Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-12-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-12-11

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a larger offering of yearlings. Yearling quality was mostly average this week with several packages of heavy weight backgrounded offerings noticed. Steer calves under 500 lbs sold generally steady to firm, steers 500-599 lbs sold mostly 8.00 to 12.00 higher, steer calves over 600 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 higher. Heifer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Heifers 450-549 lbs sold sharply higher with most sales 15.00-20.00 higher; heifers over 550 lbs sold generally steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Demand for light weight cattle suitable to develop into yearlings was good to very good. Buyers pushed to fill loads early in the sale as they wanted to get them on the road ahead of this evenings snowstorm. Demand for cattle to heavy to go to grass was mostly good this week with many buyers noticed. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive, with lots of variation noticed. Large packages of calves sold on mostly good to very good demand with small packages selling on moderate to good demand. Many small packages of calves were seen this week as buyers cleaned up offerings as only 2 sales are left at Billings livestock commission for the year. CME positions traded sharply higher several days over the last few weeks which help support all calf prices. Several ranchers were in the stands buying grass cattle this week. Market activity was active with a larger crowd on hand. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Slaughter and feeding cows were both too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on slaughter cows and steady undertones were noticed on feeding cows. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand as buyers pushed to finish loads for the week. Young offerings were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $442.95/cwt on 392 head. That ranks 3 of 21 comparable sales and sits −44.83 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$442.95

392 head · 552 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,445

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$325

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

$58.11/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+5.70

vs MT average

+12.32 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	562	453.11	2,545	247
Large 1	598	432.50	2,586	6thin
Medium and Large 1-2	530	426.99	2,264	130
Medium 1	580	415.00	2,407	3thin
Medium and Large 2	562	395.00	2,220	6thin

One grade step is worth $58.11/cwt here — about $325 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale392 hd

442.95

—

MT average3 barns · 632 hd

437.25

+5.70

National average179 barns · 20,601 hd

430.63

+12.32

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−44.83

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	1,882	168.79	3,176	4thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,715	153.00	2,624	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,364	150.98	2,059	63
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,167	139.25	1,624	78

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	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,133	$3,269	5
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,018	$2,650	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,280	$2,525	3thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,130	$2,250	1thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,248	$1,900	2thin

