Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-12-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-12-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to one week ago: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeder cattle offerings were light this week. Quality was mostly good and offered in small packages with many singles in the offering. Market activity was moderate to good. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Demand for feeding cows was mostly moderate with good demand seen at times. Slaughter cows sold steady on breaking cows, boning cows sold 11.00 to 15.00 higher and lean cows sold 8.00 to 15.00 lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive with lots of variation in quality noticed. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 5.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00-12.00 higher. Bred cows sold steady to 250.00 lower with plain to attractive quality.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $374.67/cwt on 15 head. That ranks 1 of 11 comparable sales and sits −116.78 against this barn's trailing median of $491.45.

Average price

$374.67

15 head · 565 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,117

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$250

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

$47.29/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−43.85

vs MT average

−54.48 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	553	395.63	2,189	8thin
Medium and Large 1-2	595	352.50	2,097	4thin
Medium and Large 2	557	348.33	1,939	3thin

One grade step is worth $47.29/cwt here — about $250 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

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 sale15 hd

374.67

—

MT average2 barns · 184 hd

418.51

−43.85

National average190 barns · 23,426 hd

429.15

−54.48

This barn, trailing median11 sales

491.45

−116.78

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	1,672	163.54	2,735	35
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,449	161.46	2,340	174
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,258	157.58	1,982	240
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,154	122.95	1,419	95

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)	1,164	$3,371	14
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,123	$2,607	10
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,224	$2,533	16
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,370	$2,334	27
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,380	$1,949	5
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	889	$2,550	11
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,023	$2,399	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,255	$3,300	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,627	$2,650	1thin

Every lot, as filed

68 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
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,311	159.78/cwt	157.50–166.00	2,095	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,556	156.68/cwt	150.00–160.00	2,438	45
Bulls	—	—	1,628	171.06/cwt	165.00–175.00	2,785	12
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,679	152.69/cwt	142.50–162.00	2,564	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	681	325.60/cwt	322.00–337.50	2,217	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,211	150.84/cwt	141.00–169.00	1,827	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,236	170.80/cwt	156.00–192.50	2,111	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,203	193.06/cwt	180.00–232.50	2,323	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,187	146.84/cwt	128.00–162.00	1,743	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	605	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,815	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	458	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,672	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,224	2,533.27/head	2,350.00–2,700.00	2,533	16
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,380	1,948.77/head	1,850.00–2,050.00	1,949	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	900–950	948	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	2,536	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	316	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,327	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	715	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,002	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	383	370.20/cwt	360.00–380.00	1,418	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,589	133.71/cwt	122.00–142.00	2,125	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	500–550	518	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,227	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,023	2,398.66/head	2,350.00–2,450.00	2,399	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	889	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	677	311.60/cwt	310.00–315.00	2,110	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	523	332.51/cwt	330.00–335.00	1,739	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,123	2,607.45/head	2,100.00–2,800.00	2,607	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,164	3,370.60/head	2,600.00–3,700.00	3,371	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	417.50/cwt	417.50–417.50	2,150	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	725	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,266	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,370	2,333.83/head	2,000.00–2,450.00	2,334	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	750–800	758	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,047	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,255	3,300.00/head	3,300.00–3,300.00	3,300	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,092	231.21/cwt	170.00–267.50	2,525	61
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	340	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,666	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	452	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,102	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,240	151.05/cwt	144.00–157.50	1,873	63
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,627	2,650.00/head	2,650.00–2,650.00	2,650	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	961	282.02/cwt	180.00–310.00	2,710	94
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	656	363.00/cwt	363.00–363.00	2,381	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	551	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,901	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	575	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	2,171	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	890	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,537	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,337	130.87/cwt	129.00–132.50	1,750	4
Bulls	—	—	1,679	160.70/cwt	160.00–162.00	2,698	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	405	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	1,823	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	583	310.13/cwt	300.00–320.00	1,808	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,122	117.15/cwt	102.50–122.50	1,314	29
Bulls	—	—	2,005	179.42/cwt	179.00–181.00	3,597	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,148	140.22/cwt	126.00–166.00	1,610	30
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,392	134.18/cwt	125.00–142.00	1,868	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,412	163.09/cwt	153.00–175.00	2,303	100
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,557	162.30/cwt	161.00–165.00	2,527	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,164	88.00/cwt	80.00–95.00	1,024	18
Steers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	520	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,872	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	450	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,440	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,298	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,785	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,249	161.52/cwt	142.50–181.00	2,017	106
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,050	103.16/cwt	100.00–107.50	1,083	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,060	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	2,942	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	512	361.23/cwt	350.00–370.00	1,849	16
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	575	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	1,969	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	760	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,128	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	600	381.00/cwt	381.00–381.00	2,286	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	608	349.65/cwt	347.00–351.00	2,126	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	935	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,618	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	600–650	610	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,196	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,030	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,678	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	749	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,584	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	2,097	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	697	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,387	11

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 →