Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-02-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-02-11

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (2-04-26): Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Many calves on offer were blemished in some way as local feedlots cleaned up pens. Demand for limited offerings was mostly moderate on very light offerings. Market activity was moderate on limited offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand and light offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Several packages of cows which had been started on feed sold today. Demand for these offerings was very good with several buyers and packers showing strong demand as they bid aggressively. Slaughter cows sold on good demand again this week as tight supplies have packers searching for cows to slaughter. Very few cows were purchased for slaughter as feeding demand and replacement demand kept cow prices above where packers break evens. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows in a narrow comparison. Boning and lean cow sold mostly 1.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for feeding bulls was very good this sale as feeding buyers pushed bulls higher. Feeding bulls sold mostly 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week. Young age offerings were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly average, and overall not as attractive as last weeks offering.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $426.14/cwt on 7 head, down $16.26 from the prior sale. That ranks 12 of 19 comparable sales and sits +4.60 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$426.14

▼ 16.26 vs prior sale

7 head · 555 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,365

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$59

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

$24.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−25.80

vs MT average

+2.19 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	542	433.00	2,346	5thin
Medium and Large 1-2	588	409.00	2,405	2thin

One grade step is worth $24.00/cwt here — about −$59 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale7 hd

426.14

—

MT average3 barns · 319 hd

451.95

−25.80

National average187 barns · 18,214 hd

423.95

+2.19

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

+4.60

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	1,911	200.03	3,823	44
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,573	170.09	2,676	53
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,393	161.25	2,246	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,056	130.42	1,377	12
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,475	125.00	1,844	1thin

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)	1,311	$3,686	7
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,076	$3,500	4thin
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,098	$3,300	3thin

Every lot, as filed

50 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
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,680	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	3,276	3
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,645	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	2,994	1
Bulls	—Non-Traditional	—	1,900	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	3,610	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	988	272.38/cwt	270.00–275.00	2,691	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,361	180.35/cwt	169.00–185.00	2,455	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,074	218.06/cwt	182.50–275.00	2,342	9
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	840	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,226	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,076	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,098	3,300.00/head	3,300.00–3,300.00	3,300	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,214	214.68/cwt	182.00–295.00	2,606	23
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,388	3,800.00/head	3,800.00–3,800.00	3,800	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,120	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	902	291.24/cwt	275.00–315.00	2,627	3
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	925	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,405	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	1,280	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	2,381	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,393	183.16/cwt	180.00–185.00	2,551	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	563	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,393	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	588	409.00/cwt	409.00–409.00	2,405	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	510	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,270	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	560	415.04/cwt	410.00–420.00	2,324	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	608	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,098	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,457	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,675	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	743	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,415	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,055	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	3,218	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,636	152.89/cwt	150.00–161.00	2,501	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,648	164.48/cwt	164.00–165.00	2,711	8
Bulls	—	—	1,977	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	3,914	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,535	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	2,778	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,383	150.90/cwt	142.00–158.00	2,087	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,356	178.01/cwt	177.00–178.50	2,414	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	855	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	770	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	878	122.26/cwt	120.00–125.00	1,073	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	169.05/cwt	161.00–174.00	2,336	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,090	133.69/cwt	125.00–149.00	1,457	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,145	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	1,975	1
Bulls	—	—	1,768	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	3,306	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,508	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	2,684	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,133	138.82/cwt	132.50–145.00	1,573	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,463	128.92/cwt	125.00–132.50	1,886	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,198	119.66/cwt	112.50–126.00	1,434	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,458	142.27/cwt	138.00–149.50	2,074	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,535	170.62/cwt	166.00–176.00	2,619	15
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,475	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,844	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	980	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,372	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,015	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	3,345	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,611	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,561	4
Bulls	—	—	1,775	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	3,000	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,752	186.83/cwt	184.00–188.00	3,273	3
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,982	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	4,083	28

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 →