Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-10-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-10-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was good to very good. A few load lots of heifers and a partial load lot of steers were seen this sale. Demand for load lots was good to very good. Yearlings were mixed for flesh with some coming out of lots while others were off grass. Light fleshed yearlings sold with very good demand. Steer calves under 450 lbs sold mostly 20.00-25.00 lower, 450-599 lbs steers sold 10.00-20.00 lower, steer calves over 600 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold 20.00-30.00 lower, heifers 450 lbs and heavier sold mostly 5.00-15.00 lower. Demand was mostly moderate to good for moderate to heavy offerings. Quality was mixed today from plain to attractive, but overall not as attractive as last weeks offering. No load lots of calves were seen this week and the majority of packages were 30 head or less. Buyers showed strong demand for calves with two rounds of vaccinations as calf health has been an issue for many. Vaccination status and package size both led to wide price spreads throughout the day. Demand for heifers remains good as buyers look for high quality heifers they can develop into replacements. Several farmer feeders were in the stands again this week buying cattle to feed. Most showed good demand and were very competitive with order buyers as they pushed to fill loads. Demand for lightweight calves remains mostly good, but was lighter than last week as buyers adjust to a lower feeder cattle basis. CME positions were mostly lower again today and have moved lower throughout the week. Market activity was moderate to active this week, however a slightly smaller crowd of buyers was 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 $447.06/cwt on 779 head. That ranks 3 of 21 comparable sales and sits −40.72 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$447.06

779 head · 552 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,466

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$326

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

$47.64/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−17.69

vs MT average

−11.08 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	554	452.53	2,507	565
Large 1	520	445.00	2,314	70
Medium and Large 1-2	559	427.85	2,391	136
Medium and Large 2	539	404.89	2,181	8thin

One grade step is worth $47.64/cwt here — about $326 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale779 hd

447.06

—

MT average5 barns · 2,294 hd

464.75

−17.69

National average182 barns · 38,495 hd

458.14

−11.08

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−40.72

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

88 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	613	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,054	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	338	525.44/cwt	520.00–530.00	1,776	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	325	666.07/cwt	650.00–710.00	2,165	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	374	606.37/cwt	570.00–650.00	2,268	51
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	585	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,223	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	667	401.28/cwt	386.00–412.00	2,677	217
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	985	318.00/cwt	318.00–318.00	3,132	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	574	420.57/cwt	395.00–429.00	2,414	62
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	624	395.24/cwt	362.50–409.00	2,466	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	485	479.34/cwt	455.00–502.50	2,325	38
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	621	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,267	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	260	778.30/cwt	770.00–790.00	2,024	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	479	506.37/cwt	487.50–537.50	2,426	190
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	421	561.54/cwt	550.00–565.00	2,364	87
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	578	438.79/cwt	429.50–451.00	2,536	288
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	710	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	2,442	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,026	292.20/cwt	288.00–301.00	2,998	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	923	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	3,138	79
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	225	800.00/cwt	800.00–800.00	1,800	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	768	382.00/cwt	382.00–382.00	2,934	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	613	430.02/cwt	416.00–444.00	2,636	268
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	529	466.82/cwt	445.00–499.00	2,469	277
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	423	496.38/cwt	475.00–532.50	2,100	170
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	621	368.60/cwt	359.00–378.00	2,289	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	685	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,466	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	600–650	627	389.00/cwt	389.00–389.00	2,439	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	479	468.01/cwt	449.00–487.50	2,242	210
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	524	430.51/cwt	420.00–444.00	2,256	179
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	854	346.00/cwt	346.00–346.00	2,955	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	766	353.51/cwt	351.00–356.00	2,708	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	363	554.93/cwt	515.00–570.00	2,014	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	278	659.15/cwt	620.00–690.00	1,832	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	960	289.16/cwt	283.00–291.00	2,776	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	566	407.03/cwt	387.50–424.00	2,304	236
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	692	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,560	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	574	367.29/cwt	365.00–375.00	2,108	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	805	353.34/cwt	341.00–355.00	2,844	79
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	367	620.00/cwt	620.00–620.00	2,275	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	483	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,004	9
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	673	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,187	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	562	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,827	3
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	629	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,233	7
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	700–750	738	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,399	2
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,062	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	3,048	5
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	640	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	2,246	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	700–750	723	309.32/cwt	309.00–310.00	2,236	12
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	461	466.41/cwt	452.00–475.00	2,150	11
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	687	364.61/cwt	335.00–384.00	2,505	10
Heifers	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,122	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	3,086	15
Heifers	Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	699	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,097	7
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	436	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,526	14
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	550–600	586	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,992	12
Heifers	Medium 1Fleshy	650–700	696	324.00/cwt	324.00–324.00	2,255	8
Heifers	Medium 1	750–800	783	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	2,513	5
Steers	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,060	306.00/cwt	306.00–306.00	3,244	4
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	520	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,314	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	946	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	3,131	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	867	341.24/cwt	338.00–342.00	2,959	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	500–550	509	454.16/cwt	450.00–460.00	2,312	172
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	550–600	558	445.65/cwt	442.00–452.00	2,487	22
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	426	542.50/cwt	542.50–542.50	2,311	20
Heifers	Medium 1	650–700	665	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	2,411	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	263	742.31/cwt	730.00–760.00	1,952	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	555	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,220	10
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	300–350	339	531.15/cwt	500.00–580.00	1,801	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	374	568.14/cwt	555.00–575.00	2,125	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	880	308.00/cwt	308.00–308.00	2,710	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	936	318.00/cwt	318.00–318.00	2,976	137
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	488	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,098	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	882	315.19/cwt	312.50–319.00	2,780	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	518	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,839	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	443	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,838	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	464	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,462	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	394	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,714	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	520	387.79/cwt	370.00–410.00	2,017	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	431	528.02/cwt	515.00–535.00	2,276	25
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	550–600	570	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,166	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	426	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,109	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	491	433.66/cwt	375.00–445.00	2,129	41
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	520	419.82/cwt	417.50–429.00	2,183	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	944	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	2,653	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	905	338.00/cwt	338.00–338.00	3,059	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	330	600.07/cwt	540.00–650.00	1,980	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	430	473.52/cwt	450.00–492.50	2,036	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	379	500.42/cwt	495.00–505.00	1,897	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	594	374.47/cwt	372.00–387.50	2,224	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	545	439.25/cwt	433.00–441.00	2,394	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	713	392.14/cwt	387.00–399.50	2,796	40

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 →