Every lot, as filed

136 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	Large 1	1000–1050	1,004	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	2,922	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	476	480.48/cwt	467.50–495.00	2,287	57
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	435	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	2,436	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	708	381.09/cwt	374.00–383.00	2,698	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	487	481.46/cwt	480.00–485.00	2,345	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	425.45/cwt	412.50–455.00	2,246	113
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	368	612.50/cwt	612.50–612.50	2,254	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	410	533.78/cwt	525.00–540.00	2,188	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	600	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,980	5
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	700–750	732	368.00/cwt	368.00–368.00	2,694	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	562	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,220	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	310	665.00/cwt	665.00–665.00	2,062	1
Steers	Large 1	550–600	598	432.50/cwt	432.50–432.50	2,586	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	383	621.73/cwt	615.00–645.00	2,381	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	380	450.72/cwt	425.00–500.00	1,713	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	372	608.11/cwt	605.00–610.00	2,262	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	635	391.86/cwt	372.00–395.00	2,488	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	680	396.70/cwt	386.00–405.00	2,698	76
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	665	371.00/cwt	371.00–371.00	2,467	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	879	300.16/cwt	300.00–301.00	2,638	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	362	490.62/cwt	480.00–495.00	1,776	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	510	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,015	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	576.65/cwt	530.00–590.00	2,364	21
Steers	Medium 1	300–350	348	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	1,949	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	570	411.75/cwt	400.00–430.00	2,347	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	530	405.59/cwt	400.00–420.00	2,150	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	414	440.10/cwt	435.00–455.00	1,822	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	511	426.69/cwt	405.00–442.00	2,180	144
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	409	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,800	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	617	365.87/cwt	345.00–377.00	2,257	83
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	583	372.38/cwt	367.00–381.00	2,171	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	606	328.07/cwt	311.00–338.00	1,988	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	559	325.42/cwt	310.00–347.50	1,819	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	250–300	293	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,260	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	535	467.98/cwt	460.00–490.00	2,504	19
Steers	Large 1	800–850	842	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	2,787	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	413.69/cwt	408.00–424.00	2,586	79
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	343	630.00/cwt	630.00–630.00	2,161	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	275	690.00/cwt	690.00–690.00	1,898	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	569	447.02/cwt	421.00–461.00	2,544	100
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	670	398.29/cwt	389.00–407.00	2,669	73
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	531	466.46/cwt	460.00–482.50	2,477	25
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	300–350	322	465.86/cwt	455.00–490.00	1,500	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	681	337.04/cwt	332.50–370.00	2,295	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	392	537.87/cwt	530.00–547.50	2,108	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	567	453.04/cwt	421.00–463.00	2,569	103
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	347	565.00/cwt	565.00–565.00	1,961	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	421	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,937	14
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	580	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,407	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	527	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,398	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	467	534.00/cwt	534.00–534.00	2,494	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	745	367.10/cwt	365.00–380.00	2,735	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	398	595.00/cwt	595.00–595.00	2,368	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	750	369.00/cwt	369.00–369.00	2,768	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	615	423.50/cwt	422.00–426.00	2,605	46
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	350–400	361	422.83/cwt	405.00–455.00	1,526	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	332	608.05/cwt	600.00–625.00	2,019	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	505.34/cwt	492.50–526.00	2,416	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	425	508.55/cwt	455.00–550.00	2,161	49
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	457	410.67/cwt	370.00–440.00	1,877	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	754	366.40/cwt	364.00–368.00	2,763	15
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	455	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,230	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	413	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	2,395	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	668	363.00/cwt	363.00–363.00	2,425	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	450	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,025	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	628	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,324	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	740	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	2,420	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,050	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	2,804	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,917	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,193	138.54/cwt	127.50–151.00	1,653	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,193	155.27/cwt	150.00–160.00	1,852	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,665	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	2,514	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,075	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,183	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,138	123.16/cwt	112.00–132.50	1,402	16
Bulls	—	—	2,425	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	4,389	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,350	159.62/cwt	154.00–164.00	2,155	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,345	133.54/cwt	132.00–135.00	1,796	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,715	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	2,624	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,090	138.72/cwt	137.50–140.00	1,512	2
Bulls	—	—	1,618	156.58/cwt	151.00–162.50	2,533	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,357	141.60/cwt	129.00–152.00	1,922	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	825	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	619	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,865	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	3,376	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,018	2,650.00/head	2,650.00–2,650.00	2,650	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,088	254.20/cwt	192.00–297.50	2,766	19
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	733	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	1,466	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,007	235.89/cwt	167.00–270.00	2,375	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	970	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,601	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,040	196.66/cwt	162.00–237.50	2,045	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,248	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	921	317.26/cwt	247.00–332.50	2,922	61
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,380	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	2,498	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,590	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	3,371	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,130	2,250.00/head	2,250.00–2,250.00	2,250	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,280	2,525.00/head	2,525.00–2,525.00	2,525	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,133	3,269.47/head	3,250.00–3,300.00	3,269	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	483	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,029	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	558	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,316	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	726	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,105	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	594	367.54/cwt	342.50–392.50	2,183	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	712	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,439	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	608	401.43/cwt	392.00–407.50	2,441	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	464	414.63/cwt	362.50–470.00	1,924	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	755	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,378	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	623	370.74/cwt	365.00–377.50	2,310	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 3	300–350	321	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,204	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	349	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	1,728	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	496	354.05/cwt	350.00–367.50	1,756	13
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	522	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,010	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	471	462.31/cwt	435.00–492.50	2,177	125
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	482	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,735	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,014	281.50/cwt	281.50–281.50	2,854	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	321	471.61/cwt	465.00–480.00	1,514	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	685	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	2,267	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	362	475.52/cwt	460.00–477.50	1,721	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	439	462.14/cwt	460.00–470.00	2,029	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	459	433.21/cwt	427.50–450.00	1,988	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	985	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,758	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	389	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,887	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	577	378.10/cwt	370.00–380.00	2,182	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	660	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,997	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	500–550	543	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,805	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	430	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,957	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	516	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	1,896	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	939	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	2,695	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	428	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,947	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	405	395.50/cwt	385.00–410.00	1,602	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	521	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,006	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	671	331.84/cwt	329.00–335.00	2,227	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	613	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	2,090	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	613	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,069	4
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1150–1200	1,171	252.52/cwt	248.00–253.00	2,957	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	650–700	655	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,293	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	310	537.40/cwt	525.00–555.00	1,666	10
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	457	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,691	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	673	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	2,248	2

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 →