Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-09-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (8-19-26): Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed on all offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Most yearling offerings were in small packages or as singles, while most calf offerings were in small to moderate size package. Demand was mostly moderate to good for both yearlings and calves. Demand for calves improved this week as several large packages of high quality calves were noticed. Calf quality was mostly attractive this week. Demand for lightweight calves suitable to develop into yearlings remains very good despite lower CME positions. Demand for calves over 450 lbs was mostly moderate to good. Demand did improve as additional buyers started loads. Yearling demand suffered as the volume of offerings limited demand. Yearling quality was mostly average today. Market activity was mostly active, with a large crowd of buyers in the stands and over the internet bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand and light offerings. Heavier cow offerings have started to be marketed and packers have lowered bids on both cows and bulls as a result. Feeding cow quality was mostly plain to average this week. The last sale was 2 weeks ago so all comparisons are to that sale. Feeding cows sold mostly sold mostly 6.00-10.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold sharply lower on breaking flesh cows, with most sales 15.00-20.00 lower than two weeks ago. Boning and lean cows sold mostly 10.00-15.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 18.00-20.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mixed this sale with both full and empty offerings noticed. Young age offerings were too lightly tested both last sale and today to develop an accurate market trend. Demand for limited offerings was mostly good. Quality was mostly plain to average. Many young cows were fleshy coming off grass, especially if they have not calved.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $372.32/cwt on 76 head, up $21.44 from the prior sale (only 17 head in that comparison). That ranks 3 of 20 comparable sales and sits −48.66 against this barn's trailing median of $420.98.

Average price

$372.32

▲ 21.44 vs prior sale

76 head · 547 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,037

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$98

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

$37.53/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.00

vs MT average

+40.80 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	539	382.69	2,061	55
Medium and Large 1-2	569	345.17	1,964	21

One grade step is worth $37.53/cwt here — about $98 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 200–300 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

20 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $464.07, low $347.53, median $420.98 across 20 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 sale76 hd

372.32

—

MT average2 barns · 82 hd

370.32

+2.00

National average157 barns · 5,611 hd

331.52

+40.80

This barn, trailing median20 sales

420.98

−48.66

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	1,747	173.13	3,024	48
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,413	155.84	2,202	84
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,662	150.85	2,507	44
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,196	141.67	1,694	43
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,298	125.00	1,623	2thin

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	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,518	$2,300	7

Every lot, as filed

94 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 1-2Unweaned	250–300	278	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,390	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	530	394.11/cwt	390.00–405.00	2,089	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	573	377.00/cwt	377.00–377.00	2,160	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	421	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,705	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	675	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,228	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	283	565.00/cwt	565.00–565.00	1,599	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,006	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,716	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	378	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	1,909	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	413	439.01/cwt	427.50–455.00	1,813	84
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	530	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,802	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,006	293.57/cwt	287.50–296.00	2,953	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	950–1000	999	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,697	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	627	368.34/cwt	361.00–381.00	2,309	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	258	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,419	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	313	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	1,706	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	523	445.06/cwt	415.00–454.50	2,328	94
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	206	690.00/cwt	690.00–690.00	1,421	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	775	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	2,565	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	468	443.97/cwt	420.00–447.50	2,078	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	518	414.90/cwt	405.00–422.50	2,149	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	886	325.49/cwt	324.00–327.00	2,884	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	558	387.08/cwt	385.00–387.50	2,160	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	477	459.06/cwt	454.00–477.50	2,190	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	568	392.32/cwt	380.00–399.00	2,228	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	342	527.42/cwt	522.50–570.00	1,804	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,011	288.78/cwt	280.00–294.00	2,920	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	962	296.77/cwt	294.00–303.00	2,855	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	615	353.00/cwt	353.00–353.00	2,171	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	435	486.93/cwt	474.00–527.50	2,118	63
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	515	394.07/cwt	377.50–422.50	2,029	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	565	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,091	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	822	332.00/cwt	332.00–332.00	2,729	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	1000–1050	1,018	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	2,840	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	368	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	1,895	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	371	481.83/cwt	472.50–495.00	1,788	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	275	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	1,595	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	796	356.00/cwt	356.00–356.00	2,834	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	495	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,005	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	934	307.36/cwt	307.00–307.50	2,871	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	880	316.54/cwt	312.00–318.00	2,786	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	473	422.23/cwt	405.00–430.00	1,997	103
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,649	150.50/cwt	150.00–151.00	2,482	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,791	144.18/cwt	142.00–146.00	2,582	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,253	163.51/cwt	158.00–165.00	2,049	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	850	109.76/cwt	105.00–115.00	933	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,080	108.70/cwt	107.50–110.00	1,174	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,084	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,539	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,818	141.02/cwt	140.00–142.00	2,564	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,414	147.83/cwt	145.00–158.00	2,090	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,194	127.47/cwt	115.00–139.00	1,522	14
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,298	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,623	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,200	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	1,968	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,283	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,886	8
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,510	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	4,091	1
Bulls	—	—	2,395	175.50/cwt	175.50–175.50	4,203	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,448	171.50/cwt	171.50–171.50	2,483	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,397	163.23/cwt	157.00–167.00	2,280	47
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,622	143.13/cwt	137.00–150.00	2,322	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,614	158.47/cwt	155.00–163.00	2,558	19
Bulls	—	—	1,869	181.65/cwt	178.00–186.00	3,395	14
Bulls	—	—	1,755	168.45/cwt	155.00–172.50	2,956	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,410	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,692	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,323	133.44/cwt	122.50–139.50	1,765	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,370	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	2,165	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,538	142.78/cwt	140.00–146.50	2,196	10
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,190	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,856	1
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1150–1200	1,176	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,940	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,510	167.73/cwt	159.00–176.00	2,533	14
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,600	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	2,832	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,325	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	2,120	1
Bulls	—	—	2,068	192.48/cwt	192.00–193.00	3,980	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1200–1250	1,235	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,594	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,160	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	2,888	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,110	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	2,636	1
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,112	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	3,014	10
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,105	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	2,895	1
Heifers	Large 1Full	1050–1100	1,097	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,962	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,365	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	2,675	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,518	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	7
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	655	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,211	3
Heifers	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,118	259.24/cwt	257.50–261.00	2,898	4
Heifers	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,060	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	2,836	1
Steers	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,098	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,965	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	433	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,035	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	573	345.71/cwt	342.00–350.00	1,981	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,160	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	2,158	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,043	250.06/cwt	235.00–257.00	2,608	25
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,083	212.50/cwt	212.50–212.50	2,301	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,007	226.85/cwt	220.00–241.00	2,284	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	998	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	2,934	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	840	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,688	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	420	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,037	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	616	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,094	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	498	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,843	4

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 →