Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-12-15
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-12-15

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last Mondays sale: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most feeders were offered in small packages with many singles noticed. Market activity was mostly active with a average crowd in the stands for a Monday sale. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Cow quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. The best demand continues to be for cows suitable to feed. Feeding cows sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a noticeably fuller lower yielding offering. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Most bulls were purchased to feed this week. Feeding bulls sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average this week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate to good demand. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Steady undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $374.17/cwt on 18 head.

Average price

$374.17

18 head · 550 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,057

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$154

per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 1

$15.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−17.71

vs MT average

−15.74 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	505	385.00	1,944	5thin
Medium and Large 1	567	370.00	2,098	13thin

One grade step is worth $15.00/cwt here — about −$154 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale18 hd

374.17

—

MT average4 barns · 568 hd

391.88

−17.71

National average175 barns · 15,310 hd

389.91

−15.74

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	1,589	176.57	2,806	55
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Very Low	1,538	162.33	2,496	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,399	155.63	2,176	133
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,135	136.43	1,549	40
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	2,068	144.00	2,978	2thin
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,698	130.00	2,207	3thin

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/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,345	$3,100	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,410	$2,251	5

Every lot, as filed

59 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
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,140	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,736	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,085	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,496	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,000	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	2,550	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,048	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	2,803	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	950–1000	990	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,228	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	895	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,417	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	375	547.50/cwt	547.50–547.50	2,053	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	986	277.35/cwt	272.00–280.00	2,735	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	200–250	230	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	1,162	1
Steers	Medium 2	550–600	565	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,610	2
Steers	Medium 2	450–500	466	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,398	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	450	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	2,273	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	567	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,098	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	525	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	2,113	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	418	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,090	2
Steers	Medium 2-3	400–450	438	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,270	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	612	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,264	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	484	381.61/cwt	381.00–382.50	1,847	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	405	451.39/cwt	422.50–452.00	1,828	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,021	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	2,879	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	650–700	688	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,374	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	661	354.00/cwt	354.00–354.00	2,340	4
Steers	Medium 2	350–400	358	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,396	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	628	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,727	2
Heifers	Medium 1	750–800	799	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,477	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	373	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,623	8
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	505	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,944	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	280	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,246	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	610	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	2,120	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,354	123.23/cwt	118.00–127.00	1,669	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,133	119.42/cwt	102.50–142.50	1,353	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,155	60.00/cwt	60.00–60.00	693	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	933	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	980	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,184	137.86/cwt	127.50–146.00	1,632	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,145	154.04/cwt	145.00–161.00	1,764	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,590	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	2,194	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,445	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	2,168	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,481	171.62/cwt	170.50–173.00	2,542	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,407	162.90/cwt	156.00–168.50	2,292	64
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,357	147.70/cwt	127.50–155.00	2,004	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,360	139.66/cwt	130.00–145.00	1,899	6
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	2,068	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,978	2
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,698	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	2,207	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,477	169.60/cwt	169.00–171.00	2,505	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,102	136.24/cwt	134.00–137.00	1,501	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,532	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	2,237	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,585	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	2,298	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,625	165.36/cwt	163.00–168.50	2,687	5
Bulls	—	—	1,754	167.40/cwt	163.00–176.00	2,936	7
Bulls	—	—	1,947	180.74/cwt	178.00–184.00	3,519	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,525	181.58/cwt	177.00–183.50	2,769	33
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,581	167.09/cwt	160.00–175.00	2,642	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	990	191.69/cwt	173.00–205.00	1,898	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,156	225.50/cwt	197.50–287.50	2,607	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,280	169.62/cwt	161.00–175.00	2,171	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,094	258.20/cwt	212.50–287.50	2,825	36
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,345	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,473	2,388.71/head	2,350.00–2,400.00	2,389	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,160	1,700.00/head	1,700.00–1,700.00	1,700	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 →