Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-09-24
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-09-24

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. All calves were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was mostly good for light offerings. Demand for calves was mostly good to very good. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most offerings were in small packages this week with many singles noted. Many blemished cattle continue to be seen as producers took advantage of record high feeder cattle prices. CME positions sold off slightly today following sharply higher movement seen earlier in the week. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Slaughter cows were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Very few offerings were purchased for feed this week as feeding cow buyers kept cow prices above slaughter cow orders. Lean and boning fleshed feeding cows sold sharply higher with most sales 6.00-10.00 higher. Fleshy feeding cows sold steady to firm. 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 average to above average with many sets of very empty cows coming off grass seen. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Many bulls continue to go on feed as packers and private buyers hope to add yield to bulls run down from breeding season. Feeding bulls sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Stronger demand was seen for replacement young cow offerings this week. Quality was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $380.00/cwt on 4 head. That ranks 3 of 19 comparable sales and sits −41.54 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$380.00

4 head · 525 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,995

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−6.67

vs MT average

+14.15 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	525	380.00	1,995	4thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

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 sale4 hd

380.00

—

MT average2 barns · 12 hd

386.67

−6.67

National average172 barns · 11,458 hd

365.85

+14.15

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

−41.54

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	1,763	189.41	3,340	57
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,419	170.91	2,425	118
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,651	168.19	2,777	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,208	160.94	1,945	89
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,539	125.35	1,929	8thin

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)	1,231	$3,307	7
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,357	$3,212	16
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,391	$3,023	11
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,333	$2,693	53
Bred Heifers	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	(<2 yrs)	908	$2,920	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,384	$4,450	9

Every lot, as filed

87 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 1Unweaned	250–300	277	620.00/cwt	620.00–620.00	1,717	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	413	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,065	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	567	429.00/cwt	429.00–429.00	2,432	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	843	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,951	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	895	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,775	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	822	326.03/cwt	321.00–327.00	2,680	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	275	700.00/cwt	700.00–700.00	1,925	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	462	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,241	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	737	357.00/cwt	357.00–357.00	2,631	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	916	312.77/cwt	312.00–313.00	2,865	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	818	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,945	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	964	319.52/cwt	315.00–323.00	3,080	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	441.00/cwt	441.00–441.00	2,448	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	320	640.00/cwt	640.00–640.00	2,048	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	758	379.00/cwt	379.00–379.00	2,873	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	333	522.44/cwt	520.00–530.00	1,740	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	800–850	828	329.00/cwt	329.00–329.00	2,724	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	721	368.48/cwt	366.00–370.00	2,657	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	483	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,884	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	948	323.00/cwt	323.00–323.00	3,062	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	796	325.50/cwt	325.00–327.50	2,591	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	606	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	2,439	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,384	4,450.00/head	4,450.00–4,450.00	4,450	9
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	946	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,125	197.14/cwt	192.50–202.00	2,218	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	853	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,922	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,040	313.84/cwt	313.50–315.00	3,264	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	878	327.32/cwt	326.00–330.00	2,874	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,353	2,795.14/head	2,525.00–2,850.00	2,795	46
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,135	229.13/cwt	192.00–265.00	2,601	36
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,121	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	3,285	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,262	3,350.00/head	3,350.00–3,350.00	3,350	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,010	259.46/cwt	221.00–290.00	2,621	37
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,456	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,153	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,357	3,212.17/head	3,050.00–3,400.00	3,212	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,415	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,391	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,205	169.23/cwt	163.00–174.00	2,039	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,209	152.68/cwt	146.00–157.00	1,846	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,178	130.11/cwt	115.00–143.00	1,533	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	935	108.00/cwt	108.00–108.00	1,010	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,490	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	2,250	1
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,539	125.35/cwt	124.00–126.00	1,929	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,622	171.21/cwt	170.00–173.00	2,777	25
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,555	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,628	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,847	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,863	3
Bulls	—	—	1,884	179.38/cwt	160.00–185.00	3,380	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,760	155.67/cwt	155.50–156.00	2,740	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,439	169.46/cwt	161.00–174.00	2,439	52
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,705	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	3,410	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,602	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	2,579	3
Bulls	—	—	2,370	197.00/cwt	197.00–197.00	4,669	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,448	137.38/cwt	135.00–140.00	1,989	2
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,894	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	3,788	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,536	181.46/cwt	172.50–188.00	2,787	14
Bulls	—	—	1,967	192.36/cwt	187.00–196.00	3,784	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,239	175.65/cwt	175.00–177.00	2,176	32
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,614	194.38/cwt	185.00–202.00	3,137	12
Bulls	—	—	1,915	200.07/cwt	198.00–201.00	3,831	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,383	175.63/cwt	174.50–177.00	2,429	56
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,493	152.73/cwt	147.00–157.00	2,280	4
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,055	311.00/cwt	311.00–311.00	3,281	1
Heifers	Large 1Full	1300–1350	1,338	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	3,211	2
Heifers	Large 1Fancy	1050–1100	1,062	317.00/cwt	317.00–317.00	3,367	23
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,093	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	3,088	3
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,118	271.49/cwt	269.00–274.00	3,035	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,355	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	2,331	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	615	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,399	3
Heifers	Large 1-2Fleshy	1200–1250	1,225	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	3,148	3
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,176	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,940	4
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	472	399.00/cwt	399.00–399.00	1,883	6
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	400–450	445	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,181	4
Steers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,079	314.56/cwt	309.00–320.00	3,394	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,310	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	2,410	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,291	186.90/cwt	176.00–189.50	2,413	19
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	665	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,244	3
Steers	Medium 1-2	600–650	608	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	2,265	2
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	693	394.00/cwt	394.00–394.00	2,730	4
Bred Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	883	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	517	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,171	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	768	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	2,565	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,350	206.29/cwt	186.00–208.50	2,785	28
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,202	2,019.70/head	2,000.00–2,050.00	2,020	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	964	257.14/cwt	227.50–265.00	2,479	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,276	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	525	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,995	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	798	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	2,881	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 →