Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-02-19
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-02-19

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand for limited feeder cattle was mostly good. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most feeders were offered in very small groups or as singles. Temperatures have been well below 0 for the last few days and feeder cattle movement has been slow as a result. Lows to start the sell were 20 to 35 below 0. 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 and major packers were both active in bidding on offerings. Several sets of cows were on offer today that had been on feed, however most were far from finished. This didn't slow demand as packers showed very good demand for all classes of cows for immediate harvest. All cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on breaking cows and higher undertones were noticed on boning and lean cows. Most slaughter cows sold for $290.00-315.00 on a dressed basis. Feeding cows sold on very good demand as private feeders tried to buy cows away from packer buyers. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. 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. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Demand from both rebreed buyers and feeders continues to be very good. Quality this week was plain to attractive.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $352.50/cwt on 4 head. That ranks 1 of 11 comparable sales and sits −138.95 against this barn's trailing median of $491.45.

Average price

$352.50

4 head · 535 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,886

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+1.21

vs MT average

+11.29 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	535	352.50	1,886	4thin

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

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

11 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $510.69, low $452.33, median $491.45 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 sale4 hd

352.50

—

MT average3 barns · 357 hd

351.29

+1.21

National average106 barns · 4,665 hd

341.21

+11.29

This barn, trailing median11 sales

491.45

−138.95

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	—	High	1,793	168.33	3,019	3thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,658	150.36	2,493	62
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,382	146.97	2,031	281
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,222	140.26	1,714	95

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	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,345	$2,500	2thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,096	$2,224	5

Every lot, as filed

39 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	—	—	2,050	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	3,854	1
Bulls	—	—	1,685	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,612	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,353	152.77/cwt	152.50–153.00	2,067	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,336	132.84/cwt	131.00–135.00	1,775	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,159	125.92/cwt	115.50–132.00	1,459	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,229	141.99/cwt	134.00–144.00	1,745	42
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	588	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,499	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	400	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	1,370	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	479	329.36/cwt	320.00–337.50	1,578	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,096	2,223.81/head	2,200.00–2,300.00	2,224	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,031	204.63/cwt	185.00–215.00	2,110	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	943	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	2,235	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	973	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	2,262	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	600–650	625	263.00/cwt	263.00–263.00	1,644	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,804	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,029	153.22/cwt	145.00–165.00	1,577	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	535	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	1,886	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	460	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,702	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,345	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	530	318.78/cwt	315.00–325.00	1,690	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,106	172.57/cwt	148.00–215.00	1,909	20
Steers	Medium 2	450–500	464	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,369	10
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	470	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	1,513	3
Steers	Medium 1	700–750	720	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	1,854	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	645	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,645	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	318	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,272	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	873	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,353	2
Bulls	—	—	1,645	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	2,665	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,089	123.93/cwt	114.00–127.00	1,350	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,205	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	1,145	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,463	154.68/cwt	151.50–156.50	2,263	44
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,322	145.83/cwt	137.00–148.00	1,928	136
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,077	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,572	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,429	146.21/cwt	138.00–150.50	2,089	90
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,250	146.45/cwt	145.50–146.50	1,831	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,219	138.17/cwt	133.00–143.00	1,684	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,494	132.69/cwt	125.00–136.00	1,982	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,690	149.69/cwt	142.00–151.00	2,530	48
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,549	152.65/cwt	152.00–154.00	2,365	14

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 →