Sale reports / Montana / Public Auction Yards / 2026-10-02

Public Auction Yards

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

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Fri, Oct 2

● Final70 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1776

← Feb 27Oct 2Oct 9 →

Feeder Cattle receipts

2,149 head

▼ 1,839 vs last sale 3,988▲ 486 vs year ago 1,663 · +29.2%

Slaughter Cattle receipts

8 head

▼ 28 vs last sale 36▼ 38 vs year ago 46 · −82.6%

Replacement Cattle receipts

3 head

▼ 7 vs last sale 10▼ 20 vs year ago 23 · −87.0%

Also sold hereRegular saleWed Oct 28, 2026

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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 — the figures below change to match

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

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 5 of 6 comparable sales and sits +10.36 against this barn's trailing median of $391.86.

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

+49.56 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 average184 barns · 12,638 hd

352.66

+49.56

This barn, trailing median6 sales

391.86

+10.36

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

6 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $448.39, low $377.01, median $391.86 across 6 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

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. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.

Class	Weight	Grade / description	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Feeder Cattle · Steers25 lots · lightest first
Steers	200–250	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	243	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,458	2
Steers	300–350	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	313	625.33/cwt	600.00–627.50	1,957	13
Steers	300–350	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	341	536.42/cwt	500.00–545.00	1,829	5
Steers	350–400	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	380	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	2,166	2
Steers	400–450	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	427	509.28/cwt	487.50–537.50	2,175	40
Steers	400–450	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	446	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,007	4
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	466	448.18/cwt	436.00–457.50	2,089	25
Steers	450–500	Medium 1Unweaned	473	425.40/cwt	406.00–440.00	2,012	20
Steers	450–500	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	478	479.68/cwt	460.00–495.00	2,293	108
Steers	500–550	Large 1Unweaned	516	402.15/cwt	375.00–440.00	2,075	7
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	517	418.90/cwt	395.00–440.00	2,166	21
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	525	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,969	2
Steers	500–550	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	526	456.00/cwt	435.00–474.00	2,399	124
Steers	550–600	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	557	404.14/cwt	375.00–408.00	2,251	19
Steers	550–600	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	578	421.15/cwt	409.00–437.00	2,434	109
Steers	550–600	Medium 1Unweaned	599	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,336	21
Steers	600–650	Large 1Unweaned	612	388.00/cwt	388.00–388.00	2,375	10
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	618	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,379	2
Steers	600–650	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	627	401.62/cwt	390.00–409.00	2,518	97
Steers	650–700	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	670	388.79/cwt	387.00–395.00	2,605	14
Steers	700–750	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	719	369.43/cwt	365.00–375.00	2,656	9
Steers	800–850	Medium and Large 2	848	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,629	3
Steers	850–900	Medium and Large 1	892	344.00/cwt	344.00–344.00	3,068	23
Steers	950–1000	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	952	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,999	53
Steers	950–1000	Medium and Large 1	962	336.50/cwt	336.50–336.50	3,237	50
Feeder Cattle · Heifers34 lots · lightest first
Heifers	300–350	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	335	521.15/cwt	510.00–565.00	1,746	22
Heifers	300–350	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	340	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,598	1
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	372	492.02/cwt	470.00–505.00	1,830	25
Heifers	350–400	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	373	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,697	2
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	422	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	1,878	6
Heifers	400–450	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	424	460.24/cwt	460.00–465.00	1,951	21
Heifers	400–450	Medium 1Unweaned	436	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	1,875	4
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	468	441.03/cwt	414.00–465.00	2,064	84
Heifers	450–500	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	494	402.58/cwt	380.00–405.00	1,989	13
Heifers	500–550	Large 1Unweaned	513	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	1,975	4
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	519	414.23/cwt	408.00–422.00	2,150	83
Heifers	500–550	Medium and Large 1	524	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	2,162	5
Heifers	550–600	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	566	386.16/cwt	375.00–398.00	2,186	61
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	613	375.22/cwt	365.00–379.00	2,300	32
Heifers	600–650	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	622	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,301	19
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	661	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,413	4
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1	667	355.67/cwt	354.00–360.00	2,372	34
Heifers	650–700	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	670	347.50/cwt	347.50–347.50	2,328	3
Heifers	700–750	Medium and Large 1	726	360.40/cwt	360.00–360.50	2,617	28
Heifers	700–750	Medium and Large 1-2	729	338.69/cwt	330.00–342.00	2,469	17
Heifers	750–800	Medium and Large 1-2	758	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,501	2
Heifers	750–800	Medium and Large 1	771	348.79/cwt	339.00–355.00	2,689	171
Heifers	800–850	Medium and Large 1-2	800	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,440	6
Heifers	800–850	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	809	354.50/cwt	354.50–354.50	2,868	29
Heifers	800–850	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	828	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	2,666	45
Heifers	800–850	Medium and Large 1	835	334.45/cwt	329.00–340.00	2,793	50
Heifers	850–900	Medium and Large 1	867	322.39/cwt	312.00–324.00	2,795	99
Heifers	900–950	Medium and Large 1	938	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,861	10
Heifers	900–950	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	941	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,729	6
Heifers	900–950	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	942	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	2,675	34
Heifers	950–1000	Medium and Large 1	974	302.73/cwt	300.00–303.00	2,949	90
Heifers	950–1000	Large 1Fleshy	979	279.00/cwt	279.00–279.00	2,731	12
Heifers	950–1000	Medium and Large 1-2	990	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,822	2
Heifers	1000–1050	Medium and Large 1	1,007	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	2,951	7
Feeder Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls	300–350	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	337	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	1,837	5
Bulls	350–400	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	355	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	1,935	1
Bulls	500–550	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	507	420.65/cwt	411.00–430.00	2,133	25
Bulls	550–600	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	559	392.50/cwt	392.50–392.50	2,194	8
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls	—	—Return to Feed	1,375	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	2,310	1
Slaughter Cattle · Cows5 lots · lightest first
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	830	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	681	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,170	127.35/cwt	123.00–132.00	1,490	2
Cows	—	Boner 80-85%	1,190	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,488	1
Cows	—	Lean 85-90%	1,230	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,353	1
Cows	—	Breaker 75-80%	1,568	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	2,070	2
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows1 lot · lightest first
Stock Cows	—	Medium and Large 1-2	1,064	191.14/cwt	168.00–205.00	2,034	3

