Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-06-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-06-11

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for feeders was good for light offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Several sets of fall calves were seen this week and demand for these offerings was very good. Most fall calves were weaned this week. Feeders were offered in mostly small groups or as singles this sale. Market activity was active with buyers all bidding rapidly. Weigh up cows and bulls comprised most of the sale today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Western packers were back in the market this week and pushed high quality cows sharply higher. Breaking and boning cows purchased for slaughter were mostly 8.00-10.00 higher in a very narrow comparison. A significantly larger portion of the cow offering was purchased to slaughter this week. Lean cows sold 1.00-2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for feeding cows was very good as quality was mostly very attractive. A portion of the cow offering was purchased to put away for the 4th of July holiday. These cows were mostly poorer quality cows, with some slightly blemished cows mixed in. 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 1.00-3.00 higher on a higher quality, higher yielding offering. Thin feeding cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher. A large buyer pool was noticed again this week for feeding cows. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average, with many empty cows coming off grass noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly unevenly steady. Bull quality this week was average to very attractive. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 10.00-15.00 lower with fewer buyers in the stands looking for rebreed cows this week. The calendar is starting to work against the young cow market as many buyers want to have cows out with bulls by this time of year and demand for light weight, young cows to feed has softened as buyers worry about hard bone discounts. Demand for fleshy young cows which will finish quickly was mostly good as buyers hope to blend these fleshy offerings onto market ready loads. A large portion of todays offering was comprised of 3 year old or older offerings. Feeding quality cows sold generally steady. Quality this week was mostly average and not as attractive as last week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $371.40/cwt on 57 head. That ranks 2 of 19 comparable sales and sits −50.13 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$371.40

57 head · 549 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,038

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$88

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

$39.48/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+5.19

vs MT average

+30.48 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	547	373.48	2,041	54
Medium and Large 1-2	585	334.00	1,954	3thin

One grade step is worth $39.48/cwt here — about $88 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale57 hd

371.40

—

MT average3 barns · 78 hd

366.21

+5.19

National average161 barns · 10,769 hd

340.92

+30.48

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−50.13

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	1,891	186.40	3,524	116
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,394	160.85	2,243	428
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,683	157.71	2,654	41
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,890	156.00	2,948	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,191	153.63	1,830	140

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)	1,249	$2,928	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,185	$2,700	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,085	$2,400	2thin

Every lot, as filed

72 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 1-2	650–700	650	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,210	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	630	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,142	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	789	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	2,320	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	150–200	150	850.00/head	850.00–850.00	850	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,500	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,550	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,042	185.79/cwt	158.00–220.00	1,936	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	459	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,756	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	626	325.13/cwt	302.50–332.50	2,035	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	687	315.49/cwt	314.00–317.00	2,167	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	308	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,509	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	303	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,379	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	748	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	2,274	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	2,178	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,954	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	615	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	2,260	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	517	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,913	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	905	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	2,421	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	860	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,537	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	815	291.25/cwt	286.00–294.00	2,374	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	805	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	2,487	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	551	374.00/cwt	374.00–374.00	2,061	47
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	988	268.55/cwt	267.00–271.00	2,653	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	150–200	150	850.00/head	850.00–850.00	850	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,085	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,114	198.04/cwt	161.00–245.00	2,206	73
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	750	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	1,350	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	949	222.73/cwt	205.00–241.00	2,114	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,185	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,438	201.12/cwt	188.00–215.00	2,892	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,485	192.50/cwt	192.50–192.50	2,859	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,647	157.37/cwt	155.00–160.00	2,592	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,715	161.15/cwt	160.00–162.50	2,764	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,037	102.50/cwt	102.50–102.50	1,063	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,132	122.91/cwt	115.00–132.50	1,391	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,540	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	2,541	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,720	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,735	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,185	142.40/cwt	115.00–152.50	1,687	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,366	158.01/cwt	152.00–162.50	2,158	110
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,411	152.74/cwt	138.00–157.00	2,155	8
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,595	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	4,723	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,240	162.00/cwt	162.00–162.00	2,009	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,196	139.16/cwt	134.00–144.00	1,664	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,080	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	3,328	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,682	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	2,573	9
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	2,085	197.00/cwt	197.00–197.00	4,107	1
Bulls	—	—	1,911	183.46/cwt	175.00–190.00	3,506	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,386	164.23/cwt	163.00–167.00	2,276	228
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,431	143.45/cwt	130.00–150.00	2,053	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,196	161.27/cwt	158.00–165.00	1,929	65
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	828	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,060	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,401	132.91/cwt	129.00–137.00	1,862	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,467	163.05/cwt	157.00–166.00	2,392	57
Bulls	—	—	2,505	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	4,609	1
Bulls	—	—	2,255	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	4,307	1
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,890	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	2,948	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,203	154.24/cwt	145.00–159.00	1,856	39
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,619	179.01/cwt	172.00–183.00	2,898	17
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,432	163.69/cwt	145.00–173.00	2,344	9
Bulls	—	—	1,649	166.15/cwt	160.00–171.00	2,740	7
Bulls	—	—	2,059	198.26/cwt	188.00–210.00	4,082	47
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	750	259.95/cwt	252.50–267.50	1,950	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,106	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	2,610	7
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,210	202.50/cwt	202.50–202.50	2,450	1
Bulls	Large 1Fleshy	1300–1350	1,340	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	2,626	2
Bulls	Large 1	1450–1500	1,455	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	2,765	2
Bulls	Large 1	1300–1350	1,345	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	2,690	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,249	2,928.28/head	2,900.00–2,950.00	2,928	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,084	220.97/cwt	204.00–255.00	2,395	89
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,452	162.29/cwt	160.00–166.00	2,356	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,373	162.85/cwt	161.00–165.00	2,236	2
Steers	Medium 2	500–550	538	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,614	5
Steers	Medium 2	650–700	678	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,763	4

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 →