Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-01-08
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-01-08

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (12-18-25): Steer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply higher undertones were noticed. 450-550 lbs sold 25.00-30.00 higher, steers 550-649 lbs sold 15.00-20.00 higher, steer calves over 650 lbs were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 650 lbs all sold 35.00-50.00 higher, heifers over 650 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for all classes and weights of feeder cattle was good to very good on moderate offerings. A large buyer pool was on hand for the first feeder special of 2026 and buyers came with orders and ready to buy! Demand for all offerings was good to very good, especially for cattle light enough to go to grass and develop into yearlings. Demand for heifers was very good with several buyers purchasing heifers for replacements. Quality this week was average to attractive. No full load lots on offer this sale. Many partial loads were offered this sale with the bulk of packages ranging from 25-50 head. Small packages and singles sold with moderate to good demand as well, as buyers showed good demand for all cattle on offer. Market activity was active with a large crowd on hand actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding cows sold on mostly good demand as buyers pushed to fill loads for the week. Compared to three weeks ago feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00 higher on breaking cows, while boning and lean cows sold steady to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. These offerings sold generally steady in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $484.17/cwt on 399 head, up $20.56 from the prior sale. That ranks 9 of 21 comparable sales and sits −3.61 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$484.17

▲ 20.56 vs prior sale

399 head · 550 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,664

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$94

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

$18.14/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.49

vs MT average

+17.84 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	551	487.60	2,687	322
Medium 1	543	470.00	2,552	52
Medium and Large 1-2	552	469.46	2,593	25

One grade step is worth $18.14/cwt here — about $94 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 sale399 hd

484.17

—

MT average3 barns · 486 hd

481.68

+2.49

National average195 barns · 28,890 hd

466.33

+17.84

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−3.61

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	1,914	175.64	3,361	7thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,560	171.16	2,670	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,419	160.62	2,279	86
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,163	143.86	1,673	53
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,225	128.00	1,568	1thin

