Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-05-27
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-27

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (5-20-26): Feeder cattle were scarcely traded last week and today. All offerings were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most offerings were in small packages or as singles, forcing buyers to piece together loads. Market activity was moderate with a small crowd on hand. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Demand was uneven at times with buyers in and out of the market throughout the day. Internet bidding was active early in the sale but slowed as buyers filled out loads. Feeding cows sold steady to 5.00 lower, with the bulk of sales 3.00-5.00 lower. Demand for a full load of fed cows was very good. No recent test was seen for fed cows so no comparisons can be made. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-5.00 lower on breaking cows. Boning and lean cows were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower. Bull quality was average to attractive but not as attractive or as high yielding as last weeks offering. Demand for young cows suitable to feed or rebreed was lighter this week. Quality was mostly average. Young cows sold mostly 10.00-15.00 lower. Fewer takers were seen for this class of cattle this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $395.25/cwt on 10 head, down $29.75 from the prior sale (only 11 head in that comparison). That ranks 5 of 19 comparable sales and sits −26.29 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$395.25

▼ 29.75 vs prior sale

10 head · 551 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,179

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$266

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

$10.36/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−12.42

vs MT average

−12.19 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	588	402.50	2,367	3thin
Medium and Large 2	536	392.14	2,101	7thin

One grade step is worth $10.36/cwt here — about $266 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 700–800 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 $350.88, median $421.54 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 sale10 hd

395.25

—

MT average2 barns · 40 hd

407.67

−12.42

National average128 barns · 4,974 hd

407.44

−12.19

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−26.29

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	—	Low	1,881	222.44	4,185	132
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,396	182.29	2,544	190
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,648	176.63	2,910	53
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,767	176.00	3,110	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,159	166.38	1,929	88
Dairy Bulls	—	Low	1,795	191.00	3,428	2thin
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,490	155.00	2,310	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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,288	$3,789	11
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,205	$3,600	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,690	$3,550	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,415	$3,450	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,350	$3,200	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,540	$2,950	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,640	$2,800	1thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,233	$3,650	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,520	$3,700	1thin

Every lot, as filed

71 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	988	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	3,236	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	700	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,520	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,045	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,874	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	720	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,592	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	519	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,102	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	558	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,093	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	653	419.00/cwt	419.00–419.00	2,736	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	675	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,565	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	578	425.04/cwt	415.00–455.00	2,457	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,508	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	625	379.93/cwt	370.00–385.00	2,375	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	662	369.03/cwt	360.00–372.50	2,443	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,690	3,550.00/head	3,550.00–3,550.00	3,550	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	940	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,961	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	815	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	2,710	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	485	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,280	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	588	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	2,367	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	735	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,683	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,046	234.59/cwt	190.00–285.00	2,454	25
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	715	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,646	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,226	215.91/cwt	190.00–275.00	2,647	60
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,520	3,700.00/head	3,700.00–3,700.00	3,700	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,640	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,353	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	2,544	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,415	3,450.00/head	3,450.00–3,450.00	3,450	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,281	195.81/cwt	193.00–202.00	2,508	19
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,350	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	993	209.80/cwt	197.50–220.00	2,083	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,097	247.54/cwt	231.00–295.00	2,716	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,743	164.43/cwt	161.00–167.00	2,866	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,588	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	2,858	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,380	170.60/cwt	164.00–178.00	2,354	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	920	95.87/cwt	85.00–105.00	882	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,044	160.60/cwt	152.50–167.50	1,677	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,024	123.30/cwt	120.00–125.00	1,263	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	261.86/cwt	201.00–331.00	2,867	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,259	3,852.18/head	3,800.00–3,900.00	3,852	7
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,233	3,650.00/head	3,650.00–3,650.00	3,650	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,205	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,338	3,678.74/head	3,500.00–3,750.00	3,679	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	782	329.50/cwt	327.50–330.00	2,577	5
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,155	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	3,032	1
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,256	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	3,090	4
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,115	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	3,011	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	848	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,120	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	818	311.54/cwt	300.00–325.00	2,548	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,540	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	1
Bulls	—	—	1,930	199.03/cwt	192.50–205.00	3,841	2
Bulls	—	—	1,948	222.06/cwt	216.00–224.00	4,326	42
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,595	211.00/cwt	211.00–211.00	5,475	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,668	219.67/cwt	215.00–223.00	3,664	39
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,767	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	3,110	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,704	167.67/cwt	166.00–170.00	2,857	7
Bulls	—	—	2,098	229.10/cwt	224.00–244.00	4,807	39
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,339	211.12/cwt	204.00–219.00	2,827	8
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,490	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,310	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,409	192.62/cwt	189.00–200.50	2,714	48
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	822	130.85/cwt	125.00–140.00	1,076	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,205	183.75/cwt	172.50–188.00	2,214	36
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	183.99/cwt	174.00–189.00	2,543	92
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,627	172.51/cwt	169.50–178.00	2,807	10
Dairy Bulls	—	—	1,795	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	3,428	2
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,500	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	5,900	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,600	184.14/cwt	182.00–187.00	2,946	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,555	194.70/cwt	191.00–203.00	3,028	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,173	138.77/cwt	130.00–145.00	1,628	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	910	158.53/cwt	151.00–165.00	1,443	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,461	165.61/cwt	153.00–169.00	2,420	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,480	174.44/cwt	170.00–179.00	2,582	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,352	188.11/cwt	187.00–191.00	2,543	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,157	163.76/cwt	155.00–171.00	1,895	19

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 →