Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-08-14
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-08-14

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steers and heifers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a limited test. Demand was very good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly average with a few offerings of attractive cattle noticed. A higher quality offering was noticed this sale compared to last sale as a few consignments of yearlings coming off grass were noticed. Demand for cutting bulls remains very good as several buyers were searching for bulls to cut and make steers. Cutting bulls sold steady to firm undertones with lots of quality variation noticed. Market activity was active with rapid, aggressive bidding noticed both ringside and over the internet. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold on mostly good demand. A larger portion of the cow offering was purchased for immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows sold 3.00-5.00 higher on breaking cows, boning cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Lean slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week as most cows were full coming off grass. Demand for feeding cows remains very good. Feeding cows sold generally steady to firm. Feeding cow quality was mostly average this week with a limited selection of attractive quality feeding cows noticed. Demand for thin fleshed cows that will gain quickly on feed remains very good. This kept sound, thin fleshed cows above slaughter tickets and allowed very few lean cows to be purchased for slaughter. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Quality this week was mostly average. Too few offerings were seen to develop any market trend. Many sets of young cows were purchased to feed this week as quality was average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $415.71/cwt on 7 head. That ranks 2 of 21 comparable sales and sits −72.07 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$415.71

7 head · 555 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,308

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$275

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

$10.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

+28.22 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	578	420.00	2,428	4thin
Medium and Large 1-2	525	410.00	2,153	3thin

One grade step is worth $10.00/cwt here — about $275 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

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 sale7 hd

415.71

—

MT average1 barns · 7 hd

415.71

+0.00

National average151 barns · 7,160 hd

387.49

+28.22

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−72.07

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	1,880	195.07	3,668	83
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,568	170.60	2,675	73
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,413	160.42	2,266	131
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,172	147.54	1,730	28

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)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,535	$2,700	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,555	$3,925	2thin

Every lot, as filed

81 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 1-2	900–950	923	292.99/cwt	282.50–304.00	2,704	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	802	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,526	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	695	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,363	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	745	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	2,477	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	430	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,871	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	715	326.33/cwt	322.50–330.00	2,333	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	441	413.00/cwt	413.00–413.00	1,821	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,003	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	3,109	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	353	437.50/cwt	437.50–437.50	1,544	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	525	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,153	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	1100–1150	1,144	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	2,202	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	894	302.04/cwt	293.00–311.00	2,700	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,535	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	862	340.45/cwt	335.00–346.00	2,935	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	578	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,428	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	353.00/cwt	353.00–353.00	2,905	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	540	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,971	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	875	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	2,914	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	603	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,412	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	464	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,995	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	934	327.79/cwt	326.00–333.00	3,062	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	761	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	2,557	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	931	312.36/cwt	310.00–317.00	2,908	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	323	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,389	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,936	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	979	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	3,025	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	920	304.49/cwt	304.00–307.50	2,801	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,130	184.37/cwt	166.00–207.50	2,083	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	973	304.55/cwt	300.00–309.00	2,963	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	726	372.38/cwt	372.00–373.00	2,703	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,025	299.52/cwt	298.00–302.00	3,070	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	797	358.76/cwt	358.00–364.00	2,859	47
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	300	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	1,485	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1100–1150	1,120	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	3,013	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,223	149.48/cwt	146.00–153.00	1,828	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,181	133.80/cwt	122.50–143.00	1,580	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,549	172.77/cwt	172.75–173.50	2,676	43
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,140	155.87/cwt	152.50–160.00	1,777	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,546	167.52/cwt	164.00–170.50	2,590	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%Non-Traditional	—	1,430	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	2,331	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,479	160.08/cwt	153.00–162.50	2,368	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,406	168.80/cwt	164.00–174.50	2,373	12
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,520	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	4,763	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,732	174.16/cwt	173.50–175.00	3,016	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,202	168.43/cwt	165.00–171.00	2,025	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,738	167.23/cwt	167.00–168.00	2,906	4
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,080	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,836	1
Bulls	—	—	1,797	179.12/cwt	175.00–182.00	3,219	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,615	157.64/cwt	154.00–161.00	2,546	2
Bulls	—	—	2,070	207.42/cwt	200.00–232.00	4,294	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,405	160.35/cwt	153.00–167.00	2,253	76
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,388	169.06/cwt	166.00–176.00	2,347	15
Bulls	—	—	1,976	193.35/cwt	185.00–199.00	3,821	24
Bulls	—	—	2,247	192.93/cwt	187.00–196.00	4,335	3
Bulls	—	—	2,320	203.00/cwt	203.00–203.00	4,710	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,434	182.29/cwt	176.00–187.00	2,614	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,577	188.87/cwt	185.00–194.00	2,978	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,080	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,485	1
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,150	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,990	2
Heifers	Large 1Full	1200–1250	1,225	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	3,050	3
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,263	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	2,791	2
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,123	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	1,993	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,416	146.99/cwt	144.00–152.00	2,081	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,454	141.46/cwt	140.00–142.00	2,057	4
Heifers	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,070	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	3,017	1
Steers	Large 1	850–900	876	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,935	8
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,079	284.99/cwt	283.00–287.00	3,075	10
Bulls	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,085	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	2,832	3
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,110	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	2,964	1
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,110	279.31/cwt	270.00–284.00	3,100	3
Bulls	Medium 2	750–800	770	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,598	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2	550–600	584	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	2,029	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	643	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	2,193	3
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	665	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	2,477	6
Steers	Large 1-2	700–750	747	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,502	12
Steers	Large 1-2	600–650	608	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	2,113	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,146	203.18/cwt	183.00–220.00	2,328	26
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	978	303.00/cwt	303.00–303.00	2,963	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,555	3,925.00/head	3,925.00–3,925.00	3,925	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,260	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	2,167	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,048	204.70/cwt	194.00–211.00	2,145	6

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 →