Every lot, as filed

109 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 1	400–450	430	562.50/cwt	562.50–562.50	2,419	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	280	720.00/cwt	720.00–720.00	2,016	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	779	359.53/cwt	352.00–361.00	2,801	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	428	603.28/cwt	589.00–635.00	2,582	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	557.87/cwt	536.00–590.00	2,661	123
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	491	515.54/cwt	500.00–520.00	2,531	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	383	655.59/cwt	640.00–680.00	2,511	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	384	610.00/cwt	610.00–610.00	2,342	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	590	434.97/cwt	427.50–440.00	2,566	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	303	665.00/cwt	665.00–665.00	2,015	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	723	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,567	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	635	405.87/cwt	395.00–422.00	2,577	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	840	348.33/cwt	346.00–349.00	2,926	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	716	375.47/cwt	375.00–377.00	2,688	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	737	391.56/cwt	383.00–400.00	2,886	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	613	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	2,529	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	375	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,669	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	421	568.91/cwt	555.00–590.00	2,395	12
Steers	Large 1	750–800	778	356.00/cwt	356.00–356.00	2,770	6
Steers	Large 1	800–850	829	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,860	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	417	503.60/cwt	500.00–530.00	2,100	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	600–650	623	408.69/cwt	388.00–423.00	2,546	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	604	419.00/cwt	419.00–419.00	2,531	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	480	484.04/cwt	457.50–495.00	2,323	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	541	419.00/cwt	419.00–419.00	2,267	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	750–800	755	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	3,020	61
Heifers	Large 1	500–550	520	432.50/cwt	432.50–432.50	2,249	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	343	700.00/cwt	700.00–700.00	2,401	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	543	478.08/cwt	475.00–487.50	2,596	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	776	371.22/cwt	368.00–380.00	2,881	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	675	378.19/cwt	355.00–392.50	2,553	18
Steers	Medium 1	350–400	363	585.00/cwt	585.00–585.00	2,124	15
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	674	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,308	5
Steers	Large 1	650–700	650	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,373	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	676	413.29/cwt	400.00–426.00	2,794	164
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	507.61/cwt	485.00–540.00	2,665	151
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	439.69/cwt	424.00–456.00	2,770	133
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	423	605.03/cwt	595.00–620.00	2,559	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	531	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,761	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	710	389.00/cwt	389.00–389.00	2,762	2
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	543	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,552	52
Steers	Large 1	850–900	860	343.00/cwt	343.00–343.00	2,950	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	581	463.59/cwt	445.00–482.50	2,693	139
Steers	Large 1	900–950	935	329.00/cwt	329.00–329.00	3,076	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	656	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	2,411	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	632	438.04/cwt	434.00–445.00	2,768	113
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,664	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	485	552.50/cwt	552.50–552.50	2,680	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	534	420.97/cwt	397.00–435.00	2,248	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	700–750	708	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,283	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	541	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,218	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	619	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,383	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	412.30/cwt	400.00–420.00	2,325	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	447	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,146	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,580	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	2,180	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,496	175.25/cwt	173.00–175.50	2,622	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,690	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	2,501	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,416	173.57/cwt	172.00–177.00	2,458	31
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,442	164.18/cwt	154.00–171.00	2,367	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,204	161.84/cwt	150.00–163.00	1,949	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,360	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,700	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,365	136.24/cwt	127.50–139.00	1,860	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	869	125.79/cwt	122.50–130.00	1,093	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,258	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	3,522	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,197	130.25/cwt	125.00–133.00	1,559	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,214	108.39/cwt	102.50–125.00	1,316	7
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,225	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,568	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,725	166.33/cwt	161.00–171.00	2,869	3
Bulls	—	—	1,779	168.62/cwt	167.00–171.00	3,000	4
Bulls	—	—	1,805	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	3,375	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	984	100.62/cwt	100.00–102.50	990	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,427	139.84/cwt	128.00–150.00	1,996	8
Bulls	—	—	1,860	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	3,422	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,615	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	4,812	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	936	228.71/cwt	214.00–240.00	2,141	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,102	242.52/cwt	190.00–315.00	2,673	74
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	795	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	1,729	1
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	860	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,064	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,265	162.06/cwt	158.00–166.00	2,050	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,211	177.75/cwt	177.00–181.00	2,153	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,000	190.28/cwt	185.00–195.00	1,903	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	581	407.73/cwt	365.00–417.50	2,369	41
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	588	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,940	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	393	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,965	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	577	430.45/cwt	420.00–436.00	2,484	67
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	550–600	585	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,048	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	524	453.15/cwt	435.00–479.00	2,375	160
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	628	378.52/cwt	322.50–396.00	2,377	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	446	482.30/cwt	480.00–492.50	2,151	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	662	333.93/cwt	332.50–340.00	2,211	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	200–250	232	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,276	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	464	425.79/cwt	420.00–430.00	1,976	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	484.79/cwt	475.00–500.00	2,317	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	674	372.88/cwt	350.00–382.00	2,513	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	470	462.28/cwt	453.00–470.00	2,173	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	690	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,243	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	358	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	1,880	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	329	545.87/cwt	530.00–560.00	1,796	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	380	544.60/cwt	537.50–550.00	2,069	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	333	577.07/cwt	565.00–580.00	1,922	5
Heifers	Medium 1	250–300	278	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	1,446	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	719	354.13/cwt	350.00–361.00	2,546	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	618	399.58/cwt	380.00–416.00	2,469	122
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	416	511.29/cwt	500.00–530.00	2,127	63
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	391	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	2,053	33
Heifers	Medium 1	300–350	314	590.00/cwt	590.00–590.00	1,853	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	500–550	533	488.42/cwt	485.00–490.00	2,603	61
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	650–700	694	369.46/cwt	368.50–390.00	2,564	122
Heifers	Large 1	750–800	757	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,385	3

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 →