Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2026-05-14

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, May 14
● Final83 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
220 head
▼ 368 vs last sale 588▲ 25 vs year ago 195 · +12.8%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
590 head
▲ 73 vs last sale 517▼ 257 vs year ago 847 · −30.3%
Replacement Cattle receipts
315 head
▼ 254 vs last sale 569▼ 99 vs year ago 414 · −23.9%
Also sold here(Mon)Mon Oct 26, 2026
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (5-07-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain. A few limited offerings of attractive heifers were seen. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Most offerings were offered in small groups or as singles. Quality limited demand this sale. A small crowd was on hand for todays sale. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand. Demand for feeding cows was very good as a large crowd of buyers were present looking for cows to feed. Canadian buyers continue to buy cows to ship north and feed. They were very competitive as they bid against both American packers and private feeders. Feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher on breaking flesh cows, while boning and lean fleshed cows sold fully steady. Demand for slaughter cows was stronger this week as packers showed need for cows for immediate harvest. All slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Demand for feeding bulls was very good this sale. Feeding bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00-12.00 lower. Quality limited demand this week as many open heifers and feeding type young cows were noticed. Very few wet bagged attractive quality offerings were seen. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and overall significantly lower than last weeks offering.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $439.46/cwt on 38 head, down $9.21 from the prior sale. That ranks 17 of 23 comparable sales and sits +27.83 against this barn's trailing median of $411.62.
Average price
$439.46
▼ 9.21 vs prior sale
38 head · 552 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,426
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$471
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$43.73/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+8.24
vs MT average
+22.35 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1561443.732,49128
Medium and Large 1-2531434.382,3048thin
Medium and Large 2505400.002,0202thin
One grade step is worth $43.73/cwt here — about $471 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale38 hd
439.46
—
MT average3 barns · 235 hd
431.22
+8.24
National average171 barns · 11,385 hd
417.11
+22.35
This barn, trailing median23 sales
411.62
+27.83
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

23 sales
483428373319median 411.6203/0504/3006/1109/2410/29
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.35, low $332.50, median $411.62 across 23 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

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
Bulls—High1,820220.254,00870
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,403184.072,583181
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,607182.772,93775
CowsLean 85-90%High1,132171.851,94597
Dairy CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,945170.003,3071thin
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Low1,188132.251,5702thin

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)Young (2-4 yrs)1,257$3,88815
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,438$3,6005
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,382$3,5526
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,395$3,5001thin
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,263$2,8002thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,288$2,6004thin
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)1,075$3,9001thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,454$3,67125

Every lot, as filed

83 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. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers7 lots · lightest first
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2468485.00/cwt485.00–485.002,2702
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2533475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,5323
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2537400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,1487
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2585465.00/cwt465.00–465.002,7202
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1607440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,6719
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1654426.00/cwt426.00–426.002,78617
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2745385.00/cwt385.00–385.002,8682
Feeder Cattle · Heifers17 lots · lightest first
Heifers400–450Medium 2438305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,3362
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2492450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,21412
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2505400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,0202
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2523442.50/cwt442.50–442.502,3146
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1535449.89/cwt449.00–450.002,4079
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2553410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,2672
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1574440.81/cwt440.00–448.002,53019
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2607395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,3983
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1627410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,5719
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2660333.00/cwt333.00–333.002,1982
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1676383.74/cwt383.00–385.002,5948
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2725359.34/cwt359.00–360.002,6053
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1735370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,72024
Heifers750–800Large 1758347.50/cwt347.50–347.502,6343
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2770345.74/cwt332.00–349.002,6626
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1-2802337.00/cwt337.00–337.002,7032
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2878320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,8102
Feeder Cattle · Bulls8 lots · lightest first
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1670400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,6802
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1-2783342.50/cwt342.50–342.502,6824
Bulls850–900Medium and Large 1-2858335.00/cwt335.00–335.002,8742
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1-2951312.50/cwt312.50–312.502,9724
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1955313.31/cwt310.00–320.002,9923
Bulls1000–1050Medium and Large 11,017299.15/cwt297.50–302.503,0423
Bulls1050–1100Large 11,085282.50/cwt282.50–282.503,0651
Bulls1200–1250Large 11,238236.00/cwt236.00–236.002,9229
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls6 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,065181.00/cwt181.00–181.001,9281
Bulls——Return to Feed1,533209.44/cwt200.00–216.003,2118
Bulls——Return to Feed1,616219.47/cwt217.00–227.003,54718
Bulls——1,651188.96/cwt180.00–206.003,1205
Bulls——1,944221.98/cwt216.00–225.004,31516
Bulls——2,073232.45/cwt227.00–240.004,81922
Slaughter Cattle · Cows18 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight824136.05/cwt127.50–147.501,1216
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight928148.82/cwt145.00–152.501,3812
Cows—Lean 85-90%982120.07/cwt117.50–122.501,1795
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,099164.76/cwt152.50–172.501,81118
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,161179.79/cwt170.00–185.002,08722
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,173160.91/cwt158.00–166.001,8873
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,191139.39/cwt132.50–152.501,6606
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,202191.87/cwt187.00–197.002,30635
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,393185.30/cwt177.00–188.002,58190
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,395189.93/cwt188.00–194.002,65060
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,402170.16/cwt167.50–175.002,38619
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,470161.86/cwt158.00–164.002,3795
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,565171.70/cwt170.00–174.002,6877
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,585188.51/cwt187.50–191.002,98819
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,592182.87/cwt178.00–187.002,91143
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,670174.71/cwt168.00–188.002,9186
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,693175.85/cwt171.00–180.002,9776
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,760159.00/cwt159.00–159.002,7981
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows3 lots · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,145117.00/cwt117.00–117.001,3401
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,230147.50/cwt147.50–147.501,8141
Dairy Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,945170.00/cwt170.00–170.003,3071
Replacement Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 11,157329.75/cwt300.00–340.003,8154
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows14 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium 2815160.00/cwt160.00–160.001,3041
Stock Cows—Medium 1-2840283.85/cwt270.00–290.002,3844
Stock Cows—Medium 1-2858257.74/cwt250.00–265.002,2112
Stock Cows—Medium 1863297.91/cwt297.50–300.002,5716
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2915252.50/cwt252.50–252.502,3101
Stock Cows—Medium 1940281.00/cwt281.00–281.002,6412
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2980235.00/cwt235.00–235.002,3032
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,017266.18/cwt202.50–312.502,70715
Stock Cows—Large 11,075232.50/cwt232.50–232.502,4992
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,085271.11/cwt221.00–333.002,94277
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,093220.30/cwt180.00–282.502,40816
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,176230.45/cwt188.00–310.002,71053
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,221227.15/cwt226.00–229.002,7744
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,336191.92/cwt187.00–195.502,5644
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows6 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2573,887.95/head3,700.00–4,100.003,88815
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2632,800.00/head2,800.00–2,800.002,8002
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,2882,600.00/head2,600.00–2,600.002,6004
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3823,552.40/head3,400.00–3,900.003,5526
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3953,500.00/head3,500.00–3,500.003,5001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4383,600.00/head3,600.00–3,600.003,6005
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs2 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,3723,250.13/head3,200.00–3,300.003,2506
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4803,803.84/head3,700.00–3,850.003,80419
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 11,0753,900.00/head3,900.00–3,900.003,9001

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.