Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-02-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-02-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (2-11-26): Feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. This is the first feeder special in three weeks making comparisons difficult. Demand was mostly good to very good for light offerings. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. Many buyers still have large orders to fill for summer grazing. Package sizes were light to moderate this sale and buyers struggled to put together loads of like quality cattle. This hindered demand in places, particularly on cattle to heavy to go to grass. Flesh conditions were mostly moderate to moderate plus this sale with a few fleshy cattle noticed. Flesh hindered demand in places as well. Quality overall was mixed from plain to attractive with lots of variation noticed. Market activity was mostly active with a moderate size crowd of order buyers and ranchers in the stands. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand for light offerings. Feeding cow demand continues to drive the market. Feeding cows sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher as buyers bid on light offerings. Packer buyers were significantly more aggressive this sale as they bid on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest this sale as only severally blemished cows sold to slaughter buyers. Feeding buyers were willing to take cows which were slightly lame to feed this week at significantly higher prices which pushed most slaughter buyers out of the market. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 10.00 higher on very good demand. Packers and feeding bull buyers both showed good demand for bulls which pushed offerings sharply higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good demand. Quality this week was average to attractive. Several cows which recently lost calves sold this sale and demand for these offerings was good to very good. Young age offerings sold mostly 10.00 higher in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $507.59/cwt on 58 head, up $20.86 from the prior sale. That ranks 10 of 11 comparable sales and sits +16.14 against this barn's trailing median of $491.45.

Average price

$507.59

▲ 20.86 vs prior sale

58 head · 547 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,774

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$136

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$10.92/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.69

vs MT average

+20.24 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	550	510.92	2,811	38
Medium and Large 1-2	540	501.40	2,709	18thin
Large 1	535	500.00	2,675	2thin

One grade step is worth $10.92/cwt here — about $136 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale58 hd

507.59

—

MT average3 barns · 341 hd

503.90

+3.69

National average178 barns · 13,390 hd

487.35

+20.24

This barn, trailing median11 sales

491.45

+16.14

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	1,784	193.96	3,461	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,432	176.78	2,532	100
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,667	174.31	2,906	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,164	144.42	1,681	28

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)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,435	$3,350	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,467	$3,143	7
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,300	$2,900	3thin

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 1	750–800	755	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,718	8
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	378	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	2,060	6
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	456	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,143	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	851	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,961	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	690	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,484	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	855	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	3,069	37
Steers	Medium 1	400–450	432	564.80/cwt	560.00–575.00	2,440	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	750–800	772	362.00/cwt	362.00–362.00	2,795	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	473	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	2,389	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	378	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,890	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	924	336.73/cwt	331.00–339.00	3,111	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	468	580.78/cwt	575.00–582.50	2,718	27
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	414	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	2,236	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	360	623.21/cwt	615.00–635.00	2,244	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	577	446.82/cwt	439.00–460.00	2,578	139
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	456	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,075	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	775	367.58/cwt	364.00–374.00	2,849	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	625.52/cwt	620.00–632.50	2,627	10
Steers	Medium 1	700–750	718	376.00/cwt	376.00–376.00	2,700	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	736	398.48/cwt	394.00–403.00	2,933	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	700–750	738	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,694	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	883	338.00/cwt	338.00–338.00	2,985	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	902	347.00/cwt	347.00–347.00	3,130	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	561	501.02/cwt	489.00–510.00	2,811	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	681	424.29/cwt	418.00–437.00	2,889	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	815	367.00/cwt	367.00–367.00	2,991	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	682	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,251	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	425	602.50/cwt	602.50–602.50	2,561	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	624	454.65/cwt	440.00–468.00	2,837	23
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	783	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,682	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	524	526.21/cwt	523.00–532.00	2,757	11
Steers	Large 1	500–550	535	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,675	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	882	339.00/cwt	339.00–339.00	2,990	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	538	521.93/cwt	514.00–550.00	2,808	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	645	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,677	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	360	647.50/cwt	647.50–647.50	2,331	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	566	462.42/cwt	440.00–480.00	2,617	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	710	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	2,716	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	836	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,842	4
Bulls	Large 1	700–750	718	384.00/cwt	384.00–384.00	2,757	2
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,154	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	3,058	5
Bulls	Large 1	850–900	863	329.00/cwt	327.50–330.00	2,839	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	765	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,792	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,719	177.74/cwt	176.50–179.00	3,055	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,653	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,628	5
Bulls	—	—	1,963	198.67/cwt	189.00–203.50	3,900	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,520	156.93/cwt	150.00–164.00	2,385	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	965	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	965	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,158	119.17/cwt	117.00–122.00	1,380	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,662	178.21/cwt	178.00–181.00	2,962	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,508	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	2,624	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,439	178.03/cwt	174.00–180.00	2,562	50
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,404	162.95/cwt	145.00–168.00	2,288	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,421	182.08/cwt	180.00–185.00	2,587	38
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,679	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	2,921	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,468	134.27/cwt	131.00–137.50	1,971	3
Bulls	—	—	1,880	218.00/cwt	218.00–218.00	4,098	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,180	147.66/cwt	136.00–161.00	1,742	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,207	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	2,173	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,169	176.56/cwt	170.00–179.00	2,064	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,657	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	2,767	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,597	195.19/cwt	188.00–200.50	3,117	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	979	249.52/cwt	225.00–275.00	2,443	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,102	238.93/cwt	220.00–250.00	2,633	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,300	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	3
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	775	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,666	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,141	237.38/cwt	220.00–277.50	2,709	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,155	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	2,298	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,116	243.64/cwt	185.00–312.50	2,719	95
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,088	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	2,584	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	964	245.93/cwt	185.00–285.00	2,371	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,435	3,350.00/head	3,350.00–3,350.00	3,350	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,467	3,142.82/head	3,100.00–3,150.00	3,143	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	542	451.66/cwt	440.00–465.00	2,448	12
Bulls	Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,053	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	2,738	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	350–400	392	534.98/cwt	530.00–540.00	2,097	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	475	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	2,708	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	2,672	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	548	509.00/cwt	509.00–509.00	2,789	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	517	483.17/cwt	480.00–489.00	2,498	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	631	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,492	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	747	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	2,682	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	604	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,356	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	430	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,021	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,486	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	417	534.57/cwt	515.00–545.00	2,229	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	800	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	2,808	7

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 →