Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-10-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-10-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

This is the First Friday feeder special of the Fall. No recent Friday feeder specials to make any market comparison. Feeder calves all sold on good demand for light to moderate offerings. Yearlings sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Cooperate packer buyers showed good demand for green, high quality yearlings today as several long strings of attractive cattle off grass were seen. Additionally several backgrounded offerings out of grow lots were seen and demand for these offerings was moderate to good. Most grow lot offerings were in moderate to moderate plus; a few discounted offerings were seen and marked as fleshy. Feeder calves are starting to be marketed and demand for calves was mostly good. Lots of variation of quality was noticed today. Most calves were in small to moderate size packages, forcing buyers to piece together loads. Demand was good from private feeders and Canadian buyers. Cooperate packers were mostly sidelined today as they showed limited interest in new crop calves. A large crowd of buyers was on hand for todays sale with over 15 different buyers actively bidding on offerings. Market activity was mostly active as a result. Weigh up cows sold on light demand for very light offerings. Too few cows and bulls were seen to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $402.22/cwt on 153 head, down $46.18 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 2 comparable sales and sits −23.09 against this barn's trailing median of $425.31.

Average price

$402.22

▼ 46.18 vs prior sale

153 head · 538 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,163

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$193

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$17.68/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+5.31

vs MT average

+49.26 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	538	402.68	2,168	149
Large 1	513	385.00	1,975	4thin

One grade step is worth $17.68/cwt here — about $193 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 sale153 hd

402.22

—

MT average4 barns · 247 hd

396.91

+5.31

National average179 barns · 12,503 hd

352.96

+49.26

This barn, trailing median2 sales

425.31

−23.09

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	1,375	168.00	2,310	1thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,568	132.00	2,070	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,190	125.00	1,488	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,100	111.68	1,228	4thin

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 1Unweaned	450–500	473	425.40/cwt	406.00–440.00	2,012	20
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	436	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,875	4
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	513	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,975	4
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	979	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	2,731	12
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	612	388.00/cwt	388.00–388.00	2,375	10
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	500–550	516	402.15/cwt	375.00–440.00	2,075	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	990	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,822	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	848	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,629	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	525	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,969	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	422	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,878	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	670	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	2,328	3
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	550–600	599	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,336	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	771	348.79/cwt	339.00–355.00	2,689	171
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,007	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	2,951	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	335	521.15/cwt	510.00–565.00	1,746	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	952	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,999	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	828	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	2,666	45
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,064	191.14/cwt	168.00–205.00	2,034	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	962	336.50/cwt	336.50–336.50	3,237	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	938	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,861	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	941	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,729	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	600–650	622	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,301	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	800–850	809	354.50/cwt	354.50–354.50	2,868	29
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	507	420.65/cwt	411.00–430.00	2,133	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	427	509.28/cwt	487.50–537.50	2,175	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	892	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	3,068	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	524	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	2,162	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	974	302.73/cwt	300.00–303.00	2,949	90
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	667	355.67/cwt	354.00–360.00	2,372	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	867	322.39/cwt	312.00–324.00	2,795	99
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	726	360.40/cwt	360.00–360.50	2,617	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	627	401.62/cwt	390.00–409.00	2,518	97
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	835	334.45/cwt	329.00–340.00	2,793	50
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	559	392.50/cwt	392.50–392.50	2,194	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	337	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	1,837	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	355	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	1,935	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	372	492.02/cwt	470.00–505.00	1,830	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	424	460.24/cwt	460.00–465.00	1,951	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	478	479.68/cwt	460.00–495.00	2,293	108
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	670	388.79/cwt	387.00–395.00	2,605	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	519	414.23/cwt	408.00–422.00	2,150	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	719	369.43/cwt	365.00–375.00	2,656	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	494	402.58/cwt	380.00–405.00	1,989	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	900–950	942	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	2,675	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	566	386.16/cwt	375.00–398.00	2,186	61
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	526	456.00/cwt	435.00–474.00	2,399	124
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	578	421.15/cwt	409.00–437.00	2,434	109
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	613	375.22/cwt	365.00–379.00	2,300	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	800	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,440	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	466	448.18/cwt	436.00–457.50	2,089	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	380	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	2,166	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	313	625.33/cwt	600.00–627.50	1,957	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	373	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,697	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	340	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,598	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	200–250	243	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,458	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	557	404.14/cwt	375.00–408.00	2,251	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	468	441.03/cwt	414.00–465.00	2,064	84
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	661	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,413	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	758	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,501	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	729	338.69/cwt	330.00–342.00	2,469	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	341	536.42/cwt	500.00–545.00	1,829	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	446	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,007	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	517	418.90/cwt	395.00–440.00	2,166	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	618	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,379	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,230	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,353	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,170	127.35/cwt	123.00–132.00	1,490	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	830	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	681	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,568	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	2,070	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,190	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,488	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,375	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	2,310	1

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 →