Sale reports / Montana / Billings Livestock Commission / 2025-01-09

Billings Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Billings, Montana · Thu, Jan 9
● Final97 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1777
Feeder Cattle receipts
3,948 head
▲ 2,403 vs last sale 1,545▲ 192 vs year ago 3,756 · +5.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
137 head
▼ 437 vs last sale 574▲ 39 vs year ago 98 · +39.8%
Replacement Cattle receipts
41 head
▼ 241 vs last sale 282▼ 43 vs year ago 84 · −51.2%
Also sold here(Mon)Mon Nov 2, 2026
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale(12-19-24): Feeder calves were all too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Good to very good demand was seen for all offerings. Offerings were moderate to heavy. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive and significantly higher in quality compared to last sale. Almost all calves were weaned over 50 days and were in mostly light flesh. Many were strictly hay weaned and and buyers showed very good demand for thin fleshed offerings. Package sizes were mostly moderate with a few load lot packages on offer as well. Market activity was active this sale with a large buyer pool on hand for todays sale. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. All cows were pushing heavy amounts of fill today. Buyers were very aggressive as they filled loads to end the week. Feeding cows sold with the best demand again this week. Feeding cows sold 3.00-6.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady to weak undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was plain to average.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $331.21/cwt on 516 head. That ranks 1 of 23 comparable sales and sits −80.42 against this barn's trailing median of $411.62.
Average price
$331.21
516 head · 533 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,765
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$206
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$38.12/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+3.12
vs MT average
+25.97 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1533337.711,801428
Medium and Large 1-2532299.591,59588
One grade step is worth $38.12/cwt here — about $206 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale516 hd
331.21
—
MT average3 barns · 608 hd
328.08
+3.12
National average163 barns · 22,771 hd
305.24
+25.97
This barn, trailing median23 sales
411.62
−80.42
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—Average1,685137.662,31917
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,672122.482,04810
CowsBoner 80-85%Very Low1,392122.341,70340
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,164103.751,20840
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Low1,40095.001,3303thin

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 Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,266$2,5004thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,370$2,4001thin
Bred Cows2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,400$1,5001thin

Every lot

97 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 · Steers34 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1336482.20/cwt475.00–515.001,620113
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1369460.66/cwt435.00–470.001,70012
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2380423.17/cwt417.50–429.001,6086
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2398385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,5326
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1422421.28/cwt410.00–445.001,778236
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2425387.50/cwt387.50–387.501,6472
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2438381.07/cwt362.50–392.501,66929
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1469392.49/cwt372.00–405.001,841168
Steers450–500Medium and Large 2478310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,4824
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2482372.67/cwt357.50–376.001,79624
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1530363.47/cwt357.50–378.001,926146
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2535348.78/cwt330.00–353.001,86631
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1559356.55/cwt346.00–365.001,993144
Steers550–600Large 1568287.50/cwt287.50–287.501,6333
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2571323.05/cwt319.00–325.001,84516
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1615334.64/cwt323.00–345.002,058193
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2640318.00/cwt318.00–318.002,03545
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2647278.00/cwt278.00–278.001,7996
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2662268.08/cwt261.00–277.501,77514
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1671318.65/cwt306.00–321.002,138217
Steers650–700Large 1686268.00/cwt268.00–268.001,8384
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2722281.94/cwt279.00–284.002,0365
Steers700–750Medium 1724269.23/cwt265.00–276.001,94923
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1730295.69/cwt284.50–313.002,15950
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1Full759269.00/cwt269.00–269.002,04212
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2760276.66/cwt272.00–278.002,10315
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1780282.25/cwt278.00–283.002,20258
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1809271.43/cwt265.00–273.002,19625
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy858248.00/cwt248.00–248.002,1284
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1879267.65/cwt260.00–269.502,35336
Steers850–900Medium 1882249.00/cwt249.00–249.002,1969
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy964240.00/cwt240.00–240.002,3145
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy1,017232.79/cwt226.00–234.502,36721
Steers1150–1200Large 11,165215.00/cwt215.00–215.002,5057
Feeder Cattle · Heifers36 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium 1319348.37/cwt347.50–355.001,11126
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1344410.35/cwt400.00–412.001,41289
Heifers350–400Medium 1373354.85/cwt337.50–380.001,32431
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2374369.89/cwt365.00–374.001,38314
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1379386.95/cwt373.00–405.001,46776
Heifers400–450Medium 1426335.67/cwt320.00–340.001,43047
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2434325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,4116
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1435370.80/cwt362.50–379.001,613144
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2437351.79/cwt346.00–357.001,53715
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed457382.00/cwt382.00–382.001,74682
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1459361.50/cwt339.00–378.001,659115
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2470300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,4104
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2480325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,5603
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2503314.85/cwt310.00–322.001,58442
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1525342.81/cwt333.00–347.001,800346
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed528349.00/cwt349.00–349.001,8436
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2559285.65/cwt275.00–290.001,59746
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1571313.58/cwt293.00–332.001,79176
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Fancy603319.00/cwt319.00–319.001,92420
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2615282.47/cwt281.00–284.001,7378
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1626293.03/cwt289.00–306.001,834117
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Full637254.00/cwt254.00–254.001,6186
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2667252.00/cwt252.00–252.001,6815
Heifers650–700Medium 1667237.81/cwt232.50–255.001,58613
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1675278.87/cwt267.00–291.001,882197
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1Fleshy695261.00/cwt261.00–261.001,8147
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1714266.58/cwt264.00–275.001,90367
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2717249.71/cwt249.00–250.001,7907
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1762260.69/cwt256.00–266.001,98629
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2788249.13/cwt244.00–250.501,96335
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1814253.66/cwt253.00–255.002,0659
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1Fancy821261.00/cwt261.00–261.002,14311
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy872231.00/cwt231.00–231.002,0146
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1Full886232.00/cwt232.00–232.002,0568
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1-2920233.00/cwt233.00–233.002,1442
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1958231.00/cwt231.00–231.002,2133
Feeder Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1387410.00/cwt410.00–410.001,5873
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1484342.50/cwt342.50–342.501,6587
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1700281.00/cwt281.00–281.001,9675
Bulls1100–1150Medium and Large 1Fleshy1,110206.00/cwt206.00–206.002,2873
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls4 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,360150.77/cwt150.00–151.002,0504
Bulls——Return to Feed1,382136.38/cwt136.00–137.501,8854
Bulls——1,831126.94/cwt121.00–133.002,3246
Bulls——2,230143.33/cwt143.00–143.503,1963
Slaughter Cattle · Cows12 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,13399.18/cwt92.00–105.001,1247
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,134129.00/cwt129.00–129.001,4636
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,150130.00/cwt130.00–130.001,4951
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,157109.30/cwt103.00–114.001,26517
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,22477.09/cwt70.00–89.009449
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,321126.81/cwt116.00–131.501,67521
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,372101.17/cwt97.00–107.001,3883
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,405141.17/cwt136.00–144.001,9836
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,537109.88/cwt94.00–115.001,6899
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,55591.00/cwt91.00–91.001,4151
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,648123.31/cwt118.00–129.002,0329
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,890115.00/cwt115.00–115.002,1741
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,40095.00/cwt95.00–95.001,3303
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows3 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2925160.00/cwt160.00–160.001,4802
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,002171.69/cwt141.00–182.501,72010
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,035156.25/cwt132.00–180.001,61716
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2662,500.00/head2,500.00–2,500.002,5004
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3702,400.00/head2,400.00–2,400.002,4001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,4001,500.00/head1,500.00–1,500.001,5001

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.