Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-05-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (5-14-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain with many blemished cattle in the offering. Very few reportable cattle sold today as a result. 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 with additional buyers in the market this week buying cows to feed. Canadian buyers were mostly absent this week, however private feeders all showed very good demand for cows and pushed offerings higher. Feeding cows sold 2.00-5.00 higher on breaking and boning flesh cows, while lean fleshed cows sold generally steady to firm. 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 steady to firm on a higher yielding offering. Bull quality this week was mostly attractive. Bull quality and yields were higher this week, and while prices were slightly higher on a live basis, bulls sold near steady on a dressed basis. Demand for feeding bulls was very good again this sale. Feeding bulls sold mostly steady. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher on a higher quality offering. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive and overall significantly higher than last weeks offering. Demand for feeding quality young cows was very good this week with additional buyers in the market.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $411.81/cwt on 30 head, down $27.65 from the prior sale. That ranks 5 of 21 comparable sales and sits −22.05 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$411.81

▼ 27.65 vs prior sale

30 head · 551 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,271

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$181

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

$36.36/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−3.54

vs MT average

−6.45 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	555	440.00	2,442	1thin
Medium and Large 1-2	549	415.90	2,284	16thin
Large 1-2	520	410.00	2,132	2thin
Medium and Large 2	560	403.64	2,261	11thin

One grade step is worth $36.36/cwt here — about $181 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

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.35, low $332.50, median $433.86 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 sale30 hd

411.81

—

MT average2 barns · 41 hd

415.35

−3.54

National average175 barns · 12,602 hd

418.26

−6.45

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

−22.05

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	1,841	223.73	4,119	77
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,407	189.53	2,667	194
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,614	188.83	3,048	146
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,146	175.84	2,016	97
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,275	185.00	2,359	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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,178	$3,891	12
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,435	$3,450	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,655	$4,200	4thin

Every lot, as filed

90 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	679	361.93/cwt	340.00–367.50	2,458	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	611	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,200	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	950–1000	965	319.00/cwt	319.00–319.00	3,078	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	571	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,284	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	661	370.63/cwt	367.50–385.00	2,450	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	715	364.99/cwt	360.00–367.50	2,610	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	435	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,023	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	408	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,999	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	825	362.19/cwt	360.00–362.50	2,988	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	590	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,596	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	668	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,505	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	493	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,145	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	748	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,618	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	782	367.00/cwt	367.00–367.00	2,870	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	456	478.00/cwt	475.00–480.00	2,180	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	933	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,986	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,646	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	863	311.00/cwt	311.00–311.00	2,684	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	536	422.24/cwt	420.00–425.00	2,263	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	398	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	2,229	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,022	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,913	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	578	401.94/cwt	390.00–405.00	2,323	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	667	366.91/cwt	360.00–369.00	2,447	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	538	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,529	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	700–750	742	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,486	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,442	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	638	380.02/cwt	367.50–387.50	2,425	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	822	323.47/cwt	320.00–324.00	2,659	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	605	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,420	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	2,724	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	689	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	2,773	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	968	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	2,991	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	888	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,842	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,563	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,010	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	3,055	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,174	238.17/cwt	195.00–331.00	2,796	105
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,229	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	3,810	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,253	3,971.96/head	3,875.00–4,000.00	3,972	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,655	4,200.00/head	4,200.00–4,200.00	4,200	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,614	188.89/cwt	181.00–194.00	3,049	64
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,151	160.09/cwt	156.00–164.00	3,444	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,672	170.82/cwt	169.00–173.00	2,856	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,527	199.05/cwt	194.00–204.50	3,039	52
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,738	173.32/cwt	171.00–175.00	3,012	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,695	166.78/cwt	162.00–171.00	2,827	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	915	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,409	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,155	139.63/cwt	130.00–146.00	1,613	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,215	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,066	1
Bulls	—	—	2,253	214.36/cwt	211.00–218.00	4,830	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,194	192.85/cwt	189.00–197.00	2,303	13
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,275	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,359	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,158	184.29/cwt	175.00–189.00	2,134	38
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,705	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	3,205	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	740	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,184	1
Bulls	—	—	1,810	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	3,756	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,419	196.11/cwt	192.00–208.00	2,783	104
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,477	172.76/cwt	166.00–176.00	2,552	11
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,353	198.34/cwt	194.00–206.00	2,684	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,152	159.45/cwt	157.50–162.50	1,837	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,381	167.64/cwt	165.00–171.00	2,315	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,518	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	2,717	2
Bulls	—	—	1,984	222.69/cwt	219.00–223.50	4,418	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,150	173.13/cwt	160.00–177.50	1,991	29
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,509	220.42/cwt	213.00–226.00	3,326	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	928	126.29/cwt	125.00–127.50	1,172	2
Bulls	—	—	2,034	235.96/cwt	227.00–254.00	4,799	22
Bulls	—	—	1,890	220.07/cwt	210.00–224.00	4,159	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,388	150.22/cwt	144.00–155.00	2,085	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,378	185.88/cwt	177.00–190.00	2,561	69
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,153	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	3,055	4
Steers	Large 1	700–750	700	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,695	2
Heifers	Large 1-2	500–550	520	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,132	2
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,053	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	3,106	2
Bulls	Large 1	1400–1450	1,440	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	3,420	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,540	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	3,265	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,435	3,450.00/head	3,450.00–3,450.00	3,450	1
Steers	Medium 1Fleshy	900–950	920	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,668	3
Steers	Large 2	550–600	552	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,904	7
Steers	Large 1-2	600–650	643	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	2,459	6
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,175	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	2,867	1
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,110	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	3,019	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	752	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,406	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	940	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,927	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	945	291.47/cwt	225.00–322.50	2,754	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,110	228.96/cwt	190.00–300.00	2,541	17
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,103	3,809.83/head	3,800.00–3,850.00	3,810	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,044	288.67/cwt	226.00–335.00	3,014	130
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	541	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,218	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	500–550	512	464.92/cwt	455.00–470.00	2,380	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	765	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,716	3

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 →