Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-04-02
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-02

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (3-19-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Demand was mostly good to very good for heavy offerings. CME positions have moved sharply higher over the last few weeks giving strong support to feeder cattle prices. Buyers came willing and ready to buy, as this sale featured one of the largest offerings seen in weeks. Demand for grass cattle was very good. Buyers were willing to take steers up to 750 lbs and heifer up to 700 lbs to grass. Buyers were very attentive to flesh conditions this sale as discounts for cattle carrying moderate flesh and up were heavy. The stands were filled with buyers this week with both ranchers and order buyers actively bidding on offerings. Internet bidding was also active with several buyers actively buying cattle throughout the day. Demand for heifers was very strong as both replacement buyers and feeding buyers both showed strong demand. Quality this week was attractive to very attractive with many long strings off reputation ranches. Quality ran deep into the sale with constant demand seen all day long. Market activity was mostly active with rapid bidding seen all sale long. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Both feeding and slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good for limited offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Very good demand was seen for limited offerings. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain to average.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $458.40/cwt on 601 head, up $16.20 from the prior sale (only 14 head in that comparison). That ranks 19 of 21 comparable sales and sits +24.54 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$458.40

▲ 16.20 vs prior sale

601 head · 546 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,505

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$218

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2

$39.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.44

vs MT average

+35.21 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	546	461.69	2,523	551
Medium and Large 1-2	546	422.19	2,304	50

One grade step is worth $39.50/cwt here — about $218 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.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

21 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $469.35, low $332.50, median $433.86 across 21 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale601 hd

458.40

—

MT average3 barns · 717 hd

454.96

+3.44

National average175 barns · 10,886 hd

423.19

+35.21

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

+24.54

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	—	Average	1,637	204.33	3,344	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,443	171.86	2,480	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,620	166.00	2,689	1thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,051	152.38	1,602	10

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)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,150	$3,300	1thin

Every lot, as filed

101 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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	583	498.88/cwt	481.00–517.50	2,908	117
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	392	630.00/cwt	630.00–630.00	2,470	5
Steers	Medium 1	450–500	465	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	2,441	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	822	363.00/cwt	363.00–363.00	2,984	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	600–650	622	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,675	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	422	567.96/cwt	555.00–575.00	2,397	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	684	407.15/cwt	405.50–410.00	2,785	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	380	557.69/cwt	550.00–615.00	2,119	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	745	396.56/cwt	381.00–404.00	2,954	19
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	455	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,139	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	650–700	664	424.36/cwt	424.00–425.00	2,818	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	497	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,659	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	466.55/cwt	455.00–477.50	2,776	34
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	366	521.68/cwt	520.00–525.00	1,909	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	631	440.53/cwt	435.00–449.00	2,780	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	950–1000	965	328.00/cwt	328.00–328.00	3,165	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	441	526.91/cwt	522.50–532.50	2,324	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	500–550	544	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,584	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	950–1000	974	327.08/cwt	327.00–327.50	3,186	6
Steers	Large 1	850–900	862	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,780	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	323	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	1,744	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	800–850	827	3,054.85/head	2,950.00–3,125.00	3,055	116
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	514	489.34/cwt	475.00–496.00	2,515	248
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	600–650	603	448.24/cwt	447.00–449.00	2,703	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	545	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	2,166	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	666	437.80/cwt	423.00–450.00	2,916	172
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	795	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,663	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	631	475.37/cwt	460.00–484.00	3,000	174
Steers	Large 1	650–700	667	422.72/cwt	419.00–424.00	2,820	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	468	570.24/cwt	550.00–580.00	2,669	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	721	417.56/cwt	413.00–423.00	3,011	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	913	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	3,104	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	901	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,928	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	792	388.60/cwt	386.00–411.00	3,078	141
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	493	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	2,687	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	432	595.93/cwt	595.00–600.00	2,574	25
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	530	502.70/cwt	475.00–515.00	2,664	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	700–750	702	423.00/cwt	423.00–423.00	2,969	84
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	863	359.85/cwt	350.00–372.50	3,106	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	750–800	757	422.00/cwt	422.00–422.00	3,195	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	600–650	610	468.00/cwt	468.00–468.00	2,855	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	368	625.00/cwt	625.00–625.00	2,300	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	518	536.60/cwt	520.00–555.00	2,780	181
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	420	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	2,436	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,025	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,973	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	477	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	2,576	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	623	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	2,554	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	550–600	592	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,664	31
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	450–500	487	537.50/cwt	537.50–537.50	2,618	31
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	640	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,496	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,155	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,617	2
Bulls	—	—	1,675	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	3,635	1
Bulls	—	—	1,910	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	3,476	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,620	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	2,689	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	810	112.50/cwt	112.50–112.50	911	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,056	161.61/cwt	152.50–168.00	1,707	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,383	160.08/cwt	140.00–170.00	2,214	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,486	180.28/cwt	180.00–182.00	2,679	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,325	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,836	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	996	278.24/cwt	210.00–310.00	2,771	26
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,049	284.65/cwt	260.00–312.50	2,986	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,005	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	2,487	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,150	3,300.00/head	3,300.00–3,300.00	3,300	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	600–650	636	384.00/cwt	384.00–384.00	2,442	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	500–550	531	417.50/cwt	417.50–417.50	2,217	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	652	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,575	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	702	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	2,615	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	666	371.28/cwt	350.00–377.50	2,473	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	389	565.00/cwt	565.00–565.00	2,198	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	489	429.12/cwt	422.50–432.50	2,098	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	393	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,847	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	629	421.50/cwt	410.00–435.00	2,651	511
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	700–750	718	362.90/cwt	351.00–368.00	2,606	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	900–950	932	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,982	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	550–600	576	426.00/cwt	426.00–426.00	2,454	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	630	401.65/cwt	385.00–412.00	2,530	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	530	430.73/cwt	422.50–447.50	2,283	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	723	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	686	360.81/cwt	355.00–375.50	2,475	14
Heifers	Large 1	650–700	685	399.00/cwt	399.00–399.00	2,733	3
Heifers	Large 1	750–800	778	371.00/cwt	371.00–371.00	2,886	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	873	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,881	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	724	353.31/cwt	345.00–356.00	2,558	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	568	419.94/cwt	400.00–430.00	2,385	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	489	474.66/cwt	472.50–482.50	2,321	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	684	386.00/cwt	386.00–386.00	2,640	128
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	387	508.52/cwt	490.00–520.00	1,968	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	731	382.93/cwt	375.00–390.00	2,799	175
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	469	509.59/cwt	490.00–528.00	2,390	61
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	669	411.44/cwt	394.00–422.00	2,753	462
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	760	371.63/cwt	350.00–380.00	2,824	254
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	574	440.22/cwt	434.50–459.00	2,527	283
Heifers	Medium 1-2	300–350	300	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	1,485	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	750–800	772	3,043.44/head	2,875.00–3,160.00	3,043	466
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	868	343.21/cwt	339.00–344.00	2,979	69
Heifers	Large 1	600–650	624	409.00/cwt	409.00–409.00	2,552	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	818	354.00/cwt	354.00–354.00	2,896	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	250–300	296	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,391	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	397	533.37/cwt	525.00–535.00	2,117	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	443	517.26/cwt	515.00–540.00	2,291	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	376	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	2,030	4

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 →