Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-10-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-10-22

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. All calves were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Demand for calves and yearlings was moderate to good. Quality was mostly plain to average this week with many cut back cattle seen. Most feeder offerings were offered in small packages with many singles noticed. Demand for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings remains very good. Demand for offerings too heavy to develop into yearlings was mostly light to moderate. CME positions sold sharply lower today with all contracts moving limit lower with the exception of the nearby October contract which settles next week. Market activity was moderate to active despite a light offering. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Small regional cow packers were in the market this week buying cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold sharply higher, with most sales 10.00-15.00 higher on boning and breaking cows as major packers and regional packers fought over offerings. Lean cows sold unevenly steady from 5.00 higher to 5.00 lower. Major packers opted to send most cows to feed. Major packers purchased both short term and long term cows to feed. Short term feeding cows were mostly slightly blemished cows that could be fed to hold or improve yield for harvest over the thanksgiving holiday week. No trend is available for short term feeding cows as most of these offerings were purchased for slaughter last week. Long term feeding cows sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher as regional packers battled major packers over high quality sound offerings. Weigh conditions were mixed this week. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 lower. Bulls suitable to feed sold steady on very good demand. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. Demand for these offerings remains good to very good. Quality was mostly average to attractive. Bred cow offerings sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Prices for bred cows were mostly higher than last week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $414.86/cwt on 61 head. That ranks 1 of 10 comparable sales and sits −69.61 against this barn's trailing median of $484.46.

Average price

$414.86

61 head · 566 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,350

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$144

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

$5.92/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−58.92

vs MT average

−43.28 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	530	420.00	2,225	8thin
Medium and Large 1	572	414.08	2,369	53

One grade step is worth $5.92/cwt here — about −$144 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

10 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $510.69, low $428.82, median $484.46 across 10 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 sale61 hd

414.86

—

MT average5 barns · 2,474 hd

473.78

−58.92

National average182 barns · 38,495 hd

458.14

−43.28

This barn, trailing median10 sales

484.46

−69.61

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	1,833	181.43	3,326	54
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,546	185.17	2,863	101
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,360	172.81	2,351	334
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,200	157.91	1,894	213

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,122	$3,511	21
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,227	$3,500	9
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,123	$3,386	47
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,291	$3,365	13
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,235	$3,300	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,347	$3,130	25
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,496	$2,985	10
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,308	$2,958	13
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,300	$2,916	3thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,169	$2,850	4thin

Every lot, as filed

91 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,031	228.12/cwt	203.00–295.00	2,352	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,370	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,337	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	2,447	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,227	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,528	3,106.15/head	2,900.00–3,300.00	3,106	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,236	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	2,385	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	421	543.84/cwt	540.00–570.00	2,290	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	285	630.00/cwt	630.00–630.00	1,796	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	865	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,811	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	681	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,486	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	980	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	3,038	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	228	870.00/cwt	870.00–870.00	1,984	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	572	414.08/cwt	412.50–417.50	2,369	53
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	337	670.00/cwt	670.00–670.00	2,258	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	447	461.00/cwt	461.00–461.00	2,061	24
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	637	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,357	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	466	498.35/cwt	497.50–505.00	2,322	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	262	805.00/cwt	805.00–805.00	2,109	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	456	433.52/cwt	420.00–450.00	1,977	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	628	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	2,204	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	486	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,090	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	618	408.46/cwt	403.00–410.00	2,524	19
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,238	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,223	3,149.49/head	3,100.00–3,200.00	3,149	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	710	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,101	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,235	3,300.00/head	3,300.00–3,300.00	3,300	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,350	2,841.67/head	2,700.00–2,950.00	2,842	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	978	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,136	3,576.87/head	3,450.00–3,600.00	3,577	16
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,347	3,155.00/head	3,000.00–3,250.00	3,155	23
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,304	3,079.75/head	3,050.00–3,100.00	3,080	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,169	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,284	178.57/cwt	175.00–181.00	2,293	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,130	3,454.75/head	3,400.00–3,550.00	3,455	41
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	950	3,250.00/head	3,250.00–3,250.00	3,250	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	985	308.38/cwt	245.00–355.00	3,038	132
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	980	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,793	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,079	192.28/cwt	174.00–270.00	2,075	28
Steers	Small 2-3	350–400	351	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	930	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,372	185.43/cwt	182.00–189.00	2,544	46
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,331	175.64/cwt	168.00–181.00	2,338	175
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,173	115.35/cwt	100.00–125.00	1,353	36
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,604	174.31/cwt	171.00–178.00	2,796	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,206	173.20/cwt	165.00–178.00	2,089	92
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,182	180.16/cwt	180.00–181.00	2,129	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,194	166.77/cwt	166.00–167.00	1,991	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,336	123.51/cwt	115.00–126.00	1,650	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,325	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,484	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,478	187.84/cwt	185.00–189.50	2,776	58
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Non-Traditional	—	1,490	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	2,786	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,207	148.68/cwt	112.50–165.00	1,795	15
Bulls	—	—	1,805	166.40/cwt	160.00–172.00	3,004	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,453	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	2,717	2
Bulls	—	—	2,053	184.52/cwt	182.00–188.00	3,788	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,119	78.70/cwt	60.00–90.00	881	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,428	153.05/cwt	132.50–167.00	2,186	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,356	169.25/cwt	154.00–177.00	2,295	31
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,850	192.22/cwt	187.00–197.00	3,556	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,248	176.45/cwt	175.50–179.00	2,202	37
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	955	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	812	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,641	181.89/cwt	180.00–185.00	2,985	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,684	176.93/cwt	160.00–183.00	2,980	9
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,270	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,778	2
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,101	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,863	6
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,101	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	5
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,322	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,449	185.23/cwt	183.00–187.50	2,684	37
Bulls	—	—	1,933	196.09/cwt	194.00–198.00	3,790	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,664	181.92/cwt	174.00–186.00	3,027	25
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,301	3,412.68/head	3,300.00–3,475.00	3,413	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,131	228.63/cwt	182.50–305.00	2,586	134
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	450–500	453	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,903	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	478	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,151	2
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,175	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	3,114	1
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	1050–1100	1,091	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	3,109	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	595	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,231	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	611	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,413	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,441	189.98/cwt	185.00–191.00	2,738	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,300	2,916.29/head	2,850.00–2,950.00	2,916	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	842	316.30/cwt	305.00–322.50	2,663	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,145	231.68/cwt	205.00–270.00	2,653	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	808	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,868	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	423	501.06/cwt	460.00–507.50	2,119	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	581	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,034	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	342	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	2,052	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	508	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,210	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	838	307.00/cwt	307.00–307.00	2,573	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	874	303.00/cwt	303.00–303.00	2,648	8
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	477	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,670	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	364	636.32/cwt	625.00–670.00	2,316	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	678	396.31/cwt	390.00–397.00	2,687	10

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 →