Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-04-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-22

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (4-15-26): Feeder cattle too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Todays feeder special was smaller than last weeks and cattle were mostly offered in small packages, with no load lots seen. Several packages of backgrounded offerings sold on very good demand. Many of these offerings were in light flesh and developed to be sold as cattle to turn out on grass. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and not as attractive as last weeks offering. A mix of order buyers and ranchers were in the stands this week bidding on offerings. Ranchers showed good demand for cattle suitable to turn out on summer pastures. Market activity was mostly active with rapid bidding seen on all offerings. 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 steady to 4.00 higher on breaking and boning fleshed cows. Lean feeding cows sold mostly 4.00-6.00 higher. Young and high yielding offerings sold with the best demand this week and sold with the largest price increase compared to last week. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average this week with many offerings emptied out from being on green grass. Cows with blemishes were also heavily purchased to feed this week as buyers pushed cow prices well over packer buyers orders for slaughter cows. The volume of cows purchased for immediate harvest was very low. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady 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 steady in a narrow comparison. Bull quality this week was mostly attractive. Demand for young cows remains very good. Young age offerings sold mostly steady. Quality this week was average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $446.54/cwt on 82 head, down $17.53 from the prior sale. That ranks 16 of 19 comparable sales and sits +26.12 against this barn's trailing median of $420.42.

Average price

$446.54

▼ 17.53 vs prior sale

82 head · 545 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,434

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$327

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

$66.88/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+6.06

vs MT average

+24.37 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	545	456.88	2,492	42
Medium and Large 1-2	544	439.40	2,391	37
Medium and Large 2	555	390.00	2,165	3thin

One grade step is worth $66.88/cwt here — about $327 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 $347.53, median $420.42 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 sale82 hd

446.54

—

MT average3 barns · 272 hd

440.48

+6.06

National average167 barns · 11,519 hd

422.17

+24.37

This barn, trailing median19 sales

420.42

+26.12

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	1,736	214.62	3,725	50
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,407	179.07	2,520	147
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,641	176.61	2,898	45
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,146	169.62	1,943	77

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)	1,383	$4,189	10
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,220	$3,631	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,740	$3,400	2thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,307	$3,917	3thin

Every lot, as filed

99 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	903	338.80/cwt	338.00–339.00	3,059	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	677	374.01/cwt	365.00–382.50	2,532	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	750	394.00/cwt	394.00–394.00	2,955	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	494	507.89/cwt	490.00–512.00	2,509	27
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	760	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,584	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	476.18/cwt	470.00–480.00	2,452	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	750–800	793	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	2,847	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	555	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,165	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	1000–1050	1,025	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	3,203	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	684	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,941	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	638	452.69/cwt	451.00–460.00	2,888	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	523	460.35/cwt	440.00–470.00	2,408	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	773	336.23/cwt	335.00–337.50	2,599	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,510	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	483	494.67/cwt	494.00–502.50	2,389	62
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	362	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,991	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	439	521.67/cwt	515.00–525.00	2,290	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	750–800	787	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	2,617	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	640	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,368	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	636	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,544	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	809	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,815	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	50–100	85	1,000.00/head	1,000.00–1,000.00	1,000	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	395	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,817	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	438	474.07/cwt	470.00–490.00	2,076	5
Steers	Large 1	650–700	698	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	2,879	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	642	435.00/cwt	435.00–435.00	2,793	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	526	497.07/cwt	480.00–505.00	2,615	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	714	409.83/cwt	401.00–418.00	2,926	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	700–750	748	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	2,861	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	790	372.00/cwt	372.00–372.00	2,939	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	660	423.75/cwt	420.00–427.50	2,797	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	610	401.73/cwt	400.00–410.00	2,451	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	476	548.24/cwt	545.00–555.00	2,610	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	847	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	3,041	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	850–900	852	339.00/cwt	339.00–339.00	2,888	3
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 1-2	750–800	752	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,538	5
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 1-2	800–850	839	328.00/cwt	328.00–328.00	2,752	21
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	850–900	895	334.50/cwt	334.50–334.50	2,994	37
Beef/Dairy Steers	Large 1-2	750–800	772	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,606	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	838	366.72/cwt	360.00–372.00	3,073	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	408	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	2,448	2
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 2	750–800	778	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,412	6
Beef/Dairy Heifers	Large 2	800–850	808	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	2,545	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	485	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,595	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	445	555.00/cwt	555.00–555.00	2,470	5
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,135	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	3,065	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	50–100	83	1,000.00/head	1,000.00–1,000.00	1,000	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	658	412.08/cwt	410.00–412.50	2,711	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	411	580.00/cwt	580.00–580.00	2,384	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,605	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	2,889	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,729	167.95/cwt	159.00–173.00	2,904	8
Bulls	—	—	1,922	219.11/cwt	215.00–222.00	4,211	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,365	188.85/cwt	186.00–192.00	2,578	45
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,422	166.65/cwt	152.00–174.00	2,370	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,155	179.27/cwt	174.00–183.00	2,071	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	890	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,291	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,686	164.34/cwt	155.00–168.00	2,771	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,553	188.15/cwt	186.00–191.00	2,922	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,118	163.06/cwt	150.00–170.00	1,823	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,222	188.72/cwt	185.00–195.00	2,306	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,642	176.41/cwt	176.00–178.00	2,897	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,633	178.55/cwt	175.00–184.00	2,916	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	162.50/cwt	162.50–162.50	1,909	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,198	131.21/cwt	122.50–135.00	1,572	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,508	157.91/cwt	153.00–163.00	2,381	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,045	112.50/cwt	112.50–112.50	1,176	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,426	180.19/cwt	176.00–185.00	2,570	66
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,375	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	1,616	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	865	133.11/cwt	130.00–135.00	1,151	3
Bulls	—	—	1,745	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	3,228	1
Bulls	—	—	2,024	233.21/cwt	225.00–237.00	4,720	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,835	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	4,276	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,660	212.74/cwt	211.00–217.00	3,531	22
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,478	204.98/cwt	184.00–209.00	3,030	10
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,570	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	5,808	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	843	312.61/cwt	310.00–315.00	2,635	4
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,307	3,916.90/head	3,900.00–3,950.00	3,917	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,220	3,630.50/head	3,500.00–3,850.00	3,631	3
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,320	3,850.00/head	3,850.00–3,850.00	3,850	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,089	234.60/cwt	200.00–302.00	2,555	26
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,017	302.49/cwt	230.00–345.00	3,076	52
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,024	259.15/cwt	225.00–310.00	2,654	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,334	196.25/cwt	185.00–245.00	2,618	8
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,140	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,394	3
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	880	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,816	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,158	245.50/cwt	180.00–320.00	2,843	60
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	892	262.96/cwt	255.00–265.00	2,346	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	1,015	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,929	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,585	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	2,790	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,380	222.61/cwt	211.00–235.00	3,072	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,390	4,227.02/head	4,050.00–4,300.00	4,227	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,740	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1250–1300	1,280	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	2,944	2
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,055	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	3,007	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	322	627.53/cwt	625.00–630.00	2,021	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	865	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,790	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	678	387.91/cwt	387.50–390.00	2,630	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	626	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	2,676	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	583	400.72/cwt	392.50–430.00	2,336	13

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 →