Cattle Market Pulse

Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 2, 2026

5,059 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction report →

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $406.50/cwt ≈ $2,732/hd at 672 lb · 609 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $423.45/cwt +9.98 vs last sale · ≈ $2,654/hd at 627 lb · 572 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $439.64/cwt ≈ $2,524/hd at 574 lb · 295 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 5,059 439 4,247
Feeder cattle 4,989 52 4,086
Slaughter cattle 35 265 86
Replacement cattle 35 122 75

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale (3-19-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Demand was mostly good to very good for heavy offerings. CME positions have moved sharply higher over the last few weeks giving strong support to feeder cattle prices. Buyers came willing and ready to buy, as this sale featured one of the largest offerings seen in weeks. Demand for grass cattle was very good. Buyers were willing to take steers up to 750 lbs and heifer up to 700 lbs to grass. Buyers were very attentive to flesh conditions this sale as discounts for cattle carrying moderate flesh and up were heavy. The stands were filled with buyers this week with both ranchers and order buyers actively bidding on offerings. Internet bidding was also active with several buyers actively buying cattle throughout the day. Demand for heifers was very strong as both replacement buyers and feeding buyers both showed strong demand. Quality this week was attractive to very attractive with many long strings off reputation ranches. Quality ran deep into the sale with constant demand seen all day long. Market activity was mostly active with rapid bidding seen all sale long. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Both feeding and slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good for limited offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Very good demand was seen for limited offerings. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Quality this week was mostly plain to average.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 unweaned 368 2 625.00 $625.00 $2,300 —
392 392 5 630.00 $630.00 $2,470 —
420 unweaned 420 3 580.00 $580.00 $2,436 —
400–440 432 25 595.00–600.00 $595.93 $2,574 —
454–498 468 69 550.00–580.00 $570.24 $2,669 —
493 unweaned 493 11 545.00 $545.00 $2,687 —
504–530 518 181 520.00–555.00 $536.60 $2,780 —
553–590 583 117 481.00–517.50 $498.88 $2,908 —
622 622 18 430.00 $430.00 $2,675 -30.00
604–639 631 174 460.00–484.00 $475.37 $3,000 +15.37
654–695 666 172 423.00–450.00 $437.80 $2,916 —
704–737 721 56 413.00–423.00 $417.56 $3,011 —
757 thin fleshed 757 47 422.00 $422.00 $3,195 —
750–798 792 141 386.00–411.00 $388.60 $3,078 —
850–873 863 9 350.00–372.50 $359.85 $3,106 —
913 913 2 340.00 $340.00 $3,104 —
965 965 2 328.00 $328.00 $3,165 —
965–976 974 6 327.00–327.50 $327.08 $3,186 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–382 380 17 550.00–615.00 $557.69 $2,119 -19.89
415–425 422 5 555.00–575.00 $567.96 $2,397 —
497 497 13 535.00 $535.00 $2,659 —
544 544 7 475.00 $475.00 $2,584 —
565–598 595 34 455.00–477.50 $466.55 $2,776 —
610 thin fleshed 610 22 468.00 $468.00 $2,855 —
623–637 631 5 435.00–449.00 $440.53 $2,780 —
670–693 684 8 405.50–410.00 $407.15 $2,785 —
702 thin fleshed 702 84 423.00 $423.00 $2,969 —
733–749 745 19 381.00–404.00 $396.56 $2,954 —
822 822 3 363.00 $363.00 $2,984 —
901 901 4 325.00 $325.00 $2,928 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 323 2 540.00 $540.00 $1,744 —
365–369 366 12 520.00–525.00 $521.68 $1,909 —
455 455 4 470.00 $470.00 $2,138 —
795 795 2 335.00 $335.00 $2,663 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 7 525.00 $525.00 $2,441 —
524–543 530 10 475.00–515.00 $502.70 $2,664 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
