Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-09-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-09-10

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(8/20/25): Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last sale to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on all offerings under 850 lbs. Heifer offerings under 850 lbs sold with steady undertones. Demand for yearlings was moderate to good for light to moderate offerings. Demand for calves was mostly good to very good. Too few calves sold last week to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Several packages of feed lot backgrounded yearlings sold today. These offerings were met with mostly moderate demand and lighter demand than cattle coming off grass. Heifers were mostly in light flesh and of mostly attractive quality as many were tested open heifers off replacements. CME positions sold off sharply yesterday before ending mixed today. This has given pause to some buyers as they bid more cautiously on feeders. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly average. Slaughter cows were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Very few offerings were purchased for slaughter this week as feeding cow buyers kept cow prices above slaughter cow orders. Feeding cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. The spread between slaughter cows and feeding cows remains unusually large as cheap feed continues to entice buyers to put cows on feed. Weigh up conditions were mixed. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 lower. Many bulls continue to go on feed as packers and private buyers hope to add yield to bulls run down from breeding season. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any trend. Stronger demand was seen for replacement young cow offerings this week. Quality this week was mostly average.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $408.80/cwt on 25 head. That ranks 8 of 19 comparable sales and sits −12.74 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$408.80

25 head · 545 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,226

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$370

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

$49.91/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+6.80

vs MT average

+40.46 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	549	416.79	2,287	21
Medium and Large 1-2	523	366.88	1,917	4thin

One grade step is worth $49.91/cwt here — about $370 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 sale25 hd

408.80

—

MT average2 barns · 38 hd

402.00

+6.80

National average171 barns · 13,169 hd

368.34

+40.46

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−12.74

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	1,764	185.73	3,277	53
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,428	164.15	2,345	84
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,664	163.74	2,725	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,226	156.16	1,915	20
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,630	139.00	2,266	6thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,338	131.36	1,758	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	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,202	$3,138	9
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,644	$2,900	4thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,347	$2,700	5
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,220	$2,100	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,527	$4,100	15
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,668	$3,200	5

Every lot, as filed

105 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	750	388.00/cwt	388.00–388.00	2,910	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	565	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	2,246	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	942	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	3,062	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	429	536.89/cwt	523.00–542.50	2,303	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	800	370.50/cwt	370.50–370.50	2,964	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	730	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,628	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	832	338.14/cwt	335.00–348.00	2,813	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	478	462.94/cwt	440.00–470.00	2,213	68
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	317	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	1,839	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	575	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	2,056	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	615	416.00/cwt	416.00–416.00	2,558	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	725	388.82/cwt	387.50–389.00	2,819	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	546	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,293	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	416	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	1,976	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,050	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,415	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	803	338.00/cwt	338.00–338.00	2,714	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	471	510.52/cwt	507.50–511.00	2,405	45
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	563	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,055	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	570	429.42/cwt	392.50–440.00	2,448	95
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	394	477.50/cwt	477.50–477.50	1,881	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	780	334.27/cwt	325.00–342.50	2,607	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	622	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	2,068	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	903	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,754	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	871	315.05/cwt	314.00–317.50	2,744	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	748	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,655	12
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,037	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	2,655	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	866	314.00/cwt	314.00–314.00	2,719	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	861	329.78/cwt	324.00–335.00	2,839	63
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	971	311.09/cwt	306.00–318.50	3,021	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	693	395.26/cwt	392.00–396.00	2,739	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	850	343.00/cwt	343.00–343.00	2,916	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	653	373.00/cwt	373.00–373.00	2,436	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	930	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	2,827	132
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	1000–1050	1,019	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	3,057	78
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,028	305.89/cwt	305.00–306.00	3,145	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	843	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,782	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,095	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	3,384	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,644	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,347	2,700.00/head	2,700.00–2,700.00	2,700	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,046	243.54/cwt	213.00–253.00	2,547	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,034	314.00/cwt	314.00–314.00	3,247	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	1000–1050	1,004	315.50/cwt	315.50–315.50	3,168	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	753	366.50/cwt	366.50–366.50	2,760	82
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	750–800	798	362.00/cwt	362.00–362.00	2,889	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	890	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,982	18
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,668	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,733	153.98/cwt	152.00–158.00	2,668	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,125	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,541	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,410	170.18/cwt	170.00–172.00	2,400	32
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,440	167.48/cwt	159.00–169.00	2,412	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,343	141.37/cwt	139.00–145.00	1,899	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,114	127.73/cwt	121.00–139.00	1,423	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Non-Traditional	—	1,490	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	2,801	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,657	160.57/cwt	160.00–162.50	2,661	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,470	148.63/cwt	147.00–152.00	2,185	3
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,338	131.36/cwt	127.00–136.00	1,758	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,516	152.80/cwt	151.00–155.00	2,316	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,738	165.51/cwt	165.00–166.00	2,877	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,620	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,511	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,535	178.08/cwt	172.00–184.00	2,734	8
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,389	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	2,264	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,238	163.48/cwt	161.00–164.00	2,024	6
Bulls	—	—	1,954	201.39/cwt	199.00–204.00	3,935	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,279	166.05/cwt	165.00–168.50	2,124	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,668	169.50/cwt	169.50–169.50	2,827	2
Bulls	—	—	1,755	181.67/cwt	172.00–184.00	3,188	13
Bulls	—	—	1,918	191.45/cwt	185.00–199.00	3,672	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,400	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	2,212	1
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,630	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,266	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,408	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	2,661	2
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1200–1250	1,200	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	3,216	2
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,107	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,934	3
Heifers	Large 1	750–800	793	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,617	7
Heifers	Large 1	900–950	921	292.00/cwt	292.00–292.00	2,689	6
Heifers	Large 1	1100–1150	1,105	289.95/cwt	285.00–293.00	3,204	22
Heifers	Large 1Fancy	1050–1100	1,081	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	3,351	4
Steers	Medium 1-2	600–650	630	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,079	4
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	695	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,572	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	538	443.75/cwt	440.00–455.00	2,387	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	505	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,869	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	830	328.82/cwt	320.00–334.00	2,729	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	382	430.53/cwt	400.00–435.00	1,645	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	880	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	2,926	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	477	472.82/cwt	470.00–475.00	2,255	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	409	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,841	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	900–950	908	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,497	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	584	347.31/cwt	335.00–385.00	2,028	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	497	406.25/cwt	385.00–410.00	2,019	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	334	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,703	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,033	251.00/cwt	240.00–280.00	2,593	15
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	788	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,541	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	385	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,752	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	370	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,887	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	270	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,377	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	444	436.64/cwt	420.00–445.00	1,939	3
Heifers	Medium 2	600–650	621	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,677	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,018	228.45/cwt	202.50–257.50	2,326	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,202	3,138.03/head	3,100.00–3,150.00	3,138	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,220	2,100.00/head	2,100.00–2,100.00	2,100	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,527	4,100.00/head	4,100.00–4,100.00	4,100	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,173	183.73/cwt	174.00–190.00	2,155	5
Bulls	Large 1	1300–1350	1,300	212.00/cwt	212.00–212.00	2,756	4
Heifers	Large 1	800–850	835	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,756	1
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,089	291.56/cwt	287.00–292.50	3,175	20
Bulls	Large 1-2	1200–1250	1,220	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,562	1

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 →