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 →

Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Fri)

Fri Oct 2, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 2,149Last week 3,988Year ago 1,663

Slaughter CattleReceipts 8Last week 36Year ago 46

Replacement CattleReceipts 3Last week 10Year ago 23

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	300–350	337	545.00	545.00
1	350–400	355	545.00	545.00
25	500–550	507	411.00–430.00	420.65
8	550–600	559	392.50	392.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
22	300–350	335	510.00–565.00	521.15
25	350–400	372	470.00–505.00	492.02
21	400–450	424	460.00–465.00	460.24
84	450–500	468	414.00–465.00	441.03
83	500–550	519	408.00–422.00	414.23
61	550–600	566	375.00–398.00	386.16
32	600–650	613	365.00–379.00	375.22
4	650–700	661	365.00	365.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	340	470.00	470.00
2	350–400	373	455.00	455.00
6	400–450	422	445.00	445.00
13	450–500	494	380.00–405.00	402.58
3	650–700	670	347.50	347.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
34	900–950	942	284.00	284.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
17	700–750	729	330.00–342.00	338.69
2	750–800	758	330.00	330.00
6	800–850	800	305.00	305.00
2	950–1000	990	285.00	285.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	500–550	524	412.50	412.50
34	650–700	667	354.00–360.00	355.67
28	700–750	726	360.00–360.50	360.40
171	750–800	771	339.00–355.00	348.79
50	800–850	835	329.00–340.00	334.45
99	850–900	867	312.00–324.00	322.39
10	900–950	938	305.00	305.00
90	950–1000	974	300.00–303.00	302.73
7	1000–1050	1,007	293.00	293.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
19	600–650	622	370.00	370.00
29	800–850	809	354.50	354.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
45	800–850	828	322.00	322.00
6	900–950	941	290.00	290.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
12	950–1000	979	279.00	279.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	500–550	513	385.00	385.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	400–450	436	430.00	430.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
13	300–350	313	600.00–627.50	625.33
2	350–400	380	570.00	570.00
40	400–450	427	487.50–537.50	509.28
108	450–500	478	460.00–495.00	479.68
124	500–550	526	435.00–474.00	456.00
109	550–600	578	409.00–437.00	421.15
97	600–650	627	390.00–409.00	401.62
14	650–700	670	387.00–395.00	388.79
9	700–750	719	365.00–375.00	369.43

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	200–250	243	600.00	600.00
5	300–350	341	500.00–545.00	536.42
4	400–450	446	450.00	450.00
25	450–500	466	436.00–457.50	448.18
21	500–550	517	395.00–440.00	418.90
19	550–600	557	375.00–408.00	404.14
2	600–650	618	385.00	385.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
23	850–900	892	344.00	344.00
50	950–1000	962	336.50	336.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
53	950–1000	952	315.00	315.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
20	450–500	473	406.00–440.00	425.40
21	550–600	599	390.00	390.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	500–550	525	375.00	375.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	800–850	848	310.00	310.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
7	500–550	516	375.00–440.00	402.15
10	600–650	612	388.00	388.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,230	110.00	110.00
2	—	1,170	123.00–132.00	127.35

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	830	82.00	82.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,568	132.00	132.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,190	125.00	125.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,375	168.00	168.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,064	168.00–205.00	191.14

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.