Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2026-08-13

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Aug 13
● Final69 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
313 head
▼ 88 vs last sale 401▼ 82 vs year ago 395 · −20.8%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
599 head
▲ 190 vs last sale 409▲ 242 vs year ago 357 · +67.8%
Replacement Cattle receipts
122 head
▲ 1 vs last sale 121▲ 24 vs year ago 98 · +24.5%
Also sold here(Mon)Mon Nov 2, 2026
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (7-23-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on all offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Several sets of yearlings coming off grass were seen this sale. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Group sizes were small to moderate with many singles noticed. Market activity was mostly moderate with a small buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand and light offerings. Demand for feeding cows was mostly moderate. Canadian buyers continue to buy cows to ship north and feed. American packers showed a desire to purchase cows lower and showed slightly lighter demand for all cows on offer. All feeding cows sold mostly 5.00 lower compared to the last sale, three weeks ago. Cow quality was mostly plain to average and overall not as attractive as the previous sale. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly moderate to good. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on breaking cows and mostly 3.00 to 5.00 higher on boning and lean cows in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mixed with both full and empty cows noticed. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for young rebreed cows was mostly moderate on a plain to average quality offering.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $332.50/cwt on 25 head, down $4.98 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 23 comparable sales and sits −79.12 against this barn's trailing median of $411.62.
Average price
$332.50
▼ 4.98 vs prior sale
25 head · 591 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,965
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
—
single grade reported
vs the market
+0.00
vs MT average
−34.15 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium 2591332.501,96525
Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale25 hd
332.50
—
MT average1 barns · 25 hd
332.50
+0.00
National average163 barns · 7,070 hd
366.65
−34.15
This barn, trailing median23 sales
411.62
−79.12
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

23 sales
483428373319median 411.6203/0504/3006/1109/2410/29
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.35, low $332.50, median $411.62 across 23 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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—Average1,784205.033,659103
CowsPremium White 65-75%Average1,814173.003,1389thin
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,554170.852,655103
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,387168.372,336193
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,165158.161,84368
Dairy CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,658163.502,7112thin

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,525$3,1001thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,485$2,9001thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,475$2,7502thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,847$4,2503thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,553$4,0003thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,509$3,5008

Every lot

69 lots · USDA AMS · Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Thu)
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.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers5 lots · lightest first
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned513422.50/cwt422.50–422.502,1672
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1745380.00/cwt380.00–380.002,8315
Steers750–800Medium 1765335.00/cwt335.00–335.002,5632
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1Full974327.00/cwt327.00–327.003,1858
Steers1050–1100Large 1Full1,058309.00/cwt309.00–309.003,2694
Feeder Cattle · Heifers18 lots · lightest first
Heifers550–600Medium 2591332.50/cwt332.50–332.501,96525
Heifers650–700Medium 1675347.50/cwt347.50–347.502,3462
Heifers650–700Medium 1-2689330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,27411
Heifers750–800Medium 1Full768300.00/cwt300.00–300.002,3042
Heifers750–800Medium 2779285.00/cwt285.00–285.002,2206
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1872322.02/cwt321.00–327.002,80812
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1Fleshy872311.50/cwt311.50–311.502,71626
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2896295.00/cwt295.00–295.002,6434
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1929312.07/cwt308.00–314.502,89915
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1Full967284.00/cwt284.00–284.002,7463
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1984309.10/cwt306.00–314.003,04244
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,018301.62/cwt296.00–307.003,07059
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,043286.00/cwt286.00–286.002,9832
Heifers1050–1100Large 11,063282.00/cwt282.00–282.002,9983
Heifers1100–1150Large 1Full1,136261.11/cwt260.00–263.002,9668
Heifers1100–1150Large 1-21,143246.00/cwt246.00–246.002,8123
Heifers1150–1200Medium and Large 1Full1,173250.00/cwt250.00–250.002,9334
Heifers1150–1200Large 1Full1,185263.00/cwt263.00–263.003,1172
Feeder Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1Full810305.00/cwt305.00–305.002,4713
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 1919303.12/cwt302.50–305.002,7864
Bulls1150–1200Large 11,155240.00/cwt240.00–240.002,7721
Bulls1150–1200Large 1-21,170237.50/cwt237.50–237.502,7791
Bulls1250–1300Large 11,278239.00/cwt239.00–239.003,0542
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls7 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Light Weight1,142180.89/cwt175.00–187.502,0663
Bulls——Return to Feed1,393192.92/cwt187.00–199.002,6878
Bulls——Return to Feed1,603204.08/cwt201.00–209.003,2719
Bulls——1,752196.15/cwt185.00–201.003,43720
Bulls——1,854207.43/cwt201.00–216.003,84646
Bulls——1,971221.56/cwt215.00–230.504,36715
Bulls——2,453203.51/cwt201.00–206.004,9922
Slaughter Cattle · Cows18 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight855162.50/cwt162.50–162.501,3891
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight960127.50/cwt127.50–127.501,2241
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,057149.19/cwt136.00–153.001,5775
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,106169.74/cwt164.00–175.001,8779
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,185156.52/cwt142.00–163.001,85538
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,206167.11/cwt166.00–169.002,0155
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,237156.45/cwt154.00–162.001,9359
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,336161.33/cwt152.00–167.002,15552
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,383180.71/cwt180.00–183.002,49928
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,386147.06/cwt140.00–155.002,0386
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,408170.61/cwt168.00–179.502,40295
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,450162.02/cwt157.00–169.502,34911
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,463177.97/cwt171.00–179.002,60453
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,540173.00/cwt173.00–173.002,6641
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,633163.08/cwt161.00–164.002,6638
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,641158.91/cwt152.00–163.002,60823
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,668168.72/cwt165.00–170.502,81419
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,814173.00/cwt173.00–173.003,1389
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Boner 80-85%1,658163.50/cwt163.50–163.502,7112
Replacement Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls—Medium and Large 11,125270.00/cwt270.00–270.003,03811
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4752,750.00/head2,750.00–2,750.002,7502
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4852,900.00/head2,900.00–2,900.002,9001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,5253,100.00/head3,100.00–3,100.003,1001
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows8 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,108197.10/cwt182.00–205.002,1844
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,164239.39/cwt220.00–275.002,78629
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,245197.00/cwt197.00–197.002,4531
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,262213.40/cwt193.00–245.002,69315
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,363184.50/cwt183.00–186.002,5152
Stock Cows—Large 11,380181.00/cwt181.00–181.002,4981
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy1,410186.15/cwt177.00–201.002,6253
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,507210.02/cwt209.00–211.003,1653
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs3 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,5093,500.00/head3,500.00–3,500.003,5008
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,5534,000.00/head4,000.00–4,000.004,0003
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,8474,250.00/head4,250.00–4,250.004,2503

This sale against other markets

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.