Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-05-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-05-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (4-29-26): Feeder cattle too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Feeder quality this week was mostly plain to average. Market activity was mostly moderate to active, despite light offerings. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand again this week. Almost every cow purchased today was once again purchased to feed in some capacity. Feeding cows sold generally steady to firm on all classes. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Buyers continue to show very good demand for young and high yielding offerings. Young to middle age feeding cows continue to sell with the best demand as feeding and rebreed buyers both bid aggressively over cows that fit their orders. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average this week, however weigh conditions were not as attractive this week as they were last week. The volume of cows purchased for immediate harvest remains very low. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Feeding bull buyers continue to show very good demand for light weight and lower dressing bulls that would improve on feed. Feeding bulls sold mostly 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Bull quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Demand for young cows remains very good. Young age offerings sold mostly steady. Quality this week was average to attractive. A few pairs are starting to be marketed due to dryness. Demand for pairs was mostly moderate this sale. Demand has lightened as concern for drought is keeping ranchers from bidding on pairs. There was a large crowd of ranchers in the stands today, however most were just there to watch.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $422.50/cwt on 2 head, down $24.04 from the prior sale. That ranks 11 of 19 comparable sales and sits +0.96 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$422.50

▼ 24.04 vs prior sale

2 head · 580 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,451

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−46.59

vs MT average

−5.40 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	580	422.50	2,451	2thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

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 sale2 hd

422.50

—

MT average2 barns · 357 hd

469.09

−46.59

National average182 barns · 12,459 hd

427.90

−5.40

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

+0.96

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	—	High	1,831	217.32	3,978	91
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,401	181.91	2,549	66
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,641	178.20	2,924	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,171	169.75	1,988	62

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)	1,297	$4,174	43
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,445	$3,700	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,343	$3,600	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,505	$3,491	8
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,610	$3,400	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,478	$3,385	9
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,230	$3,827	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,184	$4,562	36
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,475	$4,306	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,404	$4,224	21
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,539	$4,020	85
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,094	$4,981	118

Every lot, as filed

65 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%Return to Feed	—	1,371	190.29/cwt	187.00–194.00	2,609	27
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,673	167.35/cwt	165.00–170.00	2,800	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,134	119.43/cwt	100.00–125.00	1,354	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,595	153.99/cwt	152.00–156.00	2,456	3
Bulls	—	—	2,146	225.02/cwt	223.00–227.00	4,829	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,201	191.05/cwt	189.00–194.00	2,295	23
Bulls	—	—	1,934	217.10/cwt	208.00–221.00	4,199	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,172	166.13/cwt	150.00–174.00	1,947	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,663	205.73/cwt	194.00–212.00	3,421	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	955	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,194	1
Bulls	—	—	2,136	224.53/cwt	222.00–230.00	4,796	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,556	192.30/cwt	188.00–195.50	2,992	10
Bulls	—	—	1,740	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	3,550	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,406	168.33/cwt	162.00–175.00	2,367	10
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,598	218.02/cwt	215.00–223.00	3,484	34
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	975	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,073	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,550	168.54/cwt	165.00–172.50	2,612	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,690	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	2,958	2
Heifer Pairs	Medium 1	—	961	4,452.62/head	4,200.00–4,600.00	4,453	25
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	820	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,845	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	828	270.31/cwt	255.00–280.00	2,238	4
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	831	317.30/cwt	295.00–325.00	2,637	11
Bred Heifers	Large 1	—	1,347	3,700.00/head	3,700.00–3,700.00	3,700	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,789	157.08/cwt	154.00–162.50	2,810	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,027	254.08/cwt	200.00–307.50	2,609	21
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,445	3,700.00/head	3,700.00–3,700.00	3,700	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,166	252.34/cwt	192.00–312.50	2,942	35
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,610	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,051	292.74/cwt	220.00–341.00	3,077	44
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,146	4,900.00/head	4,900.00–4,900.00	4,900	10
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,275	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,428	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	580	422.50/cwt	422.50–422.50	2,451	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	100–150	100	950.00/head	950.00–950.00	950	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	613	417.51/cwt	415.00–420.00	2,559	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,342	3,253.35/head	3,100.00–3,300.00	3,253	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,536	3,525.84/head	3,450.00–3,800.00	3,526	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	50–100	73	750.00/head	750.00–750.00	750	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	428	505.00/cwt	505.00–505.00	2,161	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Non-Legible BANGS	—	997	4,200.00/head	4,200.00–4,200.00	4,200	12
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,080	5,070.60/head	4,550.00–5,300.00	5,071	64
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,629	4,550.00/head	4,550.00–4,550.00	4,550	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,290	3,250.00/head	3,250.00–3,250.00	3,250	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,553	4,060.28/head	3,975.00–4,300.00	4,060	76
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,404	4,223.60/head	4,200.00–4,350.00	4,224	21
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,003	4,000.00/head	4,000.00–4,000.00	4,000	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,329	4,330.79/head	4,150.00–4,500.00	4,331	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,343	4,450.00/head	4,450.00–4,450.00	4,450	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,480	3,700.00/head	3,700.00–3,700.00	3,700	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,300	195.60/cwt	190.00–202.50	2,543	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,363	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	2
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,436	3,688.73/head	3,650.00–3,800.00	3,689	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,388	4,750.00/head	4,750.00–4,750.00	4,750	10
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,255	5,328.60/head	5,300.00–5,350.00	5,329	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	958	290.63/cwt	240.00–310.00	2,784	13
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,288	4,196.85/head	4,100.00–4,300.00	4,197	41
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,649	3,550.00/head	3,550.00–3,550.00	3,550	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,163	3,900.00/head	3,900.00–3,900.00	3,900	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,343	3,600.00/head	3,600.00–3,600.00	3,600	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,223	174.05/cwt	173.00–175.00	2,129	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,215	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	1,974	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,585	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	2,710	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,408	181.64/cwt	175.00–188.00	2,557	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,211	184.17/cwt	175.00–188.00	2,230	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,097	137.54/cwt	132.50–142.50	1,509	9

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 →