Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-04-15
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-15

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Today was the Annual April Fest Feeder and Replacement Special. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly good to very good, especially for several loads of attractive quality replacement heifers. Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend. Feeders were mostly offered in moderate size packages this week, with a few load lots on offer as well. Feeding cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop a market trend, however higher undertones were noted. Slaughter cows and bulls were too lightly tested to develop a market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noted. Buyer demand overall was good to very good.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $464.07/cwt on 143 head, up $18.62 from the prior sale. That ranks 19 of 19 comparable sales and sits +42.53 against this barn's trailing median of $421.54.

Average price

$464.07

▲ 18.62 vs prior sale

143 head · 544 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,523

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$463

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

$97.82/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.61

vs MT average

+36.68 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	543	477.82	2,595	101
Medium and Large 1-2	543	437.90	2,377	37
Medium and Large 2	561	380.00	2,132	5thin

One grade step is worth $97.82/cwt here — about $463 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

19 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $464.07, low $350.88, median $421.54 across 19 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 sale143 hd

464.07

—

MT average3 barns · 330 hd

465.68

−1.61

National average182 barns · 12,591 hd

427.39

+36.68

This barn, trailing median19 sales

421.54

+42.53

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	1,841	215.73	3,971	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,279	180.90	2,314	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,537	173.72	2,669	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,067	152.59	1,628	30

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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,333	$3,455	2thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,683	$2,400	2thin

