Name: Public Auction Yards livestock auction prices — 2026-04-29
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-04-29

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (4-22-26): Feeder cattle too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles. Feeder quality this week was mostly plain to average. Quality and light offerings limited demand as many plain, small packages were noticed. A mix of order buyers and ranchers were in the stands this week bidding on offerings. Market activity was mostly moderate to active. 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 to 4.00 higher on all classes. Buyers continue to show very good demand for young and high yielding offerings. Young to middle age feeding cows sold with the best demand as feeding and rebreed buyers both bid aggressively over cows that fit their orders. A large portion of the cow offering was purchased by Canadian feeding buyers this week. Major American packers were mostly sidelined as they refused to pay higher money for cow again this 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 again this week, however very few heavily blemished offerings were seen. The volume of cows purchased for immediate harvest remains very low. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady to weak 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 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Bull quality this week was mostly average to attractive, and overall not as attractive as last week. Demand for young cows remains very good. Young age offerings sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher. Quality this week was average to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 600–700 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

600–700 lb heifers averaged $380.65/cwt on 31 head, up $1.33 from the prior sale. That ranks 10 of 18 comparable sales and sits +0.10 against this barn's trailing median of $380.55.

Average price

$380.65

▲ 1.33 vs prior sale

31 head · 681 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,592

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

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

$17.37/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.57

vs MT average

−5.49 vs national

What quality paid 600–700 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	670	387.37	2,594	19thin
Medium and Large 1-2	699	370.00	2,586	12thin

One grade step is worth $17.37/cwt here — about $7 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 700–800 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 600–700 lb

18 sales

Heifers 600–700 lb: high $411.14, low $324.70, median $380.55 across 18 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 600–700 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale31 hd

380.65

—

MT average2 barns · 37 hd

386.22

−5.57

National average163 barns · 7,794 hd

386.14

−5.49

This barn, trailing median18 sales

380.55

+0.10

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	1,638	211.32	3,461	52
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,406	185.16	2,603	216
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,612	182.88	2,947	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,165	175.37	2,043	106
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,955	168.00	3,284	1thin
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,515	160.09	2,425	6thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,305	139.00	1,814	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)	1,227	$4,052	26
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,393	$3,700	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,253	$3,674	5
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,325	$3,578	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,395	$3,400	2thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,160	$3,250	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,315	$2,900	2thin

Every lot, as filed

79 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	—	798	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,394	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	400	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	2,100	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	723	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,531	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	699	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	2,586	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	453	545.00/cwt	545.00–545.00	2,469	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,020	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	2,601	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,307	198.91/cwt	191.00–222.50	2,600	21
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	675	369.81/cwt	365.00–380.00	2,496	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	498	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	2,565	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	723	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,711	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	360	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,764	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,028	298.31/cwt	290.00–315.00	3,067	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	643	418.32/cwt	415.00–420.00	2,690	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	752	357.00/cwt	355.00–364.00	2,685	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	604	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,507	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	100–150	107	688.94/head	675.00–700.00	689	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	898	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,919	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	519	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,699	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	400–450	443	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,171	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	960	323.33/cwt	322.50–325.00	3,104	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,297	241.03/cwt	235.00–243.00	3,126	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,253	3,673.51/head	3,300.00–3,850.00	3,674	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,395	3,400.00/head	3,400.00–3,400.00	3,400	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,315	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	693	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	2,616	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,027	267.94/cwt	225.00–315.00	2,752	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,051	245.30/cwt	190.00–300.00	2,578	42
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,190	3,300.00/head	3,300.00–3,300.00	3,300	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,142	255.61/cwt	191.00–330.00	2,919	62
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,227	4,081.20/head	3,950.00–4,200.00	4,081	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	603	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,834	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,230	3,705.28/head	3,650.00–3,750.00	3,705	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,453	184.71/cwt	180.00–188.00	2,684	63
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,440	170.69/cwt	154.00–177.00	2,458	16
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,305	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,814	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,635	182.96/cwt	179.00–186.00	2,991	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,167	161.82/cwt	155.00–168.00	1,888	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,825	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	3,103	1
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,955	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	3,284	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	800	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,000	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,372	190.37/cwt	187.00–197.00	2,612	118
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	112.50/cwt	112.50–112.50	1,114	1
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,403	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,385	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,560	188.63/cwt	187.00–192.50	2,943	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,440	160.57/cwt	152.00–163.00	2,312	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,174	138.59/cwt	135.00–145.00	1,627	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,212	190.66/cwt	188.00–194.00	2,311	43
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,655	174.43/cwt	170.00–177.00	2,887	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,327	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,919	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,211	186.03/cwt	180.00–187.00	2,253	17
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,597	214.59/cwt	210.00–220.00	3,427	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	925	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,341	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,120	175.18/cwt	170.00–180.00	1,962	3
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,627	150.17/cwt	150.00–150.50	2,443	3
Bulls	—	—	2,106	225.21/cwt	223.00–228.00	4,743	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,065	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,331	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,325	142.14/cwt	137.50–147.50	1,883	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,455	185.50/cwt	185.50–185.50	2,699	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,372	206.12/cwt	190.50–210.00	2,828	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,473	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	2,946	4
Bulls	—	—	1,460	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	2,789	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,086	162.51/cwt	140.00–175.00	1,765	25
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,159	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	3,141	9
Bulls	Large 1Fleshy	1250–1300	1,261	236.00/cwt	236.00–236.00	2,976	8
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,150	249.94/cwt	201.00–310.00	2,874	8
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,490	188.00/cwt	188.00–188.00	2,801	1
Stock Cows	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,375	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	3,328	2
Bulls	—	—	1,944	215.42/cwt	207.00–221.00	4,188	14
Stock Cows	Medium 2	—	1,195	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	2,002	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	885	274.93/cwt	245.00–285.00	2,433	5
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	790	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,896	1
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,095	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	3,230	2
Bulls	Large 1	1300–1350	1,310	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,948	1
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,278	248.67/cwt	247.50–250.00	3,178	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,130	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,393	3,700.00/head	3,700.00–3,700.00	3,700	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,067	294.13/cwt	237.50–350.00	3,138	91
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,325	3,577.69/head	3,500.00–3,700.00	3,578	4
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	786	318.88/cwt	315.00–330.00	2,506	8

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 →