Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-02-05
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-02-05

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on steers and higher undertones were noticed on heifers. Demand was good for very light offerings. Quality today was mostly plain. Most calves were offered in small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly moderate with a small crowd on hand bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows comprised most of todays light offering. Slaughter cows sold on very good demand as small regional packers were active in buying cows for immediate harvest. Breaking cows sold generally steady, boning and lean cows sold with higher to sharply higher undertones. The volume of boning and lean slaughter cows was too light to develop a full market trend. Feeding cows sold on very good demand as private feeders and cooperate packers showed very good demand for all cows suitable to feed. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold with steady undertones in a narrow comparison. Demand for slaughter bulls was mostly good this sale. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average with most cows very empty come sale time. Several sets of very thin cows were seen this week many of which were purchased to feed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Demand from both rebreed buyers and feeders continues to be very good. Quality this week was plain to attractive. Several sets of tested open cows were purchased to rebreed as many of them were off yesterdays bred cow and heifer special.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $305.00/cwt on 6 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −116.54 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$305.00

6 head · 520 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,586

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−14.34

vs MT average

+6.14 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	520	305.00	1,586	6thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

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 sale6 hd

305.00

—

MT average3 barns · 217 hd

319.34

−14.34

National average192 barns · 21,303 hd

298.86

+6.14

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−116.54

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	1,664	155.46	2,587	9thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,621	145.18	2,353	6thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,418	144.33	2,047	58
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,077	121.30	1,306	128

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)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,189	$1,843	5
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,262	$1,710	5
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,122	$2,850	4thin

Every lot, as filed

49 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	—	—	1,385	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,884	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,545	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,457	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,160	142.80/cwt	139.00–145.00	1,656	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,454	149.91/cwt	145.00–152.00	2,180	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,520	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,809	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,493	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	2,277	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	772	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,884	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,547	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	880	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	2,138	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	850	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	2,134	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	455	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,661	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	396	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,564	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	922	181.09/cwt	180.00–182.00	1,670	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,122	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,189	1,843.07/head	1,800.00–1,900.00	1,843	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,108	1,500.00/head	1,500.00–1,500.00	1,500	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	570	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,824	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	653	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,881	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	511	339.75/cwt	337.50–340.00	1,736	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,014	243.50/cwt	243.50–243.50	2,469	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	584	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	1,679	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	739	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,862	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	435	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,436	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	421	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,537	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	863	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,158	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,365	1,850.00/head	1,850.00–1,850.00	1,850	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	491	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,277	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	368	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,159	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	981	200.34/cwt	177.50–215.00	1,965	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,020	172.79/cwt	153.00–192.50	1,762	22
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	925	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,230	14
Heifers	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,090	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,420	1
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,075	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	2,451	1
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	633	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	1,535	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	338	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	1,107	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	520	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,586	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	619	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,739	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,128	94.21/cwt	92.50–95.00	1,063	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,361	138.59/cwt	131.00–144.00	1,886	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,594	147.36/cwt	147.00–148.00	2,349	3
Bulls	—	—	1,823	161.83/cwt	160.00–163.00	2,950	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,647	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	2,355	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,211	134.66/cwt	131.00–137.00	1,631	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,103	131.76/cwt	127.00–134.00	1,453	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,044	115.64/cwt	111.00–122.00	1,207	62
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	915	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,144	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	810	88.62/cwt	80.00–91.00	718	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,353	135.44/cwt	129.00–141.00	1,833	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,081	104.49/cwt	100.00–110.00	1,130	6

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 →