Every lot, as filed

117 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	506	506.31/cwt	495.00–517.50	2,562	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	800–850	839	3,179.76/head	3,050.00–3,200.00	3,180	192
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	950–1000	961	3,107.16/head	3,100.00–3,150.00	3,107	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	854	340.41/cwt	325.00–347.00	2,907	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	430	510.42/cwt	475.00–530.00	2,195	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	528	450.69/cwt	445.00–465.00	2,380	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	719	384.89/cwt	360.00–415.00	2,767	232
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	449.55/cwt	420.00–475.00	2,535	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	779	351.95/cwt	325.00–366.00	2,742	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	373	519.90/cwt	505.00–525.00	1,939	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	789	285.96/cwt	250.00–310.00	2,256	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	613	357.00/cwt	357.00–357.00	2,188	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	917	326.88/cwt	320.00–330.00	2,997	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	814	345.29/cwt	328.00–350.50	2,811	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	965	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	3,064	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	683	327.53/cwt	325.00–330.00	2,237	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	715	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,145	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	628	410.56/cwt	390.00–431.00	2,578	138
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	737	341.72/cwt	320.00–358.00	2,518	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	932	309.19/cwt	307.50–310.00	2,882	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	625	377.18/cwt	370.00–383.00	2,357	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	493	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,046	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	384	444.88/cwt	440.00–450.00	1,708	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	561	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	2,132	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	364.68/cwt	361.00–385.00	2,425	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	250–300	288	559.74/cwt	550.00–570.00	1,612	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	805	316.69/cwt	315.00–320.00	2,549	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	502.43/cwt	480.00–505.00	2,638	54
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	512	450.26/cwt	410.00–470.00	2,305	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	470	447.74/cwt	425.00–470.00	2,104	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,530	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,793	238.38/cwt	232.00–250.00	4,274	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	2,013	215.72/cwt	214.50–216.00	4,342	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,333	3,454.78/head	3,000.00–3,800.00	3,455	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,112	198.06/cwt	192.00–205.00	2,202	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,141	226.53/cwt	217.50–235.00	2,585	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	935	283.69/cwt	267.50–298.00	2,653	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	946	250.34/cwt	227.50–257.50	2,368	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,213	251.94/cwt	240.00–260.00	3,056	5
Cow-Calf Pairs	Large 1-2	—	1,683	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	420	419.64/cwt	405.00–450.00	1,762	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	647	400.56/cwt	400.00–425.00	2,592	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	964	311.38/cwt	307.00–318.00	3,002	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	927	334.48/cwt	333.00–345.00	3,101	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	922	316.63/cwt	315.00–320.00	2,919	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	870	330.33/cwt	326.00–337.50	2,874	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	858	359.53/cwt	353.00–361.00	3,085	82
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	575	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,473	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	760	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	2,698	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	800	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,640	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	975	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	3,071	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	675	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,700	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	935	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	3,062	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,026	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,385	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	998	172.16/cwt	167.50–177.50	1,718	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,684	168.52/cwt	165.00–171.00	2,838	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,395	159.36/cwt	156.00–161.00	2,223	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,612	166.86/cwt	163.00–172.00	2,690	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,107	163.73/cwt	160.00–165.00	1,812	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,515	160.94/cwt	157.00–163.00	2,438	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,421	180.24/cwt	175.00–183.00	2,561	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,267	182.80/cwt	175.00–185.00	2,316	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,257	187.83/cwt	187.00–188.50	2,361	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,169	188.50/cwt	188.50–188.50	2,204	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,035	155.81/cwt	150.00–161.00	1,613	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,098	104.50/cwt	95.00–115.00	1,147	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,500	187.00/cwt	186.00–188.00	2,805	8
Bulls	—	—	1,681	213.63/cwt	212.00–218.50	3,591	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	2,243	223.74/cwt	221.00–226.00	5,018	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,378	181.13/cwt	180.00–182.00	2,496	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	580	438.87/cwt	427.00–465.00	2,545	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	435	564.91/cwt	540.00–585.00	2,457	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	737	377.45/cwt	355.00–387.50	2,782	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	361.22/cwt	355.00–375.00	2,973	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	421	600.55/cwt	596.00–615.00	2,528	86
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	668	395.99/cwt	373.00–414.00	2,645	158
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	675	324.56/cwt	310.00–340.00	2,191	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	771	326.14/cwt	325.00–340.00	2,515	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	616	422.62/cwt	400.00–445.00	2,603	61
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	736	2,887.39/head	2,885.00–2,900.00	2,887	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	750–800	759	375.57/cwt	361.00–384.00	2,851	108
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	800–850	825	342.00/cwt	342.00–342.00	2,822	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	650–700	688	381.00/cwt	381.00–381.00	2,621	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	722	413.76/cwt	399.00–425.00	2,987	74
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	353	654.28/cwt	652.50–680.00	2,310	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	550–600	584	2,671.81/head	2,600.00–2,725.00	2,672	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	486	515.66/cwt	505.00–560.00	2,506	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	313	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	1,894	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	900–950	909	3,335.00/head	3,335.00–3,335.00	3,335	114
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	850–900	864	3,154.25/head	2,925.00–3,250.00	3,154	178
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	750–800	785	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	900–950	913	346.49/cwt	339.00–353.50	3,163	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	589	398.12/cwt	390.00–402.50	2,345	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	478	475.80/cwt	440.00–495.00	2,274	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Replacement	900–950	910	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	2,639	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	685	382.03/cwt	375.00–395.00	2,617	26
Steers	Large 1-2	850–900	867	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,904	19
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	580	399.87/cwt	395.00–405.00	2,319	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	535	528.56/cwt	522.50–552.50	2,828	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	543	480.92/cwt	470.00–482.50	2,611	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	263	701.94/cwt	700.00–710.00	1,846	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	676	428.66/cwt	419.00–450.00	2,898	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	385	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	2,329	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	418	507.51/cwt	485.00–520.00	2,121	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	800	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,440	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	573.09/cwt	555.00–590.00	2,739	58
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	430	625.17/cwt	600.00–631.00	2,688	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	345	665.14/cwt	650.00–670.00	2,295	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	621	460.07/cwt	451.00–487.50	2,857	100
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	811	348.71/cwt	330.00–355.00	2,828	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	767	363.52/cwt	350.00–377.50	2,788	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	579	499.49/cwt	482.50–526.00	2,892	81
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	957	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	3,263	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	753	401.80/cwt	385.00–408.00	3,026	105
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	482	505.48/cwt	500.00–517.50	2,436	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	716	398.32/cwt	390.00–401.00	2,852	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	650–700	697	408.00/cwt	408.00–408.00	2,844	56

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 →