Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-04-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-04-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly plain to average today. Feeders were mostly offered in small groups or as singles. Both quality and package size limited demand today. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly moderate to good as buyers continue to show need for feeders. Todays buyer pool was small as offerings were limited. Market activity was mostly moderate with good participation seen from buyers both ringside and over the internet. Weigh up cows comprised most of the sale today. All weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Regional packers and major packers continue to show very good demand for cows. Regional packers purchased cows to slaughter and major packers mostly purchased cows mostly to feed. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to 1.00 higher on breaking and boning cows. Lean cows sold firm. Demand for feeding cows was the main driver of the market this week with a large crowd of private feeding cow buyers on hand actively bidding on offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-5.00 higher, with poorer quality cows showing the largest uptick in price. Demand for thin fleshed cows was very good as feeding buyers showed very good demand for cows with lots of compensatory gain. Canadian buyers were back in the market this week buying cows to go to feed north of the border. Cow quality was mixed today from plain to very attractive. Weigh up conditions were mostly average. The quality of cows going to feed continues to vary 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 pasture until cow supplies tighten later in the spring and early summer. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00-5.00 higher. Bull quality this week was average to attractive. Several high yielding bulls were seen this week and these offerings were met with very good demand. A portion of the bulls were purchased to feed this week as buyers purchased light weight bulls, mostly under 1800 lbs for this purpose. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady on like quality offerings. However, quality this week was not as attractive overall compared to last week. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Demand from rebreed and receipt buyers remains very good. Very little price difference was seen between high quality coming 2 and coming 3 year olds as buyers search for cows to rebreed.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $349.09/cwt on 20 head. That ranks 1 of 11 comparable sales and sits −142.36 against this barn's trailing median of $491.45.

Average price

$349.09

20 head · 528 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,841

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$248

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

$50.48/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−26.04

vs MT average

−5.21 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	529	370.48	1,960	10thin
Medium and Large 1	570	346.00	1,972	2thin
Medium 2	503	325.00	1,635	5thin
Medium and Large 2	535	320.00	1,712	3thin

One grade step is worth $50.48/cwt here — about $248 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

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 sale20 hd

349.09

—

MT average3 barns · 388 hd

375.13

−26.04

National average175 barns · 9,187 hd

354.30

−5.21

This barn, trailing median11 sales

491.45

−142.36

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	1,781	175.52	3,126	57
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,392	156.52	2,178	118
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,679	150.55	2,528	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,147	144.35	1,655	78
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,921	149.00	2,862	4thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,345	127.15	1,710	7thin

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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,418	$3,000	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,537	$2,450	3thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,058	$2,400	2thin
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,287	$4,275	15

Every lot, as filed

59 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 1	800–850	801	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	2,075	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,059	221.60/cwt	185.00–262.50	2,347	72
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	798	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,955	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,105	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,934	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	570	346.00/cwt	346.00–346.00	1,972	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	520	317.13/cwt	310.00–324.00	1,649	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	529	370.48/cwt	365.00–375.00	1,960	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,785	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	501	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,779	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,189	180.85/cwt	160.00–220.00	2,150	27
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,418	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	2
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,287	4,275.00/head	4,275.00–4,275.00	4,275	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	305.33/cwt	305.00–306.00	2,107	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	745	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	2,228	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	580	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	1,897	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	282.67/cwt	280.00–284.00	1,880	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	632	286.26/cwt	282.50–290.00	1,809	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	496	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	1,642	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	720	290.53/cwt	288.00–293.00	2,092	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	778	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,217	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,095	167.63/cwt	160.00–180.00	1,836	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,038	195.65/cwt	170.00–215.00	2,031	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	480	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,944	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	975	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,073	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,476	154.04/cwt	140.00–158.00	2,274	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,522	136.51/cwt	131.00–140.00	2,078	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,584	154.02/cwt	150.00–157.00	2,440	7
Bulls	—	—	1,835	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	3,211	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,597	170.51/cwt	162.00–180.00	2,723	24
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,273	142.84/cwt	138.00–147.00	1,818	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,097	136.20/cwt	117.50–143.00	1,494	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,395	156.68/cwt	144.00–161.00	2,186	65
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,166	152.67/cwt	145.00–156.00	1,780	32
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,749	145.53/cwt	142.00–147.50	2,545	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	120.63/cwt	112.50–131.00	1,448	8
Bulls	—	—	2,249	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	4,228	5
Bulls	—	—	1,886	178.51/cwt	172.00–182.00	3,367	13
Bulls	—	—	2,093	194.09/cwt	187.00–201.00	4,062	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,575	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	2,378	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,511	146.23/cwt	143.00–150.00	2,210	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,125	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,710	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	800	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	740	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,377	165.36/cwt	162.00–168.00	2,277	32
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,202	160.17/cwt	158.00–166.00	1,925	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,726	154.73/cwt	152.00–157.50	2,671	5
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,345	127.15/cwt	125.00–137.00	1,710	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,098	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,153	2
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,124	226.35/cwt	222.50–231.00	2,544	9
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,068	228.81/cwt	227.00–236.00	2,444	5
Bulls	Large 1	1000–1050	1,020	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	2,417	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,688	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	2,414	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	905	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	1,290	1
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,921	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	2,862	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,058	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	900–950	920	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,162	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	778	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,929	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	535	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,712	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,537	2,450.00/head	2,450.00–2,450.00	2,450	3
Steers	Medium 2	500–550	503	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,635	5

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 →