Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-10-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-10-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested today to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 600 lbs sold mostly 5.00-15.00 higher. Steer calves over 600 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher. Heifer calves all sold 5.00-15.00 higher. Demand was mostly very good for moderate to heavy offerings. Yearling quality was mostly plain to average today. Yearling offerings were very light. Calf quality was average to very attractive. A large crowd was on hand for todays sale and stayed until late in the day. Heifer demand was very good this sale. Several farmer feeders were in the stands and showed very good demand for heifers to feed. Demand for high quality heifers was very good as several buyers showed strong premiums for heifers that could be developed into replacements. These offerings were tagged as fancy in the report below. Demand for lightweight calves was very good again this sale as buyers look for calves that can be developed into yearlings. This is unseasonably early as buyers show concern over available supplies of lightweight calves. Most sets of lightweight steer calves topped 2300 per head with some sets selling for the same dollars per head as their heavyweight brothers. CME positions traded higher again today and have pushed higher much of this week. Market activity was active with a large crowd on hand for todays sale. No cows will be sold on Thursdays in the fall.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $473.67/cwt on 959 head. That ranks 7 of 21 comparable sales and sits −14.11 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$473.67

959 head · 551 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,611

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$472

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

$87.77/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.28

vs MT average

+4.63 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	551	481.52	2,653	720
Large 1	522	474.68	2,478	12thin
Medium and Large 1-2	553	451.77	2,500	215
Medium and Large 2	554	393.75	2,181	12thin

One grade step is worth $87.77/cwt here — about $472 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 sale959 hd

473.67

—

MT average4 barns · 1,887 hd

475.95

−2.28

National average176 barns · 29,227 hd

469.04

+4.63

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−14.11

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

70 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	427	577.75/cwt	550.00–612.50	2,467	98
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	433	519.36/cwt	492.50–542.50	2,249	138
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	569	424.93/cwt	395.00–448.00	2,418	202
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	394	606.00/cwt	606.00–606.00	2,388	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	784	369.98/cwt	367.00–373.00	2,901	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	150–200	186	890.00/cwt	890.00–890.00	1,655	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	368	573.33/cwt	530.00–616.00	2,110	124
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	782	382.75/cwt	378.00–385.00	2,993	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	820	376.74/cwt	374.50–378.00	3,089	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	374	641.88/cwt	612.50–705.00	2,401	101
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	571	468.42/cwt	443.00–487.50	2,675	409
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	633	433.90/cwt	420.00–456.00	2,747	336
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	622	397.10/cwt	367.50–406.00	2,470	160
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,039	296.00/cwt	296.00–296.00	3,075	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	469	487.50/cwt	487.50–487.50	2,286	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	726	384.05/cwt	373.00–392.00	2,788	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	530	447.19/cwt	420.00–464.00	2,370	303
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	340	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	2,057	16
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	503	477.50/cwt	477.50–477.50	2,402	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	517	455.90/cwt	432.00–461.00	2,357	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	858	362.00/cwt	362.00–362.00	3,106	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	800–850	803	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,650	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	473	483.45/cwt	460.00–505.00	2,287	220
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	610	409.00/cwt	409.00–409.00	2,495	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	600–650	612	409.99/cwt	400.00–412.00	2,509	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	323	696.78/cwt	680.00–720.00	2,251	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	219	811.39/cwt	800.00–820.00	1,777	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	968	311.86/cwt	308.50–315.00	3,019	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	520	487.19/cwt	484.00–491.00	2,533	15
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	440	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,288	2
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	450–500	485	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	2,474	32
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	494	392.00/cwt	392.00–392.00	1,936	7
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	522	474.68/cwt	450.00–487.00	2,478	12
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,111	287.08/cwt	285.00–292.00	3,189	20
Heifers	Large 1Full	1050–1100	1,099	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	3,088	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	400–450	429	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,295	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	476	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,332	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	500–550	511	475.90/cwt	473.00–480.00	2,432	88
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	550–600	553	456.50/cwt	456.50–456.50	2,524	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	600–650	612	464.00/cwt	464.00–464.00	2,840	78
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	550–600	582	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,270	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	789	374.00/cwt	374.00–374.00	2,951	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	387	509.01/cwt	495.00–535.00	1,970	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	525	415.77/cwt	372.50–435.00	2,183	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	935	316.00/cwt	316.00–316.00	2,955	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	550–600	573	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	2,020	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,006	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	3,350	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	621	407.27/cwt	400.00–412.00	2,529	46
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	873	353.00/cwt	353.00–353.00	3,082	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	535	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,327	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	600–650	608	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,520	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	442	529.21/cwt	495.00–537.50	2,339	74
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	581	427.63/cwt	395.00–440.00	2,485	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	480	528.94/cwt	514.00–553.00	2,539	209
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	885	322.40/cwt	321.00–326.00	2,853	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	428	457.68/cwt	435.00–465.00	1,959	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	535	467.87/cwt	442.50–480.00	2,503	129
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	687	395.43/cwt	395.00–396.00	2,717	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	325	647.38/cwt	640.00–670.00	2,104	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	265	842.18/cwt	840.00–845.00	2,232	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	486	493.90/cwt	479.00–509.00	2,400	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	809	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,832	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	637	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,357	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	310	586.53/cwt	560.00–595.00	1,818	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	525	499.33/cwt	490.00–514.00	2,621	296
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	269	707.40/cwt	660.00–740.00	1,903	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	664	422.49/cwt	404.00–429.00	2,805	197
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,031	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	3,021	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	479	430.96/cwt	420.00–438.00	2,064	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	572	388.17/cwt	386.00–390.00	2,220	11

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 →