Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-03-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were not tested last week as that sale featured bred cows, bred heifers and weigh ups. Feeder cattle sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average today with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. Many cutback cattle were seen off spring video sales for todays sale. Most cattle were offered in small packages with many singles on offer. Many sets of cattle had been in grow lots and many offerings were in moderate plus to fleshy condition. A large crowd was on hand for todays sale despite a light offering. Buyers bid actively both ringside as well as over the internet as they pushed to fill orders. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Regional packers and major packers both showed very good demand for high quality cows this week. Regional packers purchased cows to slaughter while major packer purchased cattle to feed. The best demand was seen for heavy boning and breaking cows this week. Breaking and boning slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher. Lean cows were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold on good to very good demand with both major packers and private feeders actively buying cows to feed. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Thin feeding cows sold mostly steady to 4.00 higher. Cow quality was mixed this week from plain to very attractive. Weigh up conditions were mixed as well, with both empty and full cows noticed. The quality of cows going to feed continues to vairy greatly from buyer to buyer as several buyers were willing to take cows which were lame or slightly blemished and put them on feed or run them on wheat pasture until cow supplies tighten later in the spring and early summer. A large pool of cow buyers was on hand for todays sale and market activity was mostly active as a result. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower, however bull quality was not as attractive this week as it has been the last couple weeks. Several sets of fed bulls were seen again this week. Fed bull quality was not as attractive as the last two weeks. Demand for slaughter bulls was good this sale. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00 lower, however quality this week was not as attractive as the open cows off of last weeks bred cow sale. Demand from rebreed buyers was mostly good this sale. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $321.36/cwt on 69 head. That ranks 1 of 19 comparable sales and sits −100.18 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$321.36

69 head · 561 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,803

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$64

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

$20.39/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−4.08

vs MT average

+6.40 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	551	334.36	1,843	25
Medium and Large 1-2	567	313.97	1,779	44

One grade step is worth $20.39/cwt here — about $64 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 $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 sale69 hd

321.36

—

MT average3 barns · 342 hd

325.44

−4.08

National average179 barns · 17,787 hd

314.96

+6.40

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−100.18

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	—	Average	1,907	167.97	3,204	52
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,604	153.25	2,458	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,470	151.71	2,231	187
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,205	125.28	1,509	49
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,208	114.23	1,380	2thin

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)	1,184	$2,750	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,245	$2,700	1thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,287	$2,200	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,200	$1,750	2thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,165	$2,700	1thin
Bred Heifers	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,048	$2,100	2thin

Every lot, as filed

75 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	775	292.51/cwt	292.00–293.00	2,267	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,252	147.17/cwt	145.00–148.50	1,843	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,287	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	832	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	2,263	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	548	337.00/cwt	337.00–337.00	1,847	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	457	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,668	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	994	214.16/cwt	173.00–230.00	2,129	24
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	875	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	2,083	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	739	305.81/cwt	305.00–306.00	2,260	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	635	329.00/cwt	329.00–329.00	2,089	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,150	174.01/cwt	149.00–215.00	2,001	75
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,465	162.64/cwt	157.00–183.00	2,383	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,245	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	383	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,589	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	689	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	1,922	6
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,048	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	975	209.63/cwt	205.00–212.00	2,044	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,200	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	708	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,018	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	1000–1050	1,035	210.50/cwt	210.50–210.50	2,179	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	855	273.00/cwt	273.00–273.00	2,334	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	804	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	2,106	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	532	351.93/cwt	345.00–365.00	1,872	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	420	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,533	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	547	319.22/cwt	318.00–333.00	1,746	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	488	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	1,664	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	655	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,952	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	955	162.04/cwt	146.00–195.00	1,547	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	310	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,411	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	574	312.00/cwt	310.00–313.00	1,791	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	592	321.28/cwt	320.00–340.00	1,902	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,219	143.59/cwt	141.00–146.00	1,750	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,436	128.77/cwt	122.00–135.00	1,849	18
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,916	173.86/cwt	165.00–182.00	3,331	16
Bulls	—	—	2,023	177.46/cwt	175.00–180.00	3,590	2
Bulls	—	—	1,877	167.86/cwt	162.50–179.00	3,151	19
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,745	156.92/cwt	146.50–165.00	2,738	3
Bulls	—	—	1,837	153.96/cwt	144.00–159.00	2,828	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,198	110.54/cwt	103.00–131.00	1,324	17
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,505	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	2,258	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,517	158.62/cwt	150.00–160.50	2,406	110
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,380	146.34/cwt	137.00–149.50	2,019	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,205	123.22/cwt	122.00–130.00	1,485	15
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,208	114.23/cwt	111.00–117.00	1,380	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,703	157.05/cwt	154.00–159.50	2,675	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,201	147.64/cwt	146.00–150.50	1,773	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,514	149.75/cwt	149.00–153.50	2,267	11
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,980	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	3,663	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,533	183.51/cwt	182.00–185.00	4,648	2
Steers	Large 2	1100–1150	1,136	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,988	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,255	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	1,192	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,383	129.67/cwt	126.00–135.00	1,793	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,489	153.40/cwt	149.00–154.00	2,284	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,370	146.87/cwt	140.00–150.00	2,012	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,170	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,568	1
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,153	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	2,606	2
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,240	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,604	1
Steers	Large 1	850–900	851	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	2,119	14
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,255	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	2,661	1
Steers	Large 1-2Fleshy	1200–1250	1,222	186.96/cwt	180.00–199.00	2,285	11
Heifers	Large 1-2Fleshy	1100–1150	1,134	197.00/cwt	197.00–197.00	2,234	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	782	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,986	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	636	324.34/cwt	322.00–329.00	2,063	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,512	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	563	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,633	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	392	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,529	3
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	745	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	1,944	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	700–750	732	259.38/cwt	259.00–261.00	1,899	35
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	448	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,814	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	345	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,501	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	550–600	588	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	1,788	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,184	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	714	262.85/cwt	260.00–265.00	1,877	7
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,165	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	935	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	2,506	3

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 →