Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2026-03-19

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Mar 19
● Final56 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
52 head
192 vs last sale 244 207 vs year ago 259 · 79.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
265 head
113 vs last sale 152 19 vs year ago 246 · +7.7%
Replacement Cattle receipts
122 head
43 vs last sale 165 173 vs year ago 295 · 58.6%
Also sold here(Mon)Thu Apr 16, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (3-12-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly average. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. A moderate crowd was on hand for todays sale with a few additional buyers in the stands this week, despite light offerings. Market activity was moderate to active as a result. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and not as attractive as last week. Feeding cows continue to drive the market as almost every cow was purchased to feed in some capacity. Feeding cows sold generally steady on a lower quality offering. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average this week and not as good as last week. A limited number of slaughter cows were purchased this week as feeding demand pushed cow prices over where slaughter buyers wanted to buy cows. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 5.00 higher. Feeding bulls sold 5.00-8.00 higher as packers and feeding buyers both bid aggressively over similar offerings. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a better quality offering. Quality this week was mostly average with a few attractive offerings noticed.

Weight class

Steers · summary 600–700 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
600–700 lb steers averaged $460.00/cwt on 5 head, up $31.86 from the prior sale (only 17 head in that comparison). That ranks 18 of 18 comparable sales and sits +33.59 against this barn's trailing median of $426.41.
Average price
$460.00
31.86 vs prior sale
5 head · 628 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,889
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
single grade reported
vs the market
+23.31
vs MT average
+35.68 vs national

What quality paid 600–700 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1628460.002,8895thin
Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 600–700 lb

18 sales
475431387343median 426.4112/1801/2904/0205/1406/11
Steers 600–700 lb: high $460.79, low $356.80, median $426.41 across 18 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 600–700 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale5 hd
460.00
MT average3 barns · 345 hd
436.69
+23.31
National average145 barns · 9,520 hd
424.32
+35.68
This barn, trailing median18 sales
426.41
+33.59
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
BullsLow1,760204.813,60533
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,414174.732,470123
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,608170.492,74130
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,160158.651,84032

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 Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,423$4,2502thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,126$3,97816
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,380$3,5251thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,865$3,3003thin
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,785$3,2894thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,156$3,1856
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,415$3,0001thin
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,420$2,3501thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,125$3,9377
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,203$4,6503thin

Every lot, as filed

56 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
Stock CowsMedium 1-2770277.26/cwt275.00–280.002,1352
Stock CowsMedium 1860295.00/cwt295.00–295.002,5371
Stock CowsMedium 1-2770285.00/cwt285.00–285.002,1951
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3803,525.00/head3,525.00–3,525.003,5251
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4153,000.00/head3,000.00–3,000.003,0001
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,016282.46/cwt240.00–317.502,87021
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,067234.48/cwt182.50–290.002,5029
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,7853,288.65/head3,050.00–3,350.003,2894
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1-21,2034,650.00/head4,650.00–4,650.004,6503
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 11,2034,039.40/head4,025.00–4,075.004,0394
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1-21,0203,800.00/head3,800.00–3,800.003,8003
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1563,185.00/head3,185.00–3,185.003,1856
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4202,350.00/head2,350.00–2,350.002,3501
HeifersMedium and Large 1500–550525450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,3632
SteersMedium and Large 1-2350–400378577.58/cwt575.00–580.002,1832
SteersMedium and Large 1-2750–800779344.55/cwt343.00–345.002,6849
HeifersMedium and Large 1700–750744348.00/cwt348.00–348.002,5895
BullsMedium and Large 21000–10501,025250.00/cwt250.00–250.002,5631
BullsMedium and Large 1-21000–10501,005297.50/cwt297.50–297.502,9902
SteersMedium and Large 1600–650628460.00/cwt460.00–460.002,8895
SteersMedium and Large 1300–350325654.92/cwt650.00–660.002,1282
HeifersMedium and Large 1600–650626413.47/cwt412.50–415.002,5885
BullsMedium and Large 1-2750–800795342.50/cwt342.50–342.502,7231
BullsMedium and Large 1-2500–550523472.50/cwt472.50–472.502,4714
BullsMedium and Large 11050–11001,075305.00/cwt305.00–305.003,2791
BullsLarge 11150–12001,150277.50/cwt277.50–277.503,1911
BullsLarge 11200–12501,225232.50/cwt232.50–232.502,8481
BullsMedium and Large 1450–500465530.00/cwt530.00–530.002,4651
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,537164.33/cwt162.00–165.502,5269
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,685159.00/cwt159.00–159.002,6791
Bulls2,450192.50/cwt192.50–192.504,7161
Bulls2,026212.30/cwt207.00–216.004,30110
Bulls2,198219.00/cwt219.00–219.004,8141
Bulls1,798194.36/cwt190.00–198.003,4952
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight895115.00/cwt115.00–115.001,0291
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,507177.13/cwt175.00–179.002,66913
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,390164.44/cwt155.00–169.002,28627
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,424182.48/cwt182.00–183.002,59920
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,421176.78/cwt169.00–181.502,51274
CowsBoner 80-85%1,300154.00/cwt154.00–154.002,0021
CowsBoner 80-85%1,430167.00/cwt167.00–167.002,3881
CowsLean 85-90%1,108133.01/cwt120.00–142.501,4743
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,874167.70/cwt164.00–169.503,1437
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,155155.15/cwt142.50–166.001,79216
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,202173.36/cwt170.00–177.502,08412
BullsReturn to Feed1,596208.09/cwt200.00–216.003,32114
BullsNon-Traditional1,570167.50/cwt167.50–167.502,6301
BullsLight Weight1,230162.00/cwt162.00–162.001,9931
BullsReturn to Feed1,480197.62/cwt192.50–200.002,9253
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2494,440.62/head4,400.00–4,475.004,4416
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,0523,700.00/head3,700.00–3,700.003,70010
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2990270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,6731
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,395192.00/cwt192.00–192.002,6782
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,8653,300.00/head3,300.00–3,300.003,3003
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4234,250.00/head4,250.00–4,250.004,2502
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,116260.20/cwt215.00–322.002,90425

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.