Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-02-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-02-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (2-05-26): Feeder sold generally steady to 5.00 higher on all weight classes. Feeder heifers under 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher, all other weights of heifers sold generally steady, with the exception of 600-649 lbs heifers which sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. 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 with several order buyers buying for packers noticed. Cattle overall were more fleshy this week as most large offerings were out of backgrounding lots. Cattle were very clean as weather conditions have been mostly dry with little to no snow. Market activity was very active with rapid bidding seen. A smaller buyer pool was noticed this week, however demand was similar to last week. 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. Feeding cows sold mostly steady. 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. Slaughter cows were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average this week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a very 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 were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average. Demand for replacement cows was very good as buyers showed willingness to buy older cows to try and rebreed.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $508.50/cwt on 257 head, up $32.73 from the prior sale. That ranks 17 of 21 comparable sales and sits +20.72 against this barn's trailing median of $487.78.

Average price

$508.50

▲ 32.73 vs prior sale

257 head · 546 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,776

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$254

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

$35.70/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+9.03

vs MT average

+30.11 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	546	510.40	2,787	243
Large 1	574	477.50	2,741	4thin
Medium and Large 1-2	534	474.70	2,532	10thin

One grade step is worth $35.70/cwt here — about $254 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale257 hd

508.50

—

MT average3 barns · 402 hd

499.47

+9.03

National average184 barns · 16,706 hd

478.39

+30.11

This barn, trailing median21 sales

487.78

+20.72

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	—	High	1,816	189.50	3,441	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,435	167.78	2,408	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,610	165.58	2,665	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,119	146.26	1,637	30

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 (2-4 yrs)	1,200	$3,550	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,225	$3,150	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,350	$3,150	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,492	$2,800	5
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,354	$2,275	7

Every lot, as filed

102 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	650–700	694	374.00/cwt	374.00–374.00	2,596	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	673	427.93/cwt	416.00–450.00	2,880	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	678	401.12/cwt	380.00–419.00	2,720	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	910	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	3,276	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	821	362.72/cwt	360.00–369.00	2,978	68
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	508	496.14/cwt	490.00–505.00	2,520	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	929	329.68/cwt	323.00–331.00	3,063	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	931	338.00/cwt	338.00–338.00	3,147	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	700–750	735	370.60/cwt	367.50–380.00	2,724	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	690	390.55/cwt	385.00–396.00	2,695	10
Steers	Large 1	950–1000	974	339.00/cwt	339.00–339.00	3,302	10
Steers	Large 1	800–850	828	356.00/cwt	356.00–356.00	2,948	2
Steers	Large 1	550–600	574	477.50/cwt	477.50–477.50	2,741	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	510.17/cwt	495.00–522.50	2,398	60
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	591	430.27/cwt	425.00–460.00	2,543	187
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	478	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,199	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	965	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	3,281	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	868	349.00/cwt	349.00–349.00	3,029	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	750–800	794	356.00/cwt	356.00–356.00	2,827	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	705	354.00/cwt	354.00–354.00	2,496	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	772	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,687	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	617	416.91/cwt	407.00–426.00	2,572	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	680	379.68/cwt	368.00–385.00	2,582	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	532	469.88/cwt	460.00–490.00	2,500	139
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	421	526.69/cwt	520.00–540.00	2,217	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	810	324.00/cwt	324.00–324.00	2,624	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	365	558.46/cwt	552.50–580.00	2,038	46
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	840	341.24/cwt	340.00–345.00	2,866	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	438	578.78/cwt	525.00–589.00	2,535	63
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	878	343.00/cwt	343.00–343.00	3,012	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	768	379.72/cwt	374.00–382.00	2,916	97
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	559	453.25/cwt	440.00–472.50	2,534	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	378	568.78/cwt	552.50–585.00	2,150	63
Steers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	276	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,518	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	400	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	2,420	1
Steers	Medium 1	700–750	720	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,520	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	310	625.31/cwt	590.00–645.00	1,938	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	483	562.50/cwt	562.50–562.50	2,717	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	628	432.08/cwt	428.00–435.00	2,713	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	476	568.00/cwt	468.00–595.00	2,704	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	519	530.78/cwt	500.00–556.00	2,755	132
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	880	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	3,212	121
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	578	486.16/cwt	465.00–491.00	2,810	111
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	637	452.18/cwt	447.50–467.50	2,880	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	720	395.49/cwt	384.00–413.00	2,848	71
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,531	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	487	490.09/cwt	487.50–505.00	2,387	13
Bulls	Large 1	1450–1500	1,465	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	3,077	3
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,253	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,945	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	671	385.21/cwt	370.00–401.00	2,585	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	522	511.41/cwt	510.00–515.00	2,670	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,910	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	3,094	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,303	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,178	162.34/cwt	162.00–166.00	1,912	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,082	139.79/cwt	135.00–154.00	1,513	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,572	168.67/cwt	164.00–173.00	2,651	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,455	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	2,561	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,077	116.25/cwt	112.50–123.00	1,252	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,685	148.82/cwt	145.00–152.00	2,508	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,434	167.35/cwt	160.00–170.00	2,400	19
Bulls	—	—	2,130	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	4,388	1
Bulls	—	—	2,035	192.97/cwt	190.00–197.00	3,927	10
Bulls	—	—	1,535	174.51/cwt	171.00–178.00	2,679	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,220	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	1,903	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,624	191.25/cwt	189.00–193.50	3,106	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,260	170.39/cwt	168.00–178.00	2,147	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	540	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,619	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,316	178.25/cwt	170.50–183.00	2,346	12
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	882	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,337	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,183	197.71/cwt	181.00–215.00	2,339	9
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	800	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,800	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,225	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,126	249.04/cwt	207.00–285.00	2,804	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,043	281.06/cwt	212.50–315.00	2,931	32
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	960	273.31/cwt	230.00–285.00	2,624	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,350	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,200	3,550.00/head	3,550.00–3,550.00	3,550	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,550	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,477	2,712.32/head	2,700.00–2,725.00	2,712	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,354	2,275.00/head	2,275.00–2,275.00	2,275	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,300	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	2,093	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	900–950	911	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,505	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	840	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,730	19
Bulls	Medium 1-2	500–550	525	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,126	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	578	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,312	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	798	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,494	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	724	358.64/cwt	354.00–364.00	2,597	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	568	416.26/cwt	405.00–422.50	2,364	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	496	475.51/cwt	472.50–489.00	2,359	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	750–800	766	344.90/cwt	344.00–347.00	2,642	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	700–750	737	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,565	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	800–850	837	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,595	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	678	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,170	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	900–950	908	303.00/cwt	303.00–303.00	2,751	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	421	501.69/cwt	500.00–505.00	2,112	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	363	518.10/cwt	500.00–540.00	1,881	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	641	399.00/cwt	399.00–399.00	2,558	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	686	364.15/cwt	357.50–365.00	2,498	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	539	423.95/cwt	420.00–450.00	2,285	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	826	343.99/cwt	338.00–347.00	2,841	99
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	882	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,911	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	608	362.00/cwt	350.00–370.00	2,201	5

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 →