Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-10-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-10-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling quality was mostly plain to average. Most yearlings were cut backs off summer video sales. Steer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly steady to 10.00 higher, while steer calves over 550 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 lower. Heifer calves all sold steady to 5.00 higher. Demand was moderate to good for all calves on offer. While prices were higher than last week on most classes demand was uneven as limit lower CME feeder cattle positions pressured the feeder cattle market. Buyers showed caution as they bid on offerings today. Calf quality this sale was mixed from plain to very attractive. High quality calves sold on very good demand. Light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings continue to sell on very good demand. Calves were mostly offered in small to moderate size packages. No load lots were seen this sale, however several partial loads were seen. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with a good mix of order buyers, and active internet bidding. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on good to very good demand. Demand for feeding cows remains very good. Some private buyers continue to buy cows away from slaughter buyers this sale. Demand was light to moderate for slaughter cows and good to very good for feeding cows. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher on all offerings compared to last Fridays sale. Weigh up conditions were average to below average. Several sets of cows were very full this sale. Cow and bull quality today was mostly average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $457.65/cwt on 348 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits −46.24 against this barn's trailing median of $503.89.

Average price

$457.65

348 head · 553 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,532

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$210

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$64.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−17.29

vs MT average

−11.39 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	515	480.00	2,472	3thin
Medium and Large 1	554	463.88	2,571	280
Medium and Large 1-2	553	433.90	2,399	50
Large 1	544	416.00	2,262	15thin

One grade step is worth $64.00/cwt here — about $210 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale348 hd

457.65

—

MT average4 barns · 1,862 hd

474.94

−17.29

National average176 barns · 29,227 hd

469.04

−11.39

This barn, trailing median1 sales

503.89

−46.24

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	1,857	182.07	3,381	6thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,633	173.65	2,836	25
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,427	173.38	2,474	110
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,214	154.56	1,877	98

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	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,138	$3,625	3thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,140	$3,300	13

Every lot, as filed

89 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 1Unweaned	400–450	432	501.27/cwt	485.00–517.50	2,165	92
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	318	688.62/cwt	680.00–690.00	2,190	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	283	590.00/cwt	590.00–590.00	1,670	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	519	389.97/cwt	385.00–412.50	2,024	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	431	534.54/cwt	475.00–560.00	2,304	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	284	680.00/cwt	680.00–680.00	1,931	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	422	460.50/cwt	455.00–465.00	1,943	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	671	381.60/cwt	380.00–384.00	2,561	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	950–1000	980	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	2,871	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	517	493.55/cwt	475.00–515.00	2,552	74
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	725	367.00/cwt	367.00–367.00	2,661	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	673	397.42/cwt	397.00–400.00	2,675	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	631	399.00/cwt	399.00–399.00	2,518	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	731	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	2,208	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	371	548.88/cwt	531.00–585.00	2,036	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	381	487.46/cwt	445.00–507.50	1,857	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	293	690.00/cwt	690.00–690.00	2,022	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	578	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,254	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	729	384.61/cwt	373.00–401.00	2,804	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	469	542.02/cwt	502.50–587.50	2,542	123
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	621	424.04/cwt	416.00–431.00	2,633	168
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	608	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,371	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	568	454.74/cwt	428.00–472.00	2,583	197
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	421	569.20/cwt	550.00–585.00	2,396	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	521	443.44/cwt	422.00–470.00	2,310	99
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	481	472.02/cwt	470.00–480.00	2,270	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	368	613.00/cwt	600.00–622.50	2,256	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,138	3,625.00/head	3,625.00–3,625.00	3,625	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	500–550	512	479.50/cwt	479.50–479.50	2,455	92
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	609	386.44/cwt	373.00–391.00	2,353	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	552	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,015	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	393	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	2,240	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	675	353.02/cwt	330.00–365.00	2,383	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	571	399.73/cwt	380.00–431.00	2,282	87
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	600–650	642	361.00/cwt	361.00–361.00	2,318	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	463	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,875	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	556	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,335	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	979	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	3,133	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,581	177.56/cwt	175.00–178.00	2,807	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,726	168.24/cwt	166.50–169.50	2,904	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,254	170.66/cwt	168.00–178.00	2,140	58
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	975	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	975	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	935	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	1,122	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,139	115.51/cwt	112.00–120.00	1,316	11
Bulls	—	—	2,105	200.47/cwt	200.00–201.00	4,220	2
Bulls	—	—	1,650	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	3,020	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,095	103.26/cwt	102.50–107.50	1,131	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,625	164.50/cwt	164.00–165.00	2,673	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,725	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	2,829	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,381	162.46/cwt	143.00–166.00	2,244	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,535	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,594	1
Bulls	—	—	1,873	169.73/cwt	163.00–176.00	3,179	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,755	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	3,054	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,227	160.34/cwt	127.00–168.00	1,967	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,457	182.96/cwt	180.00–186.00	2,666	24
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,418	175.07/cwt	168.00–180.00	2,482	68
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	595	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,380	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	350–400	360	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	1,944	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	476	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,595	11
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	700–750	703	373.00/cwt	373.00–373.00	2,622	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,415	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,981	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,493	141.51/cwt	124.00–164.00	2,113	6
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	500–550	515	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	2,472	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	636	382.03/cwt	380.00–388.00	2,430	30
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	685	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	2,233	5
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	588	346.00/cwt	346.00–346.00	2,034	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	478	413.52/cwt	395.00–420.00	1,977	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	558	423.93/cwt	417.00–429.00	2,366	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	970	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	2,842	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	747	343.00/cwt	343.00–343.00	2,562	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	384	567.26/cwt	537.50–572.00	2,178	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	538	462.29/cwt	450.00–470.00	2,487	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	250–300	275	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,100	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	638	358.00/cwt	358.00–358.00	2,284	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	461	471.75/cwt	450.00–510.00	2,175	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	982	301.40/cwt	245.00–317.50	2,960	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	908	251.43/cwt	212.50–272.00	2,283	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,088	221.68/cwt	202.50–256.00	2,412	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	262.75/cwt	187.00–299.00	2,877	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	336	534.18/cwt	517.50–560.00	1,795	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	150–200	197	750.00/cwt	750.00–750.00	1,478	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2	700–750	719	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,445	10
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	663	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,254	2
Heifers	Medium 2	550–600	570	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,981	12
Heifers	Medium 2	600–650	613	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,100	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,140	3,300.00/head	3,300.00–3,300.00	3,300	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,203	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,226	8
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	750–800	796	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,706	5
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	531	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,230	12

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 →