Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2025-11-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-11-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steers calves 500-699 lbs offered the best test, these offerings sold mostly 10.00-20.00 lower in a narrow comparison. All other weights of steers were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Heifers 450-549 lbs sold mostly 10.00 lower, heifers 550 lbs and heavier sold 5.00-8.00 lower in a narrow comparison. All other weights were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Quality was better this week compared to last week with larger groups of cattle seen. CME positions traded sharply lower over the past week. With less takers for calves and lighter demand noticed, calf prices traded lower as a result. Demand was mostly light to moderate today for light offerings. A smaller crowd was seen this week with very few buyers in the stands and hardly any bidders seen on the internet. Market activity was slow to moderate as a result. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for light offerings. Too few cows sold to establish an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on feeding cows. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed as feeding and slaughter bull buyers competed over limited offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebred were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. A smaller buyer pool was noticed for cows and bulls this week as well.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $356.10/cwt on 290 head. That ranks 1 of 1 comparable sales and sits −92.29 against this barn's trailing median of $448.39.

Average price

$356.10

290 head · 562 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,001

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$192

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$21.21/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−14.52

vs MT average

−0.79 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	563	357.28	2,012	272
Medium and Large 1-2	549	339.65	1,864	11thin
Large 1	542	336.07	1,820	7thin

One grade step is worth $21.21/cwt here — about $192 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 sale290 hd

356.10

—

MT average4 barns · 1,277 hd

370.62

−14.52

National average188 barns · 19,415 hd

356.89

−0.79

This barn, trailing median1 sales

448.39

−92.29

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	—	Low	1,829	161.27	2,949	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,549	159.34	2,468	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,384	152.67	2,113	44
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,162	135.21	1,571	34

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,063	$1,900	2thin

Every lot, as filed

70 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	365	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,770	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	630	359.70/cwt	354.00–366.00	2,266	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	676	349.07/cwt	340.00–351.00	2,360	64
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	591	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,187	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	381	502.50/cwt	502.50–502.50	1,915	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	572	381.65/cwt	378.00–385.00	2,183	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	627	345.69/cwt	343.00–347.00	2,167	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	448	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	1,971	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	726	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	2,403	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	480	401.80/cwt	382.00–425.00	1,929	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	334	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,770	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	554	397.51/cwt	385.00–405.00	2,202	60
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	541	363.10/cwt	343.00–393.00	1,964	64
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	300–350	345	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,570	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	452	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,102	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	665	324.00/cwt	324.00–324.00	2,155	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	522	427.30/cwt	426.00–465.00	2,231	85
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	429	416.82/cwt	410.00–420.00	1,788	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	650–700	657	329.00/cwt	329.00–329.00	2,162	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	618	358.03/cwt	354.00–363.00	2,213	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	363	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,615	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	429	494.81/cwt	485.00–505.00	2,123	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	700	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,415	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	531	361.36/cwt	345.00–386.00	1,919	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	473	468.02/cwt	455.00–472.00	2,214	40
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	463	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,898	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	838	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,724	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	458	393.99/cwt	390.00–410.00	1,804	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	421	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	1,958	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	576	356.00/cwt	356.00–356.00	2,051	59
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,325	164.50/cwt	164.50–164.50	2,180	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,401	157.58/cwt	153.00–164.00	2,208	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,345	147.68/cwt	128.00–152.00	1,986	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,188	143.64/cwt	130.00–154.00	1,706	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	965	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	830	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	726	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,440	123.00/cwt	123.00–123.00	1,771	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,800	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	2,772	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,675	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	2,781	2
Bulls	—	—	1,794	149.87/cwt	140.00–168.00	2,689	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,145	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,718	2
Bulls	—	—	1,980	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	3,564	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	668	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	2,244	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,170	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	1,024	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,113	96.68/cwt	95.00–100.00	1,076	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,889	177.77/cwt	177.00–179.00	3,358	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,598	158.10/cwt	153.00–160.00	2,526	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,345	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,412	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	957	293.13/cwt	280.00–302.50	2,805	10
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	350–400	377	413.32/cwt	400.00–420.00	1,558	9
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	507	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	2,091	3
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	521	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	1,810	5
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	593	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,823	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	650	313.00/cwt	313.00–313.00	2,035	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	489	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,870	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,200	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,568	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,063	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	964	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,603	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,152	213.98/cwt	210.00–222.50	2,465	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	614	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,934	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	645	316.00/cwt	316.00–316.00	2,038	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	488	387.00/cwt	387.00–387.00	1,889	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	300–350	330	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,155	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	543	338.31/cwt	310.00–343.00	1,837	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	559	342.00/cwt	342.00–342.00	1,912	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	400–450	417	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,647	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	620	338.33/cwt	324.00–344.00	2,098	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	424	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,632	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	580	353.21/cwt	345.50–369.00	2,049	111
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	700–750	739	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	2,121	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 →