Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-12-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-12-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Yearling quality was mostly plain this week. Steer calves under 550 lbs sold 15.00-20.00 higher, steers 550-649 lbs sold 5.00-15.00 higher, steer calves over 650 lbs were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Heifer calves under 550 lbs sold steady to 10.00 higher in a narrow comparison; Heifers 550-649 lbs sold generally steady; Heifers over 650 lbs were not well tested. Demand for light weight cattle suitable to develop into yearlings remains good to very good. Cattle too heavy to go to grass sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Buyers were willing to take heavier cattle to grass this week as this is the last chance to buy feeder cattle in Billings for 2025. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive, with lots of variation noticed. Light weight calf quality was not as attractive this week as last week. 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 for the year. Several ranchers were in the stands buying grass cattle again this week. Market activity was active with a moderate to large crowd on hand. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding cows sold on good demand with several buyers in the stands actively bidding on all classes of cows to feed. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher on a very attractive offering. Breaking slaughter cows were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Boning and lean cows sold sharply lower with fewer packer buyers in the stands this week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly very good demand on a very attractive offering. One feature consignment offered 200 fancy 2 coming 3 year old cows all off one ranch. Young offerings sold steady to 15.00 higher.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $388.48/cwt on 210 head. That ranks 3 of 21 comparable sales and sits −45.38 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$388.48

210 head · 546 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,121

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$146

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

$34.75/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+9.64

vs MT average

−1.43 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	542	400.06	2,169	140
Medium and Large 1-2	554	365.32	2,023	70

One grade step is worth $34.75/cwt here — about $146 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

21 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.35, low $332.50, median $433.86 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 sale210 hd

388.48

—

MT average4 barns · 284 hd

378.84

+9.64

National average175 barns · 15,310 hd

389.91

−1.43

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−45.38

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	1,768	163.69	2,894	53
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,578	165.87	2,617	71
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1,341	157.13	2,107	231
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,165	142.12	1,656	289

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)	1,094	$3,150	13
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,080	$3,049	11
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,463	$2,400	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,024	$2,293	13
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,373	$2,242	3thin

