Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-01-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-01-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (1-21-26): Feeder steers under 500 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. 500-749 lbs steers sold fully steady. Heifers under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop any market trend, heifers over 450 lbs sold generally steady. Feeder cattle all sold on good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was average to attractive and overall was not as attractive as last weeks sale. Package sizes overall were smaller this week forcing buyers to piece together loads. Buyers continue to show very good demand for all offering suitable to develop into yearlings. Offerings too big to go to grass sold on good demand with several cooperate packer orders and private feeding orders fighting over high quality offerings. Demand for heavy weight feeding heifers was very good as feeding demand surpassed demand from replacement buyers again this week. A large crowd was on hand again this week. Market activity was active as a result. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand and light offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher. A larger crowd of feeding buyers were present for todays light offering. Packers showed stronger demand for slaughter cows this week as cold and snowy conditions in the Midwest and upper plains have limited the volume of cattle available. Slaughter cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand this week. Slaughter cows were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on breaking cows and higher undertones were noticed on boning and lean cow. Very few cows were purchased to slaughter this week as feeding demand kept prices above breakeven for packers. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age offerings were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on an average quality offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $442.41/cwt on 247 head, down $1.03 from the prior sale. That ranks 13 of 19 comparable sales and sits +20.87 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$442.41

▼ 1.03 vs prior sale

247 head · 539 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,387

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$742

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

$155.92/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.67

vs MT average

+4.76 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	538	455.92	2,452	179
Large 1	549	423.38	2,322	8thin
Medium and Large 1-2	541	414.16	2,239	55
Medium and Large 2	570	300.00	1,710	5thin

One grade step is worth $155.92/cwt here — about $742 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale247 hd

442.41

—

MT average3 barns · 321 hd

440.74

+1.67

National average68 barns · 7,217 hd

437.65

+4.76

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

+20.87

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	1,857	179.18	3,327	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,761	160.42	2,824	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,368	159.20	2,178	37
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,157	145.54	1,683	20

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/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,765	$2,850	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,495	$2,550	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,227	$2,214	7

Every lot, as filed

75 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	700–750	734	374.36/cwt	372.00–379.00	2,748	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	718	364.28/cwt	361.00–365.50	2,616	50
Heifers	Medium 2	450–500	480	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,416	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	586	393.05/cwt	390.00–394.00	2,303	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	427	492.54/cwt	492.00–495.00	2,103	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	523	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,537	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	582	475.79/cwt	450.00–500.00	2,769	114
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	635	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,254	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	685	348.68/cwt	347.00–356.00	2,388	119
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	449	476.00/cwt	476.00–476.00	2,137	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	550	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,815	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	645.00/cwt	640.00–670.00	2,387	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	632	417.23/cwt	400.00–421.00	2,637	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	423	608.09/cwt	600.00–610.00	2,572	10
Steers	Large 1	400–450	448	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,173	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	474	453.05/cwt	405.00–468.00	2,147	72
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	869	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	2,963	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	633	432.87/cwt	425.00–446.00	2,740	53
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	477	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	2,457	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	526	522.19/cwt	499.00–537.00	2,747	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	440	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	2,244	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	568	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	2,542	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	420.13/cwt	414.00–421.00	2,794	29
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,005	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	2,839	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	463	576.34/cwt	545.00–595.00	2,668	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	714	401.50/cwt	401.50–401.50	2,867	29
Steers	Large 1	500–550	525	505.10/cwt	500.00–510.00	2,652	2
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	850–900	891	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	2,905	24
Steers	Large 1	450–500	492	527.50/cwt	527.50–527.50	2,595	5
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 1-2	700–750	723	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,422	8
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 1-2	800–850	846	311.00/cwt	311.00–311.00	2,631	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	478.91/cwt	467.50–488.00	2,289	159
Heifers	Large 1	550–600	598	396.00/cwt	396.00–396.00	2,368	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	531	460.45/cwt	436.00–468.00	2,445	149
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	949	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,752	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	530	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,571	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	545.57/cwt	535.00–550.00	2,564	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,215	152.05/cwt	143.00–163.00	1,847	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,155	160.85/cwt	159.00–168.00	1,858	8
Bulls	—	—	2,040	181.43/cwt	178.00–185.00	3,701	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,648	152.50/cwt	142.00–159.00	2,513	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,983	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	3,252	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,298	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,623	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,115	121.15/cwt	120.00–122.50	1,351	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,195	138.87/cwt	127.50–148.00	1,659	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	141.01/cwt	135.00–145.00	2,002	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,010	86.31/cwt	75.00–97.50	872	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,578	167.64/cwt	165.00–169.00	2,645	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,351	167.44/cwt	160.00–173.00	2,262	27
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,515	136.74/cwt	130.00–143.00	2,072	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,175	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	2,009	1
Bulls	—	—	2,375	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	4,584	1
Bulls	—	—	1,635	168.38/cwt	156.00–179.00	2,753	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,588	178.76/cwt	177.00–180.00	2,839	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	860	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,451	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,086	236.61/cwt	210.00–280.00	2,570	32
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,495	2,550.00/head	2,550.00–2,550.00	2,550	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	923	247.23/cwt	245.00–255.00	2,282	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	973	241.41/cwt	180.00–280.00	2,349	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,765	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,225	2,375.00/head	2,375.00–2,375.00	2,375	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,230	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	3
Heifers	Large 1	500–550	532	432.50/cwt	432.50–432.50	2,301	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	762	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	2,560	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	626	396.80/cwt	389.00–418.00	2,484	94
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	570	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,710	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	756	351.33/cwt	349.00–352.50	2,656	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	434	492.23/cwt	450.00–500.00	2,136	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	662	390.62/cwt	366.00–395.00	2,586	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	572	433.40/cwt	420.00–443.00	2,479	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	731	352.22/cwt	349.00–353.00	2,575	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	533	417.75/cwt	412.50–435.00	2,227	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	375	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,763	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	374	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	2,020	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	423	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,713	3

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 →