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

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (9-02-26): Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling steers and heifers were also too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for both calves and yearlings on light offerings was mostly good. Quality this week was mostly average and not as attractive as last week. Most offerings were in small packages or as singles which forced buyers to piece together loads. Market activity was mostly active, with a moderate crowd of buyers in the stands and a few noticed on the internet bidding. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and light offerings. Feeding cow quality remains mostly plain to average. Many lame and blemished cows continue to be marketed. A few long strings of cows were seen this week. One set of fed cows were seen this week and these cattle were purchased to return to feed. Feeding cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Slaughter cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison on all classes. Slaughter bulls sold mostly generally steady. 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. Most of these offerings were purchased to feed again this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 600–700 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

600–700 lb steers averaged $342.68/cwt on 31 head, down $25.66 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 15 comparable sales and sits −81.41 against this barn's trailing median of $424.08.

Average price

$342.68

▼ 25.66 vs prior sale

31 head · 658 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,255

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$50

per head · Large 1 over Large 1-2

$19.15/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.14

vs MT average

−10.02 vs national

What quality paid 600–700 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Large 1	655	345.15	2,261	27
Large 1-2	678	326.00	2,210	4thin

One grade step is worth $19.15/cwt here — about $50 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 600–700 lb

15 sales

Steers 600–700 lb: high $435.51, low $342.68, median $424.08 across 15 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 600–700 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale31 hd

342.68

—

MT average2 barns · 44 hd

343.82

−1.14

National average128 barns · 4,719 hd

352.70

−10.02

This barn, trailing median15 sales

424.08

−81.41

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	1,791	176.45	3,159	39
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1,424	156.87	2,234	171
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,591	151.94	2,417	82
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,203	139.24	1,675	95
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,299	119.00	1,546	5thin

Every lot, as filed

50 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
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,299	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,546	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,207	105.10/cwt	102.50–107.50	1,269	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,129	141.80/cwt	139.00–145.00	1,601	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,345	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,601	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,411	144.22/cwt	141.50–148.00	2,035	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,183	131.75/cwt	115.00–138.00	1,559	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	838	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	2,799	2
Stock Cows	Small and Medium 3	—	861	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,205	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1200–1250	1,240	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	2,573	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	300	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	1,710	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	405	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	2,066	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Full	450–500	484	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,105	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	973	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	2,763	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	1000–1050	1,037	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	2,821	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	430	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,849	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	458	437.50/cwt	437.50–437.50	2,004	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	361	427.48/cwt	420.00–435.00	1,543	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	388	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,843	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	368	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,785	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	919	298.99/cwt	297.00–305.00	2,748	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,198	218.49/cwt	207.50–230.00	2,618	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,230	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	2,042	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,140	189.34/cwt	177.00–205.00	2,158	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	860	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	2,812	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	460	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,162	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,655	135.41/cwt	131.00–142.00	2,241	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,624	144.06/cwt	143.00–146.00	2,340	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,437	160.73/cwt	156.00–164.00	2,310	132
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	668	123.38/cwt	122.50–125.00	824	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	980	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,372	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	136.09/cwt	127.50–139.00	1,932	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,300	169.58/cwt	168.00–171.00	2,205	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,617	171.98/cwt	167.00–175.00	2,781	6
Bulls	—	—	1,705	170.05/cwt	164.00–174.00	2,899	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,601	153.54/cwt	150.00–157.00	2,458	61
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,515	160.88/cwt	159.00–162.50	2,437	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,355	146.59/cwt	135.00–154.00	1,986	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,270	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,892	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,207	137.36/cwt	133.00–145.00	1,658	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Light Weight	—	920	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,265	1
Bulls	—	—	1,757	190.20/cwt	188.00–194.00	3,342	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,643	177.42/cwt	175.00–180.00	2,915	6
Bulls	—	—	2,045	181.15/cwt	174.00–185.00	3,705	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,286	170.00/cwt	166.00–183.00	2,186	11
Steers	Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	678	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	2,210	4
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	602	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	2,161	5
Heifers	Large 1	1250–1300	1,285	269.50/cwt	269.50–269.50	3,463	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	575	347.78/cwt	335.00–360.00	2,000	6
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	667	342.00/cwt	342.00–342.00	2,281	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	445	452.00/cwt	440.00–460.00	2,011	5

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 →