662–680 667 4 419.00–424.00 $422.72 $2,820 —
862 862 3 322.50 $322.50 $2,780 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
376 unweaned 376 4 540.00 $540.00 $2,030 —
388–399 397 12 525.00–535.00 $533.37 $2,117 —
432–448 441 31 522.50–532.50 $526.91 $2,324 —
400–448 unweaned 443 20 515.00–540.00 $517.26 $2,291 —
452–491 469 61 490.00–528.00 $509.59 $2,390 —
500–538 514 248 475.00–496.00 $489.34 $2,515 +39.34
531 531 8 417.50 $417.50 $2,217 -32.50
566–580 574 283 434.50–459.00 $440.22 $2,527 —
576 576 12 426.00 $426.00 $2,454 —
602–604 thin fleshed 603 53 447.00–449.00 $448.24 $2,703 —
605–649 629 511 410.00–435.00 $421.50 $2,651 +8.03
636 636 8 384.00 $384.00 $2,442 -29.47
655–670 thin fleshed 664 19 424.00–425.00 $424.36 $2,818 —
650–698 669 462 394.00–422.00 $411.44 $2,753 —
680–695 684 128 386.00 $386.00 $2,640 —
701–744 718 49 351.00–368.00 $362.90 $2,606 +14.90
701–748 731 175 375.00–390.00 $382.93 $2,799 +34.93
750–798 760 254 350.00–380.00 $371.63 $2,824 —
818 818 2 354.00 $354.00 $2,896 —
855–870 868 69 339.00–344.00 $343.21 $2,979 —
932 932 10 320.00 $320.00 $2,982 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
723 723 6 2,750.00 $2,750.00 —
750–798 772 466 2,875.00–3,160.00 $3,043.44 —
801–845 827 116 2,950.00–3,125.00 $3,054.85 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–398 387 10 490.00–520.00 $508.52 $1,968 —
487–493 489 14 472.50–482.50 $474.66 $2,321 —
523–547 530 25 422.50–447.50 $430.73 $2,283 —
545 unweaned 545 7 397.50 $397.50 $2,166 —
563–590 568 18 400.00–430.00 $419.94 $2,385 —
605–646 630 29 385.00–412.00 $401.65 $2,530 —
681–688 686 14 355.00–375.50 $360.81 $2,475 —
710–748 724 10 345.00–356.00 $353.31 $2,558 —
873 873 2 330.00 $330.00 $2,881 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
296 296 4 470.00 $470.00 $1,391 —
393 393 4 470.00 $470.00 $1,847 —
485–496 489 18 422.50–432.50 $429.12 $2,098 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
624 624 6 409.00 $409.00 $2,552 —
685 685 3 399.00 $399.00 $2,733 —
778 778 16 371.00 $371.00 $2,886 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 4 495.00 $495.00 $1,485 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
477 477 11 540.00 $540.00 $2,576 +10.00
487 thin fleshed 487 31 537.50 $537.50 $2,618 —
592 thin fleshed 592 31 450.00 $450.00 $2,664 —
623 623 5 410.00 $410.00 $2,554 —
640 unweaned 640 2 390.00 $390.00 $2,496 —
652 652 3 395.00 $395.00 $2,575 —
1025 1025 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,972 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
389 389 4 565.00 $565.00 $2,198 —
663–678 666 9 350.00–377.50 $371.28 $2,473 —
702 702 3 372.50 $372.50 $2,615 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1320–1435 1383 80-85% 5 140.00–170.00 $160.08 $2,214 -4.36
1430–1495 1486 80-85% 7 180.00–182.00 $180.28 $2,679 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
810 810 85-90% 1 112.50 $112.50 $911 —
965–1195 1056 85-90% 7 152.50–168.00 $161.61 $1,707 —
1155 1155 85-90% 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,617 -15.15
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1620 1620 75-80% 1 166.00 $166.00 $2,689 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325 1325 1 214.00 $214.00 $2,836 —
1675 1675 1 217.00 $217.00 $3,635 —
1910 1910 1 182.00 $182.00 $3,476 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
845–1185 996 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 26 210.00–310.00 $278.24 $2,771
1005 1005 (<2 yrs)Open 1 247.50 $247.50 $2,487
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
955–1110 1049 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 260.00–312.50 $284.65 $2,986

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1150 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,300.00 $3,300.00

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.