Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-09-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-09-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (9-23-26): 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 as grain crops showed significant weakness. Market activity was mostly moderate today with a small to moderate 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 steady to 5.00 lower. Private feeders were more active this week and were willing to take blemished cows to feed. Much more of the offering was purchased to feed this week compared to last week. Slaughter cows continue to be met with light demand. American packers continue to buy slaughter cows lower and allowed many cows to be sold to feeding buyers as they pushed these cows above slaughter buyers orders. Slaughter cows sold 1.00-2.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold steady to 5.00 lower on a poorer quality lower yielding offering. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00 to 5.00 higher as feeding buyers and slaughter buyers both showed moderate to good demand for offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate to good demand today with several more buyers purchasing this class of cow this week. Young age offerings sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $435.17/cwt on 90 head, up $6.35 from the prior sale. That ranks 2 of 11 comparable sales and sits −51.56 against this barn's trailing median of $486.73.

Average price

$435.17

▲ 6.35 vs prior sale

90 head · 536 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,334

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$53

per head · Large 1 over Medium and Large 1

$12.61/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+4.22

vs MT average

+38.70 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Large 1	510	447.50	2,282	2thin
Medium and Large 1	537	434.89	2,335	88

One grade step is worth $12.61/cwt here — about −$53 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 500–600 lb

11 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $510.69, low $428.82, median $486.73 across 11 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 sale90 hd

435.17

—

MT average3 barns · 206 hd

430.95

+4.22

National average132 barns · 9,219 hd

396.47

+38.70

This barn, trailing median11 sales

486.73

−51.56

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	1,855	175.95	3,264	61
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,400	138.87	1,945	115
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,651	135.85	2,243	42
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,193	129.57	1,546	111

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/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,136	$3,050	4thin

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
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,171	110.13/cwt	100.00–120.00	1,290	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,158	129.73/cwt	124.00–133.00	1,502	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,368	135.60/cwt	119.00–141.00	1,855	55
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,653	132.71/cwt	132.00–136.00	2,194	7
Bulls	—	—	1,781	167.12/cwt	160.00–170.00	2,976	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,600	135.69/cwt	134.00–139.00	2,171	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	930	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	791	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,199	129.49/cwt	117.50–134.00	1,553	58
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,791	178.50/cwt	172.00–183.00	3,197	16
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,586	143.40/cwt	140.00–147.00	2,274	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,676	129.29/cwt	124.00–132.00	2,167	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,085	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	2,450	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	930	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	837	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	943	121.25/cwt	120.00–122.50	1,143	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,388	133.42/cwt	128.00–138.00	1,852	6
Bulls	—	—	2,030	184.33/cwt	184.00–184.50	3,742	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,221	137.90/cwt	134.00–145.00	1,684	36
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,542	115.77/cwt	109.00–125.00	1,785	6
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,220	236.23/cwt	235.00–240.00	2,882	4
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,155	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	3,003	1
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,051	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	3,058	4
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	568	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,300	6
Bulls	Large 1-2	1250–1300	1,268	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	2,821	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,100	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	2,730	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,010	186.77/cwt	164.00–225.00	1,886	3
Open Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	950	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,280	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	752	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	2,512	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	878	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	2,906	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	655	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,456	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	510	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	2,282	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	250	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	1,425	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	393	511.88/cwt	510.00–520.00	2,012	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	298	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	1,803	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	528	397.20/cwt	385.00–412.00	2,097	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	473	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,939	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	950–1000	995	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,388	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	846	315.36/cwt	315.00–317.00	2,668	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	485	423.84/cwt	422.50–424.00	2,056	22
Open Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,030	279.19/cwt	246.00–295.00	2,876	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	997	264.10/cwt	215.00–287.50	2,633	33
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,150	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,530	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	623	387.00/cwt	387.00–387.00	2,411	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	417	444.20/cwt	440.00–452.00	1,852	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,248	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,328	156.49/cwt	154.00–157.00	2,078	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,136	3,050.00/head	3,050.00–3,050.00	3,050	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,128	230.18/cwt	165.00–285.00	2,596	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	933	303.47/cwt	299.00–306.00	2,831	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	635	357.92/cwt	357.00–359.00	2,273	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	526	440.90/cwt	436.00–447.00	2,319	68
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,034	292.36/cwt	289.00–299.00	3,023	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	658	379.00/cwt	379.00–379.00	2,494	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	574	414.45/cwt	402.50–428.00	2,379	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	482	465.74/cwt	459.00–480.00	2,245	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	480	457.00/cwt	457.00–457.00	2,194	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	305	610.00/cwt	610.00–610.00	1,861	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	437	488.46/cwt	480.00–500.00	2,135	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	978	296.77/cwt	295.00–299.00	2,902	16
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,125	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,644	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,045	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	2,639	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	705	373.00/cwt	373.00–373.00	2,630	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	655	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,424	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	380	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,748	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	399	497.50/cwt	497.50–497.50	1,985	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	513	384.00/cwt	384.00–384.00	1,970	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,601	148.70/cwt	148.00–153.00	2,381	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,434	152.54/cwt	152.00–154.00	2,187	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,419	145.10/cwt	140.00–150.00	2,059	41
Bulls	—	—	1,943	177.52/cwt	174.00–181.00	3,449	29
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,410	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,383	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,604	167.52/cwt	159.00–173.00	2,687	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 →