gain quickly when put on feed. Cow quality this week was mostly average and not as attractive as last weeks sale. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good to very good demand. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Many young cows which never calved continue to be seen. These offerings are selling at a discount to wet bagged offerings. Very few true wet bagged offerings are being seen. True wet bag offerings sell at similar prices for 2 or 3 year offerings. Young age cows sold with higher undertones on like quality offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $333.93/cwt on 27 head. That ranks 2 of 21 comparable sales and sits −99.93 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$333.93

27 head · 564 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,883

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$147

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

$9.71/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.51

vs MT average

+1.24 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	571	336.45	1,921	20
Medium and Large 1-2	543	326.74	1,774	7thin

One grade step is worth $9.71/cwt here — about $147 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 700–800 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 sale27 hd

333.93

—

MT average3 barns · 59 hd

336.44

−2.51

National average127 barns · 6,029 hd

332.69

+1.24

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−99.93

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	1,724	183.47	3,163	24
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,393	151.23	2,107	87
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,609	144.24	2,321	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,170	141.58	1,656	22

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)	1,458	$3,142	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,760	$2,900	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,676	$2,700	6
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,230	$2,450	1thin
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,017	$2,023	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,834	$4,375	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,921	$4,350	19
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,252	$4,128	33
Cow-Calf Pairs	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,834	$3,875	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,539	$3,424	41
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,539	$3,391	76
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,573	$3,222	7
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,189	$4,299	75

Every lot, as filed

94 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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,834	4,375.00/head	4,375.00–4,375.00	4,375	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	150–200	160	800.00/head	800.00–800.00	800	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	808	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,262	42
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,186	4,322.42/head	4,100.00–4,450.00	4,322	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	579	337.93/cwt	335.00–341.00	1,957	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	885	276.66/cwt	270.00–278.00	2,448	120
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	995	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,488	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	614	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,272	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	880	264.29/cwt	263.00–267.00	2,326	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	2,049	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	240	1,000.00/head	1,000.00–1,000.00	1,000	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	684	344.89/cwt	344.50–349.00	2,359	102
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	809	313.00/cwt	313.00–313.00	2,532	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	517	438.40/cwt	438.00–440.00	2,267	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	483	376.97/cwt	365.00–381.00	1,821	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	713	300.02/cwt	298.00–302.00	2,139	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	563	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,802	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	766	316.53/cwt	310.00–318.00	2,425	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	724	329.50/cwt	329.50–329.50	2,386	63
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	731	333.90/cwt	327.00–336.00	2,441	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	405	470.00/cwt	460.00–480.00	1,904	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	683	313.03/cwt	310.00–316.00	2,138	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	1,988	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	523	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,831	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	695	308.41/cwt	308.00–312.50	2,143	21
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,417	3,325.00/head	3,325.00–3,325.00	3,325	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,596	3,300.00/head	3,300.00–3,300.00	3,300	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	600–650	608	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,885	14
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,522	3,336.89/head	3,250.00–3,500.00	3,337	17
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,834	3,875.00/head	3,875.00–3,875.00	3,875	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,542	3,406.81/head	3,100.00–3,600.00	3,407	74
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,230	2,450.00/head	2,450.00–2,450.00	2,450	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,458	3,142.32/head	2,950.00–3,200.00	3,142	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,617	2,976.31/head	2,600.00–3,300.00	2,976	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,418	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,515	3,550.00/head	3,550.00–3,550.00	3,550	3
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,239	3,887.14/head	3,850.00–3,900.00	3,887	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,236	4,208.26/head	4,200.00–4,210.00	4,208	30
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,542	3,522.44/head	3,500.00–3,550.00	3,522	20
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,077	169.67/cwt	164.50–173.00	1,827	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,099	197.16/cwt	167.50–227.00	2,167	17
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,573	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	2,470	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,435	141.64/cwt	138.00–145.00	2,033	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,558	145.25/cwt	145.00–145.50	2,263	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,346	143.31/cwt	136.00–146.00	1,929	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,410	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	2,284	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,186	146.57/cwt	130.00–150.00	1,738	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,401	153.41/cwt	147.00–160.00	2,149	67
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,040	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,153	150.61/cwt	149.00–152.00	1,737	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,444	176.63/cwt	174.00–182.50	2,551	7
Bulls	—	—	1,946	197.55/cwt	194.00–207.00	3,844	7
Bulls	—	—	1,897	181.97/cwt	172.00–189.00	3,452	8
Steers	Large 1	700–750	707	314.00/cwt	314.00–314.00	2,220	8
Steers	Large 1	800–850	800	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,400	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,230	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	1,993	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,159	128.24/cwt	105.00–138.00	1,486	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,634	140.30/cwt	139.00–141.00	2,293	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,238	164.09/cwt	160.00–167.50	2,031	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	972	263.49/cwt	214.50–279.00	2,561	18
Steers	Medium 1-2	400–450	412	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,669	3
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	504	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,041	6
Bulls	Medium 1	500–550	542	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,870	7
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,135	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	2,525	1
Steers	Large 1	500–550	545	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	2,085	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	730	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	2,183	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,676	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,760	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Registered	—	1,921	4,349.71/head	4,250.00–4,700.00	4,350	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	885	201.88/cwt	182.50–212.50	1,787	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,857	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	758	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,047	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	572	392.66/cwt	377.00–422.50	2,246	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	880	293.69/cwt	287.00–298.00	2,584	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	782	283.08/cwt	281.00–285.00	2,214	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	837	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,176	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	705	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,150	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,174	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	506	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,935	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	469	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,665	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	910	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	2,252	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	606	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,970	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	778	306.00/cwt	306.00–306.00	2,381	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	536	328.28/cwt	320.00–332.50	1,760	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	479	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,796	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	475	340.19/cwt	330.00–345.00	1,616	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	439	362.50/cwt	345.00–375.00	1,591	35
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	548	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,110	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	491	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,743	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	367	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,340	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	434	438.22/cwt	435.00–445.00	1,902	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	540	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,106	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	605	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,815	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,017	2,022.59/head	1,950.00–2,150.00	2,023	5

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 →