Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-03-25
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-25

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (3-18-26): Feeder cattle too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain and offered in small packages or as singles. A large portion of todays sale was offered as singles making putting together loads difficult for buyers. Many blemished calves or cutback calves off video sales were seen today. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. A small to moderate size crowd was on hand for todays sale. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand again this week. Almost every cow purchased today was once again purchased to feed in some capacity. Feeding cows sold unevenly steady, with high quality cows selling higher and average and poorer quality cows selling lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. A few sets of cows which had be started on feed sold this week. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week with lots of variation noticed. Cows with blemishes were also heavily purchased to feed this week as buyers pushed cow prices well over packer buyers orders for slaughter cows. Very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest as feeding cow demand held cow prices above slaughter cow orders. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. Feeding bull buyers were very aggressive in buying bulls to feed. Feeding bulls sold generally steady. Demand for young cows remains very good. Young age offerings sold mostly steady to 10.00 higher with higher prices seen on light weight offerings which had recently lost calves. Quality this week was average to attractive, and similar to last weeks offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $413.80/cwt on 51 head, down $6.62 from the prior sale (only 14 head in that comparison). That ranks 10 of 19 comparable sales and sits +0.00 against this barn's trailing median of $413.80.

Average price

$413.80

▼ 6.62 vs prior sale

51 head · 544 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,251

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$374

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

$61.06/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.37

vs MT average

−11.39 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	559	421.06	2,354	18thin
Medium and Large 1-2	536	411.40	2,203	32
Medium and Large 2	550	360.00	1,980	1thin

One grade step is worth $61.06/cwt here — about $374 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.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

19 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $464.07, low $347.53, median $413.80 across 19 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 sale51 hd

413.80

—

MT average2 barns · 53 hd

415.17

−1.37

National average176 barns · 15,314 hd

425.19

−11.39

This barn, trailing median19 sales

413.80

+0.00

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	1,736	199.94	3,472	45
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,397	174.61	2,439	130
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,611	174.13	2,805	46
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,096	154.80	1,696	62

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)	1,252	$4,134	11
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,215	$4,000	1thin

Every lot, as filed

100 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	550	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,980	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	709	306.27/cwt	302.50–310.00	2,171	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	378	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	1,985	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	200–250	247	565.00/cwt	565.00–565.00	1,396	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	608	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,402	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	527	413.21/cwt	412.50–430.00	2,178	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	816	321.24/cwt	319.00–325.00	2,621	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	611	403.83/cwt	397.50–405.00	2,467	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	741	347.08/cwt	347.00–347.50	2,572	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	336	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,680	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	670	339.96/cwt	327.50–355.00	2,278	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	723	356.63/cwt	352.50–360.00	2,578	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	772	344.75/cwt	344.00–345.00	2,661	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	421	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,937	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	610	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	2,242	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	425	425.58/cwt	425.00–430.00	1,809	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	790	329.55/cwt	327.50–338.00	2,603	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	440	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,134	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	530	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,385	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,040	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	3,016	1
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,130	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,938	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	975	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,925	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	478	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,390	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	445	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,203	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	590	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,977	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	552	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,987	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	672	384.42/cwt	360.00–391.00	2,583	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	998	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	2,984	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	308	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	1,648	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	800	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,800	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	486	532.02/cwt	530.00–532.50	2,586	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	444	575.00/cwt	575.00–575.00	2,553	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	559	421.06/cwt	419.00–425.00	2,354	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	561	405.97/cwt	405.00–410.00	2,277	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	649	422.50/cwt	422.50–422.50	2,742	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	395	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	2,074	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	444	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,198	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	557	442.50/cwt	442.50–442.50	2,465	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	662	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,747	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	460	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,162	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	431.00/cwt	431.00–431.00	2,866	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	825	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	2,978	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	2,756	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	266	615.00/cwt	615.00–615.00	1,636	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	700–750	725	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,211	1
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,190	253.34/cwt	250.00–255.00	3,015	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	50–100	98	750.00/head	750.00–750.00	750	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	367	575.00/cwt	575.00–575.00	2,110	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	768	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	2,784	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	600–650	604	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,416	17
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,735	165.85/cwt	164.00–170.00	2,877	5
Bulls	—	—	1,698	168.94/cwt	160.00–179.00	2,869	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,394	183.73/cwt	182.00–191.00	2,561	54
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,010	154.40/cwt	144.00–164.50	1,559	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,157	180.42/cwt	179.00–182.00	2,087	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,125	172.70/cwt	167.00–177.50	1,943	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,188	128.53/cwt	115.00–137.50	1,527	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,205	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	1,958	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,573	177.27/cwt	171.00–180.00	2,788	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,425	165.17/cwt	164.50–166.00	2,354	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,173	149.02/cwt	144.00–159.00	1,748	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,618	181.45/cwt	181.00–182.00	2,936	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	810	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	729	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,045	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,416	159.84/cwt	155.50–162.00	2,263	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,409	162.63/cwt	150.00–167.50	2,291	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,395	174.61/cwt	168.00–181.00	2,436	43
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,345	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,412	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,663	166.17/cwt	162.00–170.00	2,763	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,521	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	2,768	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,748	161.84/cwt	159.00–164.00	2,829	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,320	136.20/cwt	132.00–139.00	1,798	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	905	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,199	1
Bulls	—	—	2,080	216.49/cwt	216.00–217.00	4,503	2
Bulls	—	—	2,225	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	4,628	1
Bulls	—	—	2,027	210.63/cwt	203.00–216.00	4,269	9
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,460	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	2,592	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,578	204.91/cwt	196.00–215.00	3,233	18
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,684	194.44/cwt	187.50–197.00	3,274	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	870	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,958	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,069	238.83/cwt	181.00–290.00	2,553	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,274	4,187.91/head	4,100.00–4,300.00	4,188	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,030	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,061	276.94/cwt	225.00–365.00	2,938	68
Stock Cows	Medium 2	—	805	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,771	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	834	219.59/cwt	200.00–255.00	1,831	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	735	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,517	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,239	202.00/cwt	185.00–222.50	2,503	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,195	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	2,127	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,022	243.68/cwt	220.00–315.00	2,490	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,086	256.14/cwt	172.00–340.00	2,782	74
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	1,125	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,813	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,443	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	2,706	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,173	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	2,921	8
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,215	4,000.00/head	4,000.00–4,000.00	4,000	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1250–1300	1,265	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,593	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,110	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,664	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	924	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	2,934	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	618	347.33/cwt	335.00–365.00	2,146	5
Bulls	Medium 2	500–550	502	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,908	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 →