Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-04-01
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-01

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (3-25-26): Feeder cattle too lightly tested to develop an market trend. Demand was mostly moderate for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain and offered in small packages or as singles. A large portion of todays sale was offered as singles making putting together loads difficult for buyers. Many blemished calves or cutback calves were seen again this week. A small crowd of feeder buyers on hand for todays sale. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand again this week. Almost every cow purchased today was once again purchased to feed in some capacity. Feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher on all classes. Quality this week was mostly average. A few sets of cows which had be started on feed sold again this week, these cows were met with moistly good demand. Weigh up conditions were average to above average. Cows which have been turned out on grass offered mostly above average weigh conditions as green grass has started growing and cows were empty as a result. Weigh up conditions today were more reflective of May or June rather than the first of April. Cows with blemishes were also heavily purchased to feed this week as buyers pushed cow prices well over packer buyers orders for slaughter cows. Very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest as a result. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher on all offerings in a very narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Feeding bull buyers continue to show very good demand for light weight and lower dressing bulls that would improve on feed. Feeding bulls sold mostly 5.00 higher. Demand for young cows remains very good. Young age offerings sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Quality this week was average to attractive, and similar to last weeks offering. Demand for average quality offerings saw strong demand this week. These offerings saw the largest price increase this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $406.70/cwt on 6 head, down $7.10 from the prior sale. That ranks 10 of 20 comparable sales and sits −10.41 against this barn's trailing median of $417.11.

Average price

$406.70

▼ 7.10 vs prior sale

6 head · 575 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,339

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−30.44

vs MT average

−16.49 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	575	406.70	2,339	6thin

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

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

20 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $464.07, low $347.53, median $417.11 across 20 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 sale6 hd

406.70

—

MT average2 barns · 116 hd

437.14

−30.44

National average175 barns · 10,886 hd

423.19

−16.49

This barn, trailing median20 sales

417.11

−10.41

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	—	High	1,720	209.44	3,603	66
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,536	180.55	2,772	46
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,365	178.51	2,437	185
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,129	160.14	1,809	139
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,145	147.50	1,689	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)	1,453	$3,831	5
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,332	$3,350	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,607	$3,288	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,554	$3,200	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,415	$2,950	1thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,211	$3,900	9
Bred Heifers	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,332	$3,350	3thin
Bred Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	856	$3,053	15

Every lot, as filed

81 lots · USDA AMS · Public Auction Yards Livestock Cattle Auction - Billings, MT (Wed)

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 1-2	—	833	277.55/cwt	275.00–280.00	2,312	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	901	286.36/cwt	210.00–310.00	2,580	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	914	263.34/cwt	245.00–285.00	2,407	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,043	291.70/cwt	245.00–327.50	3,042	70
Stock Cows	Medium 1Thin Fleshed	—	720	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	2,124	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	790	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,607	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	853	278.31/cwt	260.00–290.00	2,374	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,297	200.02/cwt	188.00–215.00	2,594	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,505	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,784	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	943	230.19/cwt	210.00–240.00	2,171	3
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	778	3,000.00/head	3,000.00–3,000.00	3,000	13
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,332	3,350.00/head	3,350.00–3,350.00	3,350	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,435	3,838.54/head	3,800.00–3,950.00	3,839	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,415	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,332	3,350.00/head	3,350.00–3,350.00	3,350	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,525	3,800.00/head	3,800.00–3,800.00	3,800	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	654	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,453	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,520	1
Heifers	Small 3-4	400–450	414	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	911	16
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	543	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,525	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	621	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,298	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	740	351.65/cwt	350.00–355.00	2,602	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	851	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	2,902	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	773	370.85/cwt	368.00–375.00	2,867	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	415	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,951	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	435	475.00/cwt	475.00–475.00	2,066	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	517	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,688	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	453	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,356	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	711	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,773	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	630	388.00/cwt	380.00–405.00	2,444	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	363	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,815	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	583	397.04/cwt	392.50–400.00	2,315	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	535	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,434	1
Heifers	Large 1-2	650–700	657	349.00/cwt	349.00–349.00	2,293	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	993	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	2,855	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	896	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,912	4
Bulls	Medium 1	400–450	425	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,274	3
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,140	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	3,078	1
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,060	294.39/cwt	292.50–300.00	3,121	4
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,260	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,961	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,149	124.65/cwt	117.50–135.00	1,432	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,405	185.88/cwt	184.00–189.00	2,612	45
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,331	181.02/cwt	173.00–183.50	2,409	94
Bulls	—	—	2,348	218.50/cwt	218.50–218.50	5,130	2
Bulls	—	—	1,927	213.44/cwt	198.00–218.50	4,113	19
Bulls	—	—	1,853	193.00/cwt	193.00–193.00	3,576	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,370	166.04/cwt	150.00–170.50	2,275	40
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,160	173.82/cwt	172.00–181.00	2,016	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,118	159.11/cwt	149.00–170.00	1,779	66
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,154	158.64/cwt	155.00–160.00	1,831	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,763	170.62/cwt	167.00–176.00	3,008	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,500	160.73/cwt	154.00–166.50	2,411	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,603	170.36/cwt	162.00–181.00	2,731	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,863	164.48/cwt	164.00–165.00	3,064	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,652	176.80/cwt	176.50–177.00	2,921	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	918	156.19/cwt	145.00–165.00	1,434	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,453	183.71/cwt	182.00–185.50	2,669	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,561	181.66/cwt	180.00–183.00	2,836	9
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,145	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	1,689	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	940	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	914	129.02/cwt	125.00–135.00	1,179	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,535	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,594	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,170	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	1,901	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	112.50/cwt	112.50–112.50	1,322	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,248	182.77/cwt	179.00–184.00	2,281	10
Bulls	—	—	2,054	221.78/cwt	220.00–224.00	4,555	8
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,160	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,914	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,491	200.20/cwt	188.00–207.00	2,985	18
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,363	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,999	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,527	211.58/cwt	207.00–215.50	3,231	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,073	242.20/cwt	190.00–305.00	2,599	34
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	795	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,544	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,508	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,543	3,250.00/head	3,250.00–3,250.00	3,250	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,565	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,370	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,535	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	830	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,698	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,174	251.96/cwt	217.00–318.00	2,958	63
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,211	3,900.00/head	3,900.00–3,900.00	3,900	9
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,363	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,705	3,375.00/head	3,375.00–3,375.00	3,375	2

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 →