Name: Billings Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-04-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (4-02-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend however steady to higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Demand was mostly good to for light offerings. Feeders were offered in mostly small packages or as singles. Buyers showed good demand as they pushed to finish out loads started earlier in the week. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last weeks, very attractive, heavy offering. CME positions moved higher over the last couple days providing additional support for higher feeder cattle prices. A small crowd was on hand for todays sale, however limited offerings and strong demand led to active rapid bidding from buyers. Market activity was mostly active as a result. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Both feeding and slaughter cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good for limited offerings. Slaughter cows sold on slightly stronger demand this week as packers showed need for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend. however higher undertones were noticed. Very good demand was seen for feeding type bulls this week as packers and feeding bull buyers competed over limited offerings. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed comprised a large portion of the sale this week. Buyers were willing to take up to middle age cows to turn out and rebreed. Young cow offerings were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $460.81/cwt on 31 head, up $2.41 from the prior sale. That ranks 20 of 21 comparable sales and sits +26.95 against this barn's trailing median of $433.86.

Average price

$460.81

▲ 2.41 vs prior sale

31 head · 545 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,512

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+10.79

vs MT average

+32.45 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	545	460.81	2,512	31

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

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 sale31 hd

460.81

—

MT average3 barns · 92 hd

450.03

+10.79

National average175 barns · 10,626 hd

428.36

+32.45

This barn, trailing median21 sales

433.86

+26.95

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	1,768	215.57	3,812	35
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,410	179.11	2,525	72
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,589	177.03	2,813	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,143	164.82	1,884	68
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	915	105.00	961	1thin

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,399	$4,255	7
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,548	$4,250	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,423	$4,137	9
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,563	$4,037	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,650	$4,000	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,497	$3,650	6
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,568	$3,558	6
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,410	$3,500	1thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,005	$4,000	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,328	$4,500	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,512	$4,250	11
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,622	$3,650	5

Every lot, as filed

73 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	982	288.93/cwt	231.00–320.00	2,837	31
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	912	290.50/cwt	255.00–325.00	2,649	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	925	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,590	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,330	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,226	214.02/cwt	182.00–238.00	2,624	56
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,043	200.56/cwt	192.50–210.00	2,092	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,093	233.91/cwt	185.00–310.00	2,557	26
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,328	4,500.00/head	4,500.00–4,500.00	4,500	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,622	3,650.00/head	3,650.00–3,650.00	3,650	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,410	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,650	4,000.00/head	4,000.00–4,000.00	4,000	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,512	4,250.00/head	4,250.00–4,250.00	4,250	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	50–100	78	600.00/head	600.00–600.00	600	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	478	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,271	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	50–100	90	900.00/head	900.00–900.00	900	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	902	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	3,004	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	413	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	2,272	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	623	434.00/cwt	434.00–434.00	2,704	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	495	537.85/cwt	535.00–550.00	2,662	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	310	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	1,736	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	730	367.85/cwt	362.50–369.00	2,685	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	710	379.00/cwt	379.00–379.00	2,691	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	666	390.26/cwt	385.00–391.00	2,599	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	588	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,528	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	510	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	2,550	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	723	412.36/cwt	410.00–414.00	2,981	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	645	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,903	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	636	424.33/cwt	417.50–432.50	2,699	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	566	464.79/cwt	450.00–470.00	2,631	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	583	492.00/cwt	492.00–492.00	2,868	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	537	466.74/cwt	465.00–485.00	2,506	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	693	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,599	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	398	565.00/cwt	565.00–565.00	2,249	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	565	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,345	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	682	383.27/cwt	380.00–390.00	2,614	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	628	411.67/cwt	410.00–420.00	2,585	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,582	178.49/cwt	176.00–182.00	2,824	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,343	178.84/cwt	171.00–183.00	2,402	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,422	187.63/cwt	184.00–193.00	2,668	32
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,119	162.89/cwt	135.00–169.00	1,823	28
Bulls	—	—	2,568	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	5,341	2
Bulls	—	—	1,465	198.00/cwt	198.00–198.00	2,901	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,405	160.63/cwt	157.00–165.00	2,257	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,645	170.29/cwt	169.00–171.00	2,801	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,074	134.67/cwt	127.50–142.50	1,446	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,145	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,809	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,186	174.06/cwt	170.00–177.50	2,064	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,449	184.16/cwt	183.00–187.50	2,668	7
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	915	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	961	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,676	171.33/cwt	169.00–174.00	2,871	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,815	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	2,977	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	850	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	723	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	780	119.49/cwt	110.00–130.00	932	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,229	183.89/cwt	181.00–184.50	2,260	16
Bulls	—	—	1,945	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	4,454	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,205	112.50/cwt	112.50–112.50	1,356	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,416	167.10/cwt	155.00–170.00	2,366	17
Bulls	—	—	1,994	218.87/cwt	208.00–223.00	4,364	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,383	205.50/cwt	205.50–205.50	2,842	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,591	215.75/cwt	211.00–219.50	3,433	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,380	3,500.00/head	3,500.00–3,500.00	3,500	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,548	4,250.00/head	4,250.00–4,250.00	4,250	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,399	4,255.35/head	4,000.00–4,450.00	4,255	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,172	246.21/cwt	190.00–302.50	2,886	49
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,497	3,650.00/head	3,650.00–3,650.00	3,650	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,616	3,650.00/head	3,650.00–3,650.00	3,650	5
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	905	237.50/cwt	237.50–237.50	2,149	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	850	274.00/cwt	265.00–285.00	2,329	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,005	4,000.00/head	4,000.00–4,000.00	4,000	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	835	268.98/cwt	245.00–310.00	2,246	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,428	4,216.25/head	4,200.00–4,250.00	4,216	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,563	4,036.67/head	4,000.00–4,100.00	4,037	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	996	300.98/cwt	235.00–335.00	2,998	63

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 →