Every lot, as filed

120 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	350–400	376	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,767	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	800	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,240	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	878	295.50/cwt	295.50–295.50	2,594	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	480	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,728	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	238	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	1,380	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	324	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,555	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	670	326.02/cwt	319.00–330.00	2,184	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	200	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	840	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	522	378.63/cwt	365.00–387.50	1,976	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	305	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,220	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	793	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,339	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	473	427.00/cwt	415.00–435.00	2,020	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	418	413.77/cwt	402.50–440.00	1,730	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	354.95/cwt	350.00–361.00	2,218	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	563	380.57/cwt	362.00–395.00	2,143	66
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	324	517.50/cwt	517.50–517.50	1,677	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	755	329.00/cwt	329.00–329.00	2,484	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	340	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,802	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	528	412.99/cwt	397.50–432.50	2,181	56
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	384	353.34/cwt	345.00–360.00	1,357	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	351.84/cwt	346.00–355.00	2,340	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	700	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,380	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	258	702.43/cwt	700.00–705.00	1,812	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	700–750	704	353.00/cwt	353.00–353.00	2,485	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	475	435.96/cwt	420.00–444.00	2,071	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	642	352.06/cwt	352.00–352.50	2,260	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	509	431.33/cwt	411.00–432.50	2,195	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	375	492.42/cwt	489.00–495.00	1,847	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	620	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,449	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	523	443.60/cwt	440.00–457.50	2,320	12
Steers	Medium 1-2	350–400	398	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,632	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	805	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,455	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	466	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,817	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	443	511.93/cwt	500.00–535.00	2,268	11
Steers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	285	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,425	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,352	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	636	420.55/cwt	412.00–434.00	2,675	78
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	779	343.83/cwt	343.00–345.00	2,678	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	368	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,693	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	410	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	2,091	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	348	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,740	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	573	456.06/cwt	442.50–471.00	2,613	77
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	511	482.66/cwt	470.00–511.00	2,466	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	565	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	2,415	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	666	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	2,291	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	463	544.32/cwt	535.00–557.00	2,520	89
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	465	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,279	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	695	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,606	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	398	592.50/cwt	592.50–592.50	2,358	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	565	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,656	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	333	617.99/cwt	600.00–650.00	2,058	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	421	578.49/cwt	572.50–581.00	2,435	7
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	450–500	465	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,302	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	482	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	2,458	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	467	431.66/cwt	430.00–435.00	2,016	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	788	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,285	2
Bulls	Large 1	1350–1400	1,379	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	2,675	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	370	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	1,998	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	439	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,976	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	649	343.00/cwt	343.00–343.00	2,226	28
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,563	170.50/cwt	170.50–170.50	2,665	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,195	138.93/cwt	115.00–149.00	1,660	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,170	166.14/cwt	165.75–169.00	1,944	112
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,192	160.13/cwt	150.00–165.00	1,909	69
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,558	170.21/cwt	169.00–174.00	2,652	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,566	165.83/cwt	155.00–171.00	2,597	40
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,462	88.85/cwt	80.00–102.50	1,299	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,390	134.62/cwt	122.00–140.50	1,871	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,186	80.93/cwt	55.00–87.50	960	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,141	110.03/cwt	87.50–117.50	1,255	66
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,915	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	2,815	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,165	122.50/cwt	122.50–122.50	1,427	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Non-Traditional	—	1,505	190.50/cwt	190.50–190.50	2,867	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	893	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	491	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,266	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,140	38
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,348	163.23/cwt	156.00–170.00	2,200	116
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,368	149.88/cwt	126.00–157.50	2,050	62
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,714	162.40/cwt	159.00–165.50	2,784	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,328	108.50/cwt	95.00–117.00	1,441	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,553	154.90/cwt	148.00–158.50	2,406	6
Bulls	—	—	1,736	146.96/cwt	131.00–172.00	2,551	20
Bulls	—	—	1,898	176.06/cwt	172.00–181.00	3,342	22
Bulls	—	—	1,515	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	2,682	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,558	166.36/cwt	162.00–170.00	2,592	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,592	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	2,738	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,338	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,275	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	930	297.09/cwt	240.00–337.50	2,763	174
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	963	252.20/cwt	222.50–278.00	2,429	28
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	853	194.84/cwt	190.00–200.00	1,662	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,335	173.96/cwt	161.00–197.50	2,322	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	582	353.44/cwt	340.00–360.00	2,057	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	288	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,282	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	445	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,958	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	395	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,659	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	633	343.75/cwt	341.00–349.00	2,176	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	730	308.73/cwt	307.00–309.00	2,254	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	427	467.93/cwt	467.50–475.00	1,998	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	438	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	1,741	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	457	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,851	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	952	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	2,737	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	518	383.99/cwt	380.00–385.00	1,989	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	432	489.20/cwt	460.00–500.00	2,113	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	443.86/cwt	432.50–450.00	2,117	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	200–250	233	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	932	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	1250–1300	1,252	220.87/cwt	217.00–232.50	2,765	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	640	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,080	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	533	362.79/cwt	340.00–395.00	1,934	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	733	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,016	2
Bulls	Large 1	650–700	679	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	2,281	26
Bulls	Large 1-2	550–600	584	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,986	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,373	2,241.50/head	2,225.00–2,275.00	2,242	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,094	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,170	3,315.63/head	3,300.00–3,350.00	3,316	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 2-3	—	853	1,100.00/head	1,100.00–1,100.00	1,100	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,463	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,080	3,048.98/head	2,900.00–3,100.00	3,049	11
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	740	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,924	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,073	198.05/cwt	177.50–245.00	2,125	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,061	257.43/cwt	172.00–322.50	2,731	105
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	879	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	3,156	209

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 →