Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-08-27
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-08-27

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (8-13-26): Feeder steers were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeder heifers under 900 lbs sold generally steady in a narrow comparison, heifers over 900 lbs sold mostly 8.00-10.00 lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Several sets of yearlings coming off grass were seen this sale. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Many moderate size packages were seen this sale as ranchers sold mostly tested open heifers out of their replacements. Calves were offered in mostly small packages with many singles noticed. CME positions moved higher today which helped provide some market support. Cooperate feeders were back in the market today, showing moderate to good demand for yearlings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with a moderate size buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand and offerings. Demand for feeding cows was mostly moderate. Canadian buyers continue to buy cows to ship north and feed. All feeding buyers showed lighter demand for cows to feed with most buyers citing uncertainty going forward into fall. Feeding cows sold 3.00-6.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking flesh feeding cows sold mostly 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower to sharply lower undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 7.00-10.00 lower. Bull quality was mostly plain to average. Most bulls were average to low dressing this sale as most were coming out of breeding pastures. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Most offerings were fleshy coming off grass and many sold to feeding cow buyers as a result. A few bred offerings sold this sale. Demand for bred offerings was mostly light to moderate. Buyers continue to weigh the economics of keeping and maintaining cows from now till spring.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $345.00/cwt on 6 head, up $12.50 from the prior sale. That ranks 3 of 22 comparable sales and sits −81.96 against this barn's trailing median of $426.96.

Average price

$345.00

▲ 12.50 vs prior sale

6 head · 540 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,864

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$65

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

$7.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−8.00

vs MT average

+6.98 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	545	350.00	1,908	2thin
Medium and Large 1-2	538	342.50	1,843	4thin

One grade step is worth $7.50/cwt here — about $65 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 900–1000 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

22 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.35, low $332.50, median $426.96 across 22 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 sale6 hd

345.00

—

MT average2 barns · 17 hd

353.00

−8.00

National average160 barns · 6,296 hd

338.02

+6.98

This barn, trailing median22 sales

426.96

−81.96

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	—	Low	1,881	189.10	3,557	104
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,435	161.19	2,314	92
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,628	154.92	2,523	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,101	134.33	1,478	47
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,420	119.00	1,690	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	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,188	$3,051	13
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,477	$2,950	9
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,435	$2,800	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,548	$2,625	2thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,506	$2,500	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,807	$3,500	3thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,636	$3,000	5

Every lot, as filed

87 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 1-2Unweaned	400–450	415	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,598	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	507	412.00/cwt	412.00–412.00	2,089	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	200–250	248	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,190	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	930	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	2,809	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	523	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,987	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	684	358.00/cwt	358.00–358.00	2,449	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	990	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,723	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	428	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,798	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	350	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,610	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	769	371.27/cwt	366.00–375.00	2,855	66
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	378	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,588	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	545	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,908	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	809	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,815	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	954	280.50/cwt	280.50–280.50	2,676	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	680	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	2,533	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	250	680.00/cwt	680.00–680.00	1,700	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,020	290.58/cwt	289.00–291.00	2,964	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	814	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	2,776	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	1000–1050	1,022	281.95/cwt	274.00–286.00	2,882	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	437	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,076	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	866	324.50/cwt	318.00–330.50	2,810	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	658	391.00/cwt	391.00–391.00	2,573	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	678	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,509	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	850–900	897	307.00/cwt	307.00–307.00	2,754	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	900–950	940	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	2,801	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	788	341.22/cwt	340.00–342.00	2,689	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	726	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,577	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	606	386.00/cwt	386.00–386.00	2,339	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,548	2,625.00/head	2,625.00–2,625.00	2,625	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,435	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,310	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	2,293	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	973	298.30/cwt	294.00–309.00	2,902	111
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	938	304.92/cwt	302.00–313.00	2,860	41
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	792	346.08/cwt	345.00–347.00	2,741	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,477	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,636	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,807	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,211	128.72/cwt	115.00–141.00	1,559	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,629	152.22/cwt	147.00–158.00	2,480	19
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,551	165.22/cwt	163.00–167.00	2,563	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	490	107.67/cwt	105.00–110.00	528	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,260	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	2,041	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,225	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	2,107	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,630	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	4,787	1
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,690	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,350	173.44/cwt	170.00–177.50	2,341	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,725	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	2,648	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,358	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,833	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,625	181.15/cwt	172.50–188.00	2,944	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,428	155.14/cwt	142.00–162.50	2,215	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,255	151.04/cwt	135.00–157.00	1,896	11
Bulls	—	—	2,080	214.48/cwt	214.00–215.00	4,461	2
Bulls	—	—	2,004	197.31/cwt	191.00–208.00	3,954	42
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	930	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,395	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,710	148.51/cwt	142.00–152.50	2,540	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	952	123.68/cwt	115.00–137.50	1,177	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,597	146.89/cwt	143.00–150.00	2,346	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,495	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	2,063	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,275	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,027	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,200	179.00/cwt	179.00–179.00	2,148	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,433	167.92/cwt	162.00–172.00	2,406	50
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	622	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,099	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	1200–1250	1,243	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,548	3
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,125	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	2,621	2
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,061	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,918	17
Bulls	—	—	1,852	183.44/cwt	172.00–189.00	3,397	43
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	810	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	790	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,205	3,076.40/head	2,900.00–3,325.00	3,076	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,222	227.16/cwt	202.50–277.50	2,776	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,506	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	980	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,033	226.19/cwt	200.00–250.00	2,337	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	1,263	201.00/cwt	201.00–201.00	2,539	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	841	320.89/cwt	305.00–328.00	2,699	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	887	297.00/cwt	297.00–297.00	2,634	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	400	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,760	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	469	425.01/cwt	417.50–455.00	1,993	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	344	421.00/cwt	421.00–421.00	1,448	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	326	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,581	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	537	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,094	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	478	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,960	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	538	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	1,843	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	685	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,226	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	850–900	870	323.00/cwt	323.00–323.00	2,810	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	200–250	208	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	1,165	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	670	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,211	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	563	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,308	14

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 →