Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-07-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-07-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steer and heifer calves were all too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly very good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Many blemished offerings continue to be seen as consigners take advantage of another week of higher prices. Demand for cutting bulls remains very good as several buyers were searching for bulls to cut and make steers. Market activity was active with rapid, aggressive bidding noticed both ringside and over the internet. Weigh up cows comprised most of the offering this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold with steady to higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Prices for slaughter cows in the south remain above Northern prices which allows southern packers to be more competitive with Northern Packer buyers. Demand for feeding cows remains very good. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Demand for thin fleshed cows that will gain quickly on feed was very good as several private feeders showed very good demand for this class of cows. Cow quality this week was average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Some cows were full and tanked up on water as warm weather returned to the state following two days of rain and unseasonably cool temperatures. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Young age cows sold on moderate demand. Too few young cows were seen this week to develop an accurate market trend.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 400–500 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

400–500 lb bulls averaged $431.67/cwt on 6 head. That ranks 1 of 6 comparable sales and sits −90.91 against this barn's trailing median of $522.58.

Average price

$431.67

6 head · 451 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,947

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

What quality paid 400–500 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	451	431.67	1,947	6thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 400–500 lb

6 sales

Bulls 400–500 lb: high $564.94, low $464.35, median $522.58 across 6 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 400–500 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale6 hd

431.67

—

MT average1 barns · 6 hd

431.67

+0.00

This barn, trailing median6 sales

522.58

−90.91

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	1,856	192.66	3,576	91
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,430	163.47	2,338	240
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,603	160.98	2,580	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,175	152.96	1,798	54
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,375	132.00	1,815	1thin

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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,501	$3,500	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,691	$3,454	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,683	$3,325	3thin

Every lot, as filed

52 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 1-2	—	1,198	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	2,372	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,054	175.10/cwt	165.00–197.50	1,846	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,101	210.32/cwt	206.00–240.00	2,316	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,224	191.54/cwt	165.00–218.00	2,344	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	2,436	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	859	275.11/cwt	272.50–276.00	2,363	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,278	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	353	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	1,580	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	464	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,786	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	430	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,656	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	803	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	2,337	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,683	3,325.00/head	3,325.00–3,325.00	3,325	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	434.00/cwt	434.00–434.00	1,845	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	900–950	942	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	2,581	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	150–200	190	850.00/head	850.00–850.00	850	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	793	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	2,240	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	451	431.67/cwt	420.00–434.00	1,947	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	748	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	2,199	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	638	329.00/cwt	329.00–329.00	2,099	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	764	343.00/cwt	343.00–343.00	2,621	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,518	145.31/cwt	140.00–151.00	2,206	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,433	160.84/cwt	155.00–163.50	2,305	78
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,433	151.33/cwt	151.00–152.00	2,169	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,692	159.06/cwt	154.00–162.50	2,691	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,840	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	2,530	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,246	164.64/cwt	164.00–165.00	2,051	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,774	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,150	160.36/cwt	155.00–162.50	1,844	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,563	162.94/cwt	159.50–165.00	2,547	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,639	170.66/cwt	164.00–174.00	2,797	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,376	174.41/cwt	165.00–179.00	2,400	11
Bulls	—	—	2,315	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	4,584	1
Bulls	—	—	2,007	207.39/cwt	199.00–217.00	4,162	23
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,375	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,815	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,465	151.96/cwt	150.00–155.00	2,226	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,161	138.20/cwt	128.00–147.50	1,605	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,756	191.85/cwt	188.00–193.00	3,369	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,477	142.08/cwt	130.00–150.00	2,099	4
Bulls	—	—	1,736	177.59/cwt	175.00–179.00	3,083	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,133	120.46/cwt	115.00–125.00	1,365	4
Bulls	—	—	1,918	190.61/cwt	184.00–198.00	3,656	39
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,427	166.30/cwt	163.50–171.00	2,373	131
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,418	165.68/cwt	164.50–169.50	2,349	17
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,500	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	4,975	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1200–1250	1,240	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	2,356	2
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,135	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	2,690	2
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,075	247.00/cwt	247.00–247.00	2,655	2
Steers	Large 1-2	1300–1350	1,303	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,867	2
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,235	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	2,544	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	940	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,501	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,691	3,454.03/head	3,425.00–3,525.00	3,454	7

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 →