Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-05-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-05-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were scarcely tested today as todays sale featured cow calf pairs, bred cows and weigh up cows. Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Weigh up cows comprised most of todays sale. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed lighter demand for all cows this week as they attempted to buy cows lower. Fewer buyers were on hand for todays sale and demand was lighter than the last few sales. Slaughter cows sold 6.00-8.00 lower on breaking cows, boning cows sold 2.00-5.00 lower, lean cows sold 4.00-6.00 lower in a narrow comparison. All packer buyers showed lighter demand for cows destined for immediate harvest, however very few cows were purchased for immediate slaughter as most were purchased to feed. Mostly extremely blemished cows were purchased for slaughter this week. Demand for feeding cows remains good but buyers showed slightly lighter demand this week compared to last week. A smaller crowd of private feeding cow buyers was seen this week. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower as all buyers tried to buy cows lower this week. Thin feeding cows showed the largest decline in price as demand for thin feeding cows was significantly lighter this week. Thin feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower. Cow quality was mostly plain to average today with a limited offering of attractive cows noticed. Quality this week was significantly lower this week compared to last week. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today with many sets of cows pushing heavy amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Bull quality this week was average to attractive. A portion of the bulls were purchased to feed again this week as buyers purchased light weight bulls, mostly under 1800 lbs for this purpose. Feeding bulls sold fully steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend, lower undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Very few wet bagged cows were seen this week as most were baron heifers which were purchased to feed. Quality this week was plain to average and significantly lower than last week. A moderate offering of pairs were seen this sale. Demand for cow calf and heifer pairs was good to very good. A large crowd of buyers was on hand for todays sale.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 400–500 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

400–500 lb bulls averaged $417.50/cwt on 1 head. That ranks 1 of 3 comparable sales and sits −82.19 against this barn's trailing median of $499.69.

Average price

$417.50

1 head · 425 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,774

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

What quality paid 400–500 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	425	417.50	1,774	1thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

This barn's trailing prices 400–500 lb

3 sales

Bulls 400–500 lb: high $563.46, low $446.73, median $499.69 across 3 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 400–500 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale1 hd

417.50

—

MT average1 barns · 1 hd

417.50

+0.00

This barn, trailing median3 sales

499.69

−82.19

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	1,791	175.88	3,150	35
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,435	151.25	2,170	122
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,640	146.67	2,406	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,146	134.94	1,547	92

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)	1,272	$3,321	11
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,473	$3,090	14
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,544	$3,025	23
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,456	$2,893	16
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,501	$2,500	7
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,096	$2,500	6
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,391	$2,400	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,314	$2,101	9
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,067	$3,260	5
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,325	$2,550	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,346	$3,555	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,549	$3,361	31
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,448	$3,024	48
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,243	$4,273	148

Every lot, as filed

63 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Wed)

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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,573	2,925.00/head	2,925.00–2,925.00	2,925	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	541	322.80/cwt	322.50–325.00	1,746	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,028	224.19/cwt	221.00–225.00	2,305	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	933	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,146	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,317	3,750.00/head	3,750.00–3,750.00	3,750	3
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,278	4,421.11/head	3,900.00–4,500.00	4,421	42
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,000	198.93/cwt	189.50–232.50	1,989	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	425	417.50/cwt	417.50–417.50	1,774	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,473	3,055.75/head	2,850.00–3,275.00	3,056	42
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,273	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,473	3,115.92/head	2,800.00–3,300.00	3,116	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,475	2,925.73/head	2,800.00–3,025.00	2,926	15
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,272	3,321.36/head	3,150.00–3,600.00	3,321	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,501	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 2	—	1,158	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,302	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,475	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,175	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,109	218.30/cwt	185.00–257.50	2,421	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,273	200.57/cwt	195.00–202.50	2,553	8
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,067	3,259.51/head	3,200.00–3,300.00	3,260	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,391	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,625	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,544	3,024.92/head	2,900.00–3,250.00	3,025	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	855	206.73/cwt	205.00–210.00	1,768	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,419	153.40/cwt	149.00–159.00	2,177	65
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,506	146.13/cwt	141.00–148.00	2,201	25
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,359	160.55/cwt	160.00–161.00	2,182	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	943	106.18/cwt	105.00–107.50	1,001	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,196	119.64/cwt	110.00–127.00	1,431	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,215	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,701	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,364	129.52/cwt	127.00–135.00	1,767	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,073	105.50/cwt	105.00–106.00	1,132	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,594	145.25/cwt	144.50–146.00	2,315	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,534	151.34/cwt	151.00–152.00	2,322	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,172	159.70/cwt	159.00–160.00	1,872	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,152	133.72/cwt	124.00–142.50	1,540	41
Bulls	—	—	2,001	176.23/cwt	170.00–184.00	3,526	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,139	150.48/cwt	144.00–157.50	1,714	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,005	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	2,847	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,728	139.35/cwt	130.50–146.00	2,408	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,567	151.99/cwt	150.50–152.50	2,382	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,568	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,430	3
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	850	219.72/cwt	180.00–272.50	1,868	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,454	145.18/cwt	137.00–148.00	2,111	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,898	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	3,132	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,559	173.87/cwt	167.00–182.00	2,711	15
Bulls	—	—	1,801	166.18/cwt	160.00–172.00	2,993	6
Bulls	—	—	2,115	193.87/cwt	185.00–205.00	4,100	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,096	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,295	159.65/cwt	155.00–162.00	2,067	4
Heifer Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,046	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	12
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	755	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,699	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,180	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	2,136	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Large 1	—	1,643	3,800.00/head	3,800.00–3,800.00	3,800	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	904	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	2,224	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	865	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	2,128	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,157	176.94/cwt	161.00–225.00	2,047	27
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,325	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,047	172.75/cwt	152.00–200.00	1,809	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,225	1,986.95/head	1,975.00–2,000.00	1,987	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,546	3,425.78/head	3,325.00–3,500.00	3,426	27
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,253	4,305.86/head	4,150.00–4,425.00	4,306	94

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 →