Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2026-02-19

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Feb 19
● Final44 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
168 head
2,245 vs last sale 2,413 168 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Slaughter Cattle receipts
129 head
3 vs last sale 132 129 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Replacement Cattle receipts
92 head
59 vs last sale 151 92 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
Also sold here(Mon)Thu Apr 16, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (2-05-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was plain to average and mostly offered in small packages or as singles. Buyers showed need for feeders as many tried to square up loads for the week. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Market activity was active with a small crowd of buyers in the stands this week. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Feeding cow demand continues to drive the market as excess feed in the valley at very low prices has many feedlots and ranchers willing to feed cows. Feeding cows sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher. Very few slaughter cows were purchased this week as feeding 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 higher undertones were noticed on very limited offerings. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average this week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 10.00-12.00 higher in a very narrow comparison. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly average.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb bulls averaged $436.42/cwt on 34 head, down $9.53 from the prior sale. That ranks 5 of 11 comparable sales and sits 4.72 against this barn's trailing median of $441.14.
Average price
$436.42
9.53 vs prior sale
34 head · 592 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,584
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
single grade reported
vs the market
4.03
vs MT average

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1592436.422,58434
Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

11 sales
469428386345median 441.1412/1801/1502/1904/0205/07
Bulls 500–600 lb: high $455.00, low $358.97, median $441.14 across 11 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 sale34 hd
436.42
MT average2 barns · 36 hd
440.45
−4.03
This barn, trailing median11 sales
441.14
−4.72
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsAverage1,961204.204,0046thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,586180.642,86433
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,367174.922,39246
CowsLean 85-90%High1,187157.081,86518

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,418$4,1007
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,475$3,62314
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,423$3,34521
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,205$2,8084thin

Every lot, as filed

44 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
BullsMedium and Large 1550–600592436.42/cwt425.00–437.502,58434
BullsMedium and Large 1-2600–650609390.00/cwt390.00–390.002,3757
BullsMedium and Large 1-2700–750745340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,5334
BullsMedium and Large 1750–800754362.50/cwt362.50–362.502,73315
BullsLarge 1-21100–11501,145210.00/cwt210.00–210.002,4051
BullsMedium and Large 1400–450436537.50/cwt537.50–537.502,3448
HeifersMedium and Large 1550–600560430.00/cwt430.00–430.002,4082
HeifersMedium and Large 1600–650631400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,52416
SteersMedium and Large 1-2550–600599457.50/cwt457.50–457.502,7404
SteersMedium and Large 1500–550544505.00/cwt505.00–505.002,74712
SteersMedium and Large 1700–750717383.00/cwt383.00–383.002,7463
SteersMedium and Large 2400–450420530.00/cwt530.00–530.002,2261
HeifersMedium and Large 1450–500468512.50/cwt512.50–512.502,3998
HeifersMedium and Large 1350–400385557.50/cwt557.50–557.502,1461
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2650–700684350.00/cwt350.00–350.002,3944
HeifersMedium and Large 1400–450415552.00/cwt552.00–552.002,2912
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2600–650648377.50/cwt377.50–377.502,4462
HeifersMedium and Large 2400–450405490.00/cwt490.00–490.001,9851
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,2052,808.13/head2,700.00–2,850.002,8084
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4233,345.11/head3,100.00–3,500.003,34521
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,206185.00/cwt185.00–185.002,2314
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2873270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,3572
Stock CowsMedium 1745240.00/cwt240.00–240.001,7881
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,143201.00/cwt201.00–201.002,2973
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4184,100.00/head4,100.00–4,100.004,1007
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4753,623.12/head3,550.00–3,650.003,62314
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Fleshy1,345190.00/cwt190.00–190.002,55610
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,115234.27/cwt216.00–272.502,61221
BullsReturn to Feed1,770199.60/cwt194.00–205.503,5332
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,090180.00/cwt180.00–180.001,9621
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,378178.68/cwt168.00–180.502,46237
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,195149.72/cwt142.50–157.501,7892
CowsBreaker 75-80%Non-Traditional1,330183.00/cwt183.00–183.002,4341
Bulls2,310205.00/cwt205.00–205.004,7361
CowsBoner 80-85%1,155157.50/cwt157.50–157.501,8191
CowsBoner 80-85%1,375128.00/cwt128.00–128.001,7601
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,618174.00/cwt174.00–174.002,8152
CowsLean 85-90%1,130125.58/cwt120.00–132.001,4193
Bulls1,972206.99/cwt205.00–209.004,0823
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,230173.91/cwt169.00–177.002,1398
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,358161.17/cwt158.00–163.002,1896
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,230182.50/cwt182.50–182.502,2451
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,592181.00/cwt181.00–181.002,88230
CowsLean 85-90%1,165145.00/cwt145.00–145.001,6894

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.