Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-05-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-05-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were scarcely tested last week thus no trend is available. Demand for feeders was good for light offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Several groups of attractive steers were seen this week. Demand was mostly good for cattle which can be turned out on grass. Demand for light weight feeders was also good as several buyers were looking for lightweight feeders under 550 lbs. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed moderate demand for slaughter cows this week. Breaking cows were too lightly tested last week as most offerings were purchased to feed, thus no trend is available. Boning cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher, while lean cows sold 5.00-7.00 higher. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good with several buyers in the stands. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Thin feeding cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher as several buyers were looking for cows with quick compensatory gain. A larger buyer pool was noticed this week for feeding cows. Cow quality was mostly average to very attractive today. Weigh up conditions were mixed from below average to above average. Cow quality offset some of the fill as some heavy muscled high quality cows were seen today. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Bull quality this week was average to attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for true wet bagged cows which lost calves remains very good as these offerings continue to push higher. Feeding quality cows sold generally steady to firm. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $379.59/cwt on 42 head. That ranks 1 of 11 comparable sales and sits −111.86 against this barn's trailing median of $491.45.

Average price

$379.59

42 head · 559 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,121

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$210

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

$58.32/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.07

vs MT average

+5.45 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	558	383.32	2,137	37
Medium and Large 1	552	370.00	2,042	3thin
Medium and Large 2	593	325.00	1,927	2thin

One grade step is worth $58.32/cwt here — about $210 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 sale42 hd

379.59

—

MT average3 barns · 95 hd

384.66

−5.07

National average120 barns · 5,578 hd

374.14

+5.45

This barn, trailing median11 sales

491.45

−111.86

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	1,784	183.42	3,272	117
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,393	156.82	2,185	377
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,180	151.77	1,791	171
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,687	150.30	2,536	28

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)	1,343	$3,157	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,520	$2,688	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,315	$2,683	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,197	$2,668	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,510	$2,633	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,350	$2,500	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,685	$2,300	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,545	$3,100	1thin
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,081	$3,700	5

Every lot, as filed

90 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 1-2	750–800	778	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,062	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	755	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,190	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	401	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,925	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	592	353.78/cwt	335.00–357.50	2,094	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	633	307.00/cwt	307.00–307.00	1,943	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	667	284.56/cwt	274.00–290.00	1,898	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	950	246.00/cwt	246.00–246.00	2,337	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	805	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,996	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	685	319.00/cwt	319.00–319.00	2,185	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	740	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	2,102	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	604	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,205	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	821	289.00/cwt	289.00–289.00	2,373	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	541	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	2,150	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	711	326.08/cwt	313.00–335.00	2,318	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	500	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,850	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	794	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,303	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	740	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,961	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	670	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,776	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	554	339.77/cwt	339.00–342.50	1,882	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	764	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	2,120	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	450	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	1,958	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	629	314.00/cwt	314.00–314.00	1,975	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	610	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,952	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	552	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,042	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	460	383.20/cwt	372.50–385.00	1,763	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	865	261.00/cwt	261.00–261.00	2,258	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,358	165.68/cwt	153.00–185.00	2,250	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,272	211.08/cwt	204.00–227.50	2,685	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,545	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	1
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,081	3,700.00/head	3,700.00–3,700.00	3,700	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,595	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	965	211.18/cwt	155.00–227.00	2,038	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,343	3,156.89/head	2,800.00–3,350.00	3,157	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,512	171.92/cwt	163.00–182.50	2,599	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,625	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,031	178.05/cwt	152.50–201.00	1,836	15
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,685	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,415	2,425.00/head	2,425.00–2,425.00	2,425	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,009	249.95/cwt	192.00–288.00	2,522	56
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,722	142.83/cwt	141.00–144.00	2,460	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,700	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	2,771	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,215	128.09/cwt	115.00–132.00	1,556	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,126	144.11/cwt	139.00–146.00	1,623	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,649	151.08/cwt	147.00–154.50	2,491	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,690	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	2,332	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	146.49/cwt	134.00–154.00	2,024	41
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,705	157.27/cwt	156.00–161.50	2,681	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,376	163.33/cwt	161.00–167.00	2,247	81
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,395	157.60/cwt	152.00–161.00	2,199	173
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	910	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,265	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,020	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,071	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,476	147.47/cwt	140.00–153.00	2,177	17
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,444	164.70/cwt	150.00–169.00	2,378	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,591	176.64/cwt	170.00–181.00	2,810	32
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,229	162.06/cwt	160.00–166.00	1,992	45
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,843	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	2,746	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,176	156.90/cwt	150.00–160.00	1,845	77
Bulls	—	—	1,855	160.59/cwt	150.00–171.00	2,979	5
Bulls	—	—	1,914	186.32/cwt	175.00–192.00	3,566	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,410	135.62/cwt	128.00–143.00	1,912	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	835	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	710	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	915	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,007	1
Bulls	—	—	1,936	196.43/cwt	193.00–207.00	3,803	42
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,410	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	2,679	1
Bulls	—	—	2,325	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	4,348	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,233	145.27/cwt	138.00–150.00	1,791	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,153	136.98/cwt	125.00–148.00	1,579	26
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,740	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	5,480	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,392	159.24/cwt	155.00–167.00	2,217	55
Heifers	Large 1	650–700	655	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,867	3
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,170	222.00/cwt	222.00–222.00	2,597	1
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,140	226.83/cwt	226.00–231.00	2,586	6
Steers	Large 1	700–750	705	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,221	3
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,218	204.47/cwt	202.00–207.00	2,490	2
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,265	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	2,530	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,350	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,468	2,650.00/head	2,650.00–2,650.00	2,650	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	765	215.10/cwt	212.50–217.50	1,646	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	770	248.80/cwt	245.00–252.50	1,916	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,150	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,473	1
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,145	223.00/cwt	223.00–223.00	2,553	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	945	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	2,514	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	317.79/cwt	316.00–319.00	1,891	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,315	2,682.51/head	2,600.00–2,800.00	2,683	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,234	180.11/cwt	160.00–242.50	2,223	57
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,197	2,668.17/head	2,650.00–2,700.00	2,668	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	997	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	2,567	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	688	316.20/cwt	316.00–317.50	2,175	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	630	337.00/cwt	337.00–337.00	2,123	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	593	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,927	2

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 →