Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-09-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (9-02-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain to average with most offerings seen in small packages or as singles. Demand was light to moderate as both quality and quantity limited demand. CME feeder cattle positions showed strong gains today following through on bullish news from Fridays cattle on feed report. Market activity was mostly moderate today with a small crowd of buyers on hand for todays sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for light to moderate offerings. Canadian buyers showed moderate demand for cows to feed but were met with little resistance as American packers showed mostly light demand for all feeding cows. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. Slaughter cows were also met with light demand as American packers showed very light demand for all slaughter cows. Slaughter cows sold 4.00-8.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 6.00-10.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on light to moderate demand. Several sets of attractive offerings were seen this week, and many had freshy weaned calves. Demand was light to moderate and lighter than last week. Offerings were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $367.29/cwt on 7 head, up $19.75 from the prior sale (only 18 head in that comparison). That ranks 3 of 19 comparable sales and sits −46.52 against this barn's trailing median of $413.80.

Average price

$367.29

▲ 19.75 vs prior sale

7 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,993

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$99

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

$55.70/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−23.88

vs MT average

+11.04 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	526	383.20	2,015	5thin
Medium and Large 1-2	585	327.50	1,916	2thin

One grade step is worth $55.70/cwt here — about $99 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 sale7 hd

367.29

—

MT average2 barns · 43 hd

391.17

−23.88

National average178 barns · 11,809 hd

356.25

+11.04

This barn, trailing median19 sales

413.80

−46.52

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	1,712	171.01	2,928	64
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,405	143.89	2,022	121
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,607	143.10	2,299	39
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,171	127.31	1,490	116
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	920	100.00	920	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	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,082	$2,837	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,306	$2,175	5
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,278	$1,957	19
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,298	$1,900	3thin
Bred Heifers	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	(<2 yrs)	839	$2,661	9
Bred Heifers	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	702	$2,253	14

Every lot, as filed

65 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 1Unweaned	550–600	560	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,072	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,075	242.48/cwt	200.00–267.50	2,607	43
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,367	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,818	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,278	1,956.90/head	1,950.00–1,975.00	1,957	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	1,205	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	3,157	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	458	462.50/cwt	462.50–462.50	2,118	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	503	392.00/cwt	392.00–392.00	1,972	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	973	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	2,900	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,400	141.50/cwt	141.50–141.50	1,981	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	985	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	2,837	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,283	158.33/cwt	152.00–162.00	2,031	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,298	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	750	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,610	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,006	297.70/cwt	296.00–298.00	2,995	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,339	169.96/cwt	165.00–172.00	2,276	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	661	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,280	8
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	789	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	2,308	5
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	839	2,660.99/head	2,550.00–2,800.00	2,661	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	853	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	2,576	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,010	288.50/cwt	283.00–293.00	2,914	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	585	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,916	2
Stock Cows	Large 1-2	—	1,123	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,864	5
Bulls	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,088	245.02/cwt	242.50–250.00	2,666	3
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,130	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,599	1
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	473	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,821	5
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	640	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	2,202	2
Bred Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	702	2,252.71/head	2,200.00–2,300.00	2,253	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,582	148.45/cwt	146.00–151.00	2,348	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,673	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	2,459	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,391	137.39/cwt	124.00–143.50	1,911	12
Bulls	—	—	1,729	161.86/cwt	152.00–166.00	2,799	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,130	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,582	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,494	174.93/cwt	170.00–180.00	2,613	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	129.47/cwt	125.00–136.50	1,552	11
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	920	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	920	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,518	149.49/cwt	149.00–150.00	2,269	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Light Weight	—	990	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,287	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,699	130.67/cwt	130.00–132.00	2,220	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,382	124.30/cwt	120.00–127.00	1,718	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,624	134.55/cwt	132.00–143.00	2,185	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,170	128.99/cwt	124.50–137.50	1,509	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,230	150.44/cwt	147.00–157.50	1,850	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	922	120.83/cwt	120.00–122.50	1,114	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	795	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	636	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,181	116.85/cwt	100.00–124.00	1,380	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	939	307.04/cwt	305.00–311.00	2,883	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	380	523.29/cwt	520.00–530.00	1,989	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	881	311.35/cwt	310.00–312.00	2,743	22
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	915	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,922	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	829	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	2,259	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	554	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	2,202	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	989	245.60/cwt	195.00–270.00	2,429	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	822	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,672	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,094	178.76/cwt	154.00–200.00	1,956	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,082	2,836.69/head	2,825.00–2,850.00	2,837	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	790	317.68/cwt	316.00–330.00	2,510	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	472	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,699	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	943	296.00/cwt	296.00–296.00	2,791	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,306	2,175.00/head	2,175.00–2,175.00	2,175	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,397	130.87/cwt	128.00–135.00	1,828	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,390	158.61/cwt	156.00–163.00	2,205	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,417	149.60/cwt	144.00–155.00	2,120	78
Bulls	—	—	1,955	184.02/cwt	183.00–185.00	3,598	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,490	163.96/cwt	153.00–173.00	2,443	12
Bulls	—	—	1,910	174.41/cwt	169.00–181.00	3,331	23

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 →