Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-02-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-02-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (1-17-25): The last Friday feeder special was in the middle of January. All comparisons are to last months feeder special. Feeder steer calves sold 8.00-12.00 higher on all classes. Heifer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly 10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Heifers over 550 lbs sold mostly 15.00-20.00 higher, with instances of as much as 25.00 higher seen on attractive offerings. Demand for all feeder cattle was good to very good. Offerings were moderate. Feeder quality was mixed from plain to very attractive this sale. Most calves were weaned over 60 days with some offerings weaned over 100 days. Demand for all calves to go to grass remains good to very good. Package sizes were mixed today, however buyers showed good demand for all calves on offer. Demand remained constant throughout the sale which stretched well into the afternoon. A moderate size buyer pool was on hand for todays sale and buyers bid rapidly on feeders as they pushed to fill loads. Demand for heifers was very good today especially on heifers over 650 lbs. Several packages of attractive heifers were purchased to make replacements and feeding buyers and replacement buyers both showed good demand for this weight of heifers. Market activity was mostly active today with bidders both ringside as well as over the internet actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly light for very light offerings. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average as many cows were very full. Cow quality today was mostly average. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly moderate demand.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $321.07/cwt on 283 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits −127.32 against this barn's trailing median of $448.39.

Average price

$321.07

283 head · 552 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,773

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$176

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

$39.28/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.21

vs MT average

+14.06 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	552	331.52	1,829	171
Medium and Large 1-2	544	316.45	1,720	56
Medium 1	586	298.00	1,746	4thin
Large 1	555	295.00	1,637	23
Medium and Large 2	565	292.24	1,653	29

One grade step is worth $39.28/cwt here — about $176 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.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale283 hd

321.07

—

MT average4 barns · 473 hd

320.86

+0.21

National average189 barns · 18,586 hd

307.01

+14.06

This barn, trailing median1 sales

448.39

−127.32

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	1,840	163.29	3,005	4thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,410	130.53	1,841	9thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,665	129.45	2,156	7thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,201	98.94	1,188	5thin

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)	1,280	$2,850	2thin

Every lot, as filed

90 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Fri)

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	700–750	723	286.75/cwt	277.00–291.00	2,073	112
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	378	433.02/cwt	427.50–436.00	1,637	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	530	338.26/cwt	330.00–349.50	1,793	81
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	866	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	2,304	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	622	335.40/cwt	324.00–345.00	2,086	232
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	572	323.01/cwt	312.00–330.00	1,848	80
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	723	294.12/cwt	291.00–297.00	2,126	63
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	750–800	774	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,245	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	432	373.60/cwt	367.00–385.00	1,614	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	600–650	603	353.00/cwt	353.00–353.00	2,129	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	550–600	563	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,942	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	838	261.57/cwt	261.00–266.00	2,192	138
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	771	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	1,997	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,020	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	1,581	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,233	156.80/cwt	144.00–170.00	1,933	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,280	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	905	226.20/cwt	202.00–244.00	2,047	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	679	296.04/cwt	290.00–297.00	2,010	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	482	374.00/cwt	374.00–374.00	1,803	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	437	347.90/cwt	342.50–351.00	1,520	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	731	268.45/cwt	267.00–270.00	1,962	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	689	274.21/cwt	274.00–276.00	1,889	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	578	301.27/cwt	295.00–309.00	1,741	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	646	315.43/cwt	315.00–316.00	2,038	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	361	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	1,534	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	418	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,547	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	730	290.29/cwt	290.00–293.00	2,119	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	434	400.39/cwt	400.00–405.00	1,738	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	700–750	728	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,951	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	333.99/cwt	329.00–337.00	1,637	82
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	592	340.81/cwt	337.00–342.00	2,018	43
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	493	349.00/cwt	349.00–349.00	1,721	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	532	321.51/cwt	302.00–332.50	1,710	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	785	276.19/cwt	275.00–281.00	2,168	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	845	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	2,256	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	388	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,319	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	542	361.80/cwt	361.00–364.00	1,961	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	384	357.86/cwt	345.00–367.50	1,374	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	623	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	1,676	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,195	92.42/cwt	82.50–98.00	1,104	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,590	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,972	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,388	131.35/cwt	131.00–134.00	1,823	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,652	125.65/cwt	125.00–127.00	2,076	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,675	132.30/cwt	131.00–133.00	2,216	4
Bulls	—	—	1,840	163.29/cwt	159.00–165.00	3,005	4
Steers	Large 1	450–500	495	394.00/cwt	394.00–394.00	1,950	8
Steers	Large 1	800–850	818	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	2,217	2
Heifers	Large 1	550–600	555	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,637	23
Steers	Large 1	900–950	925	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	2,340	19
Heifers	Large 1	600–650	620	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,655	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,225	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,531	1
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	608	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,733	6
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	586	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,746	4
Heifers	Medium 1-2	350–400	357	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,178	11
Heifers	Medium 1-2	400–450	405	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,337	10
Steers	Large 1	650–700	676	289.00/cwt	289.00–289.00	1,954	9
Steers	Large 1	550–600	595	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,008	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	545	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,635	11
Heifers	Medium 1Fleshy	950–1000	984	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	1,850	6
Heifers	Medium 1	300–350	325	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,138	4
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	492	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	1,629	5
Heifers	Medium 1	350–400	356	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,237	18
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	421	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,368	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	1050–1100	1,077	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	2,499	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	578	287.50/cwt	285.00–288.00	1,662	18
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	656	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,935	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	384	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,498	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	470	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,481	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	675	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,755	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	850–900	881	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	2,247	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	750–800	778	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,101	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	1050–1100	1,064	208.20/cwt	199.00–209.00	2,215	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	805	284.83/cwt	282.50–286.50	2,293	103
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	528	379.06/cwt	368.00–395.00	2,001	95
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	427	393.30/cwt	380.00–405.00	1,679	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	454	374.58/cwt	365.00–380.00	1,701	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	667	319.88/cwt	310.00–326.00	2,134	114
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	809	261.22/cwt	255.00–263.00	2,113	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	772	286.52/cwt	286.00–294.00	2,212	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	769	274.43/cwt	262.00–277.50	2,110	113
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	754	271.00/cwt	267.00–273.00	2,043	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	939	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	2,404	15
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	620	284.74/cwt	284.00–285.00	1,765	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	677	289.00/cwt	283.00–293.00	1,957	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	414	430.01/cwt	425.00–435.00	1,780	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	721	306.32/cwt	301.00–311.00	2,209	147
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	469	395.91/cwt	390.00–410.00	1,857	58
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	568	359.08/cwt	347.00–370.00	2,040	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	623	302.78/cwt	287.00–313.00	1,886	202
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	466	350.65/cwt	339.00–374.00	1,634	81

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 →