Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-02-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-02-05

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (1-29-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Last weeks sale featured mostly weigh up cows and bulls, while this weeks sale featured mostly feeder cattle. Demand for all feeder cattle was good to very good on moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive with many home raised offerings seen. Most feeder cattle were offered in moderate sized groups this sale with a few load lots on offer as well. Demand for cattle too big to go to grass sold was mostly very good. Private feeders and order buyers buying for packers both showed very good demand for this weight of cattle. Heifer demand was very good as well with replacement and feeding buyers both pushing to fill loads. Market activity was very active with rapid bidding seen from a large buyer pool. Internet bidding was active again this week. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding cow demand was good to very good with a larger buyer pool actively buying cows to feed. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Some buyers were active in buying replacement cows as they tried to purchase weigh cows to re-pregnancy check. Very few slaughter cows were purchased this week as feeding demand and replacement demand pushed cow prices over where slaughter buyers wanted to buy cows. Breaking slaughter cows sold generally steady, boning cows and lean cows sold steady to weak. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average with many full to very full offerings noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Several buyers purchased feeding bulls this week and these offerings sold mostly 5.00 higher. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. Quality this week was mostly average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $475.77/cwt on 202 head, down $33.04 from the prior sale (only 16 head in that comparison). That ranks 7 of 21 comparable sales and sits −12.01 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$475.77

▼ 33.04 vs prior sale

202 head · 575 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,737

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$678

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 2

$102.88/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.40

vs MT average

−7.26 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	570	492.88	2,808	109
Medium and Large 1-2	584	460.24	2,689	87
Large 2	546	390.00	2,129	6thin

One grade step is worth $102.88/cwt here — about $678 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale202 hd

475.77

—

MT average2 barns · 260 hd

481.17

−5.40

National average143 barns · 13,122 hd

483.03

−7.26

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

−12.01

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	1,877	182.93	3,434	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Very Low	1,605	159.96	2,567	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,404	158.73	2,228	69
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,086	138.49	1,504	43
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	975	100.00	975	1thin

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	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,464	$3,750	14
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,163	$3,585	9
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,308	$3,200	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,518	$3,154	23
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,456	$3,112	14
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,437	$3,000	9
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,243	$2,650	4thin

