Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-10-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-10-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Mondays sale: Last Monday was a federal holiday and the first Monday sale of the fall run was not reported as a result. Feeder cattle sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Most offerings were offered in small packages and buyers pieced together loads as a result. Quality today was mostly average to attractive. Demand for lightweight calves continues to be very good as buyers purchase these offerings to develop into yearlings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with a small buyer pool bidding on calves. Internet activity continues to be very active with several buyers actively bidding. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand today for light to moderate offerings. Most cows were purchased to feed this week. Feeding cow demand was very good with a large pool of buyers actively bidding on offerings. Very few cows were purchased to send to immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. There is no recent test for cows as last week was a holiday. Demand for all cows suitable to feed was very good. Quality was most average to attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mostly average today. Slaughter bulls sold on moderate demand. Packer buyers and feeding buyers showed good demand for all sound bulls suitable to feed. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly very good demand. Quality was mostly average this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $435.85/cwt on 101 head.

Average price

$435.85

101 head · 564 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,459

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$72

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

$19.56/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−37.08

vs MT average

−22.29 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	563	438.56	2,469	87
Medium and Large 1-2	572	419.00	2,397	14thin

One grade step is worth $19.56/cwt here — about $72 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.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale101 hd

435.85

—

MT average5 barns · 1,963 hd

472.93

−37.08

National average182 barns · 38,495 hd

458.14

−22.29

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	1,774	187.64	3,329	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,613	181.81	2,933	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,410	176.84	2,494	212
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,201	158.49	1,904	157

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,082	$3,500	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,217	$3,478	25
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,440	$3,400	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,435	$3,327	7
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,363	$3,235	26
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,346	$3,022	118
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,493	$2,850	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,270	$2,850	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,445	$2,850	2thin
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	914	$3,400	5

Every lot, as filed

79 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Mon)

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	300–350	339	516.57/cwt	500.00–533.00	1,751	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	373	488.06/cwt	480.00–495.00	1,820	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	727	372.00/cwt	372.00–372.00	2,704	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	263	810.00/cwt	810.00–810.00	2,130	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	963	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	3,009	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	885	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	2,850	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	534	442.50/cwt	442.50–442.50	2,363	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	648	376.00/cwt	376.00–376.00	2,436	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	413	508.07/cwt	487.50–510.00	2,098	23
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	962	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	3,136	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	408	539.04/cwt	519.00–565.00	2,199	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	332	663.06/cwt	620.00–700.00	2,201	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	381	542.50/cwt	542.50–542.50	2,067	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	436	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	2,224	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	917	316.79/cwt	316.00–318.00	2,905	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	957	306.08/cwt	218.00–348.00	2,929	66
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,403	223.70/cwt	217.00–228.00	3,139	3
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	914	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,033	205.06/cwt	200.00–210.00	2,118	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	373.00/cwt	373.00–373.00	2,070	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,004	245.41/cwt	200.00–310.00	2,464	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,148	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,632	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	2,872	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,493	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,270	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,082	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	3,192	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,274	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	3,121	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,131	234.48/cwt	190.00–277.50	2,652	68
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,363	3,234.93/head	3,150.00–3,300.00	3,235	26
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,000	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,800	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,445	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,107	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,082	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,262	179.45/cwt	178.50–187.00	2,265	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	968	118.73/cwt	117.50–120.00	1,149	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,040	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	985	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	1,453	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,125	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,395	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,222	173.16/cwt	166.00–177.50	2,116	87
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	230	840.00/cwt	840.00–840.00	1,932	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	621	410.24/cwt	401.00–420.00	2,548	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	474	441.87/cwt	431.00–460.00	2,094	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	645	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,161	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	572	419.00/cwt	419.00–419.00	2,397	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	858	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,703	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	521	408.00/cwt	408.00–408.00	2,126	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	384	565.46/cwt	550.00–615.00	2,171	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	571	437.46/cwt	436.00–439.00	2,498	68
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	493	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	2,034	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,440	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,232	3,550.33/head	3,400.00–3,650.00	3,550	22
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,371	3,056.16/head	2,800.00–3,100.00	3,056	105
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	820	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	2,640	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	150–200	192	650.00/cwt	650.00–650.00	1,248	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	693	366.00/cwt	366.00–366.00	2,536	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,415	164.27/cwt	136.00–172.00	2,324	22
Bulls	—	—	2,038	186.27/cwt	186.00–187.00	3,796	4
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,125	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	3,026	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,435	3,327.43/head	3,150.00–3,400.00	3,327	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,410	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	2,764	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	755	302.58/cwt	290.00–315.00	2,284	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,509	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	2,822	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,336	171.77/cwt	157.00–183.00	2,295	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,039	81.75/cwt	65.00–92.50	849	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,174	113.91/cwt	102.50–122.00	1,337	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,407	119.62/cwt	117.50–121.00	1,683	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,409	185.26/cwt	181.00–187.50	2,610	71
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,540	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	2,556	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,156	160.31/cwt	150.00–164.00	1,853	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	2,115	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	4,124	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,405	176.61/cwt	159.00–183.50	2,481	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,000	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,550	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,663	179.87/cwt	173.00–183.00	2,991	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,583	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	3,008	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,462	135.08/cwt	131.00–141.00	1,975	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,680	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,932	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,745	190.40/cwt	184.00–196.00	3,322	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,411	177.53/cwt	170.00–185.50	2,505	105
Bulls	—	—	1,980	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	3,406	1

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 →