Every lot, as filed

108 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 1-2	300–350	325	625.00/cwt	625.00–625.00	2,031	1
Heifers	Large 1	400–450	418	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,881	4
Heifers	Large 1	750–800	750	369.00/cwt	369.00–369.00	2,768	2
Steers	Large 2	500–550	546	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,129	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	634	425.23/cwt	417.50–430.00	2,696	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	911	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,961	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	723	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	2,610	4
Heifers	Large 1	650–700	686	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,504	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	330	680.00/cwt	680.00–680.00	2,244	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	536	513.73/cwt	507.00–542.50	2,754	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	708	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,726	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	729	350.36/cwt	339.00–355.00	2,554	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	718	362.70/cwt	354.00–372.50	2,604	130
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	735	353.00/cwt	353.00–353.00	2,595	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	621	409.05/cwt	390.00–423.00	2,540	105
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Replacement	500–550	515	457.00/cwt	457.00–457.00	2,354	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	577	433.71/cwt	432.50–435.00	2,503	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	616	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,310	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	489	464.48/cwt	457.50–475.00	2,271	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	783	355.46/cwt	347.00–359.00	2,783	70
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	484	491.11/cwt	480.00–502.50	2,377	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	428	524.53/cwt	505.00–532.50	2,245	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	384	537.17/cwt	520.00–540.00	2,063	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	427	507.85/cwt	465.00–520.00	2,169	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	539	414.30/cwt	400.00–430.00	2,233	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	343	590.00/cwt	590.00–590.00	2,024	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	343	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,681	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	307	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,627	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	410	506.55/cwt	500.00–520.00	2,077	6
Steers	Large 1-2	600–650	601	431.00/cwt	431.00–431.00	2,590	82
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	535	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,648	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	923	358.00/cwt	358.00–358.00	3,304	63
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	428	559.54/cwt	552.50–587.50	2,395	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	483	559.49/cwt	540.00–592.50	2,702	84
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	687	399.18/cwt	399.00–400.00	2,742	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	462	558.18/cwt	550.00–565.00	2,579	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	588	457.67/cwt	425.00–474.50	2,691	81
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	966	346.00/cwt	346.00–346.00	3,342	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	430	600.63/cwt	592.50–607.50	2,583	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	752	385.96/cwt	380.00–392.50	2,902	179
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	865	360.51/cwt	350.00–361.50	3,118	107
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	736	393.92/cwt	389.50–409.00	2,899	105
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	572	491.45/cwt	465.00–506.50	2,811	102
Steers	Large 1	650–700	678	404.00/cwt	404.00–404.00	2,739	2
Steers	Large 1	400–450	423	557.50/cwt	557.50–557.50	2,358	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	675	421.18/cwt	409.00–435.00	2,843	74
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	815	367.68/cwt	358.00–377.00	2,997	72
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	448.55/cwt	430.00–467.50	2,803	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	627.26/cwt	605.00–650.00	2,321	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	620	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,356	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	729	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	2,643	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	845	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,873	1
Bulls	Large 1	1300–1350	1,315	207.00/cwt	207.00–207.00	2,722	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	423	564.94/cwt	520.00–575.00	2,390	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	542	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,466	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,723	142.28/cwt	141.00–144.00	2,451	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,414	136.10/cwt	129.00–145.00	1,924	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,066	140.06/cwt	127.00–154.00	1,493	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,251	174.69/cwt	174.00–177.00	2,185	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,160	165.04/cwt	164.00–167.50	1,914	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,460	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	2,584	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	806	119.76/cwt	117.50–125.00	965	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	95.73/cwt	95.00–97.50	1,149	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,121	117.65/cwt	105.00–124.00	1,319	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,060	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,410	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,698	165.00/cwt	163.00–167.00	2,802	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,601	160.94/cwt	160.00–162.00	2,577	12
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	975	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	975	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,388	124.97/cwt	122.50–127.50	1,735	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	945	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,323	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,358	176.52/cwt	176.00–177.00	2,397	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,428	169.53/cwt	164.00–172.00	2,421	40
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,206	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,458	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	2,377	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,404	145.88/cwt	144.00–149.00	2,048	12
Bulls	—	—	1,971	190.73/cwt	190.00–194.00	3,759	13
Bulls	—	—	2,021	167.19/cwt	161.00–171.00	3,379	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,754	167.97/cwt	161.00–178.00	2,946	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,774	185.59/cwt	184.50–188.00	3,292	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	903	268.19/cwt	260.00–275.00	2,422	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,194	222.05/cwt	212.50–225.00	2,651	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,464	3,750.00/head	3,750.00–3,750.00	3,750	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	380.03/cwt	369.00–392.00	2,527	70
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Replacement	550–600	571	446.00/cwt	446.00–446.00	2,547	76
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	522	474.05/cwt	455.00–480.00	2,475	76
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	660	364.00/cwt	364.00–364.00	2,402	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	597	404.00/cwt	404.00–404.00	2,412	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	340	634.35/cwt	632.50–640.00	2,157	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	393	627.50/cwt	627.50–627.50	2,466	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	330	630.00/cwt	630.00–630.00	2,079	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,035	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,795	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	697	360.99/cwt	360.00–363.00	2,516	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	372	582.07/cwt	574.00–592.50	2,165	44
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,303	2,650.00/head	2,650.00–2,650.00	2,650	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,561	3,250.00/head	3,250.00–3,250.00	3,250	19
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,437	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	9
Bred Cows	Small and Medium 2-3	—	763	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,259	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,345	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,163	3,585.23/head	3,350.00–3,625.00	3,585	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,058	246.98/cwt	130.00–315.00	2,613	33
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	780	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,301	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,035	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,708	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,382	169.33/cwt	155.00–175.00	2,340	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,005	284.25/cwt	240.00–310.00	2,857	37
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	996	215.18/cwt	175.00–250.00	2,143	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,308	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,456	3,111.55/head	3,000.00–3,250.00	3,112	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,243	2,650.00/head	2,650.00–2,650.00	2,650	4

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 →