Billings Livestock Commission Cattle Auction Market Report

Billings, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 9, 2026

779 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $466.74/cwt -20.35 vs last sale · ≈ $2,506/hd at 537 lb · 26 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $492.00/cwt -6.88 vs last sale · ≈ $2,868/hd at 583 lb · 16 head

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $412.36/cwt -5.20 vs last sale · ≈ $2,981/hd at 723 lb · 14 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	779	5,059	1,029
Feeder cattle	219	4,989	278
Slaughter cattle	232	35	429
Replacement cattle	328	35	322

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale (4-02-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend however steady to higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Demand was mostly good to for light offerings. Feeders were offered in mostly small packages or as singles. Buyers showed good demand as they pushed to finish out loads started earlier in the week. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last weeks, very attractive, heavy offering. CME positions moved higher over the last couple days providing additional support for higher feeder cattle prices. A small crowd was on hand for todays sale, however limited offerings and strong demand led to active rapid bidding from buyers. Market activity was mostly active as a result. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Both feeding and slaughter cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good for limited offerings. Slaughter cows sold on slightly stronger demand this week as packers showed need for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend. however higher undertones were noticed. Very good demand was seen for feeding type bulls this week as packers and feeding bull buyers competed over limited offerings. Young age offerings suitable to feed or rebreed comprised a large portion of the sale this week. Buyers were willing to take up to middle age cows to turn out and rebreed. Young cow offerings were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

▲ Feeder cattle: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend however steady to higher undertones were noticed on all offerings
→ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend
▲ Slaughter cows: Slaughter cows sold on slightly stronger demand this week as packers showed need for cows for immediate harvest

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
475–498	495	10	535.00–550.00	$537.85	$2,662	-32.39
583	583	16	492.00	$492.00	$2,868	-6.88
645	645	1	450.00	$450.00	$2,902	-25.37
715–728	723	14	410.00–414.00	$412.36	$2,981	-5.20

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
510	510	2	500.00	$500.00	$2,550	+25.00
558–590	566	4	450.00–470.00	$464.79	$2,631	-1.76
600–643	636	6	417.50–432.50	$424.33	$2,699	-16.20
902	902	5	333.00	$333.00	$3,004	+8.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
398	398	3	565.00	$565.00	$2,249	+31.63
413	413	2	550.00	$550.00	$2,272	+23.09
510–542	537	26	465.00–485.00	$466.74	$2,506	+49.24
588	588	5	430.00	$430.00	$2,528	+4.00
623	623	5	434.00	$434.00	$2,704	+12.50
655–668	666	8	385.00–391.00	$390.26	$2,599	-21.18
710	710	4	379.00	$379.00	$2,691	+16.10

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
310	310	1	560.00	$560.00	$1,736	—
478	478	2	475.00	$475.00	$2,270	+0.34
693	693	2	375.00	$375.00	$2,599	+14.19
700–740	730	8	362.50–369.00	$367.85	$2,685	+14.54

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
90	90	1	900.00	$900.00	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
78	78	1	600.00	$600.00	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
565	565	1	415.00	$415.00	$2,345	—
625–630	628	6	410.00–420.00	$411.67	$2,585	—
670–688	682	3	380.00–390.00	$383.27	$2,614	+11.99

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1277–1560	1343	80-85%	18	171.00–183.00	$178.84	$2,402	—
1275–1535	1405	80-85%	2	157.00–165.00	$160.63	$2,257	—
1275–1590	1416	80-85%	17	155.00–170.00	$167.10	$2,366	—
1295–1545	1422	80-85%	32	184.00–193.00	$187.63	$2,668	—
1590–1755	1645	80-85%	3	169.00–171.00	$170.29	$2,801	—

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
740–820	780	85-90%	2	110.00–130.00	$119.49	$932	—
850	850	85-90%	1	85.00	$85.00	$722	—
1005–1125	1074	85-90%	5	127.50–142.50	$134.67	$1,446	-26.94
920–1305	1119	85-90%	28	135.00–169.00	$162.89	$1,823	—
1145	1145	85-90%	1	158.00	$158.00	$1,809	—
1052–1290	1186	85-90%	14	170.00–177.50	$174.06	$2,064	+34.06
1205	1205	85-90%	1	112.50	$112.50	$1,356	—
1220–1285	1229	85-90%	16	181.00–184.50	$183.89	$2,260	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1335–1510	1449	75-80%	7	183.00–187.50	$184.16	$2,668	—
1535–1613	1582	75-80%	11	176.00–182.00	$178.49	$2,824	—
1580–1840	1676	75-80%	7	169.00–174.00	$171.33	$2,871	—
1750–1880	1815	75-80%	2	164.00	$164.00	$2,977	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1383	1383	2	205.50	$205.50	$2,842	—
1465	1465	1	198.00	$198.00	$2,901	—
1360–1760	1591	18	211.00–219.50	$215.75	$3,433	—
1945	1945	1	229.00	$229.00	$4,454	+47.00
1603–2290	1994	11	208.00–223.00	$218.87	$4,364	—

YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
2568	2568	2	208.00	$208.00	$5,341	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
850–1275	996	(<2 yrs)	Open	63	235.00–335.00	$300.98	$2,998
1040–1385	1172	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	49	190.00–302.50	$246.21	$2,886
1073–1580	1226	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	56	182.00–238.00	$214.02	$2,624

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
765–935 thin fleshed	850	(<2 yrs)	Open	2	265.00–285.00	$274.00	$2,329
825–1165	982	(<2 yrs)	Open	31	231.00–320.00	$288.93	$2,837
860–1380	1093	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	26	185.00–310.00	$233.91	$2,557

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
710–938	835	(<2 yrs)	Open	4	245.00–310.00	$268.98	$2,246

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
755–1095	912	(<2 yrs)	Open	3	255.00–325.00	$290.50	$2,649

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
925	925	(<2 yrs)	Open	1	280.00	$280.00	$2,590
960–1125	1043	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	192.50–210.00	$200.56	$2,092

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
905	905	(<2 yrs)	Open	1	237.50	$237.50	$2,149

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1298–1533	1399	Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	7	4,000.00–4,450.00	$4,255.35
1410	1410	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	3,500.00	$3,500.00
1237–1542	1428	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	8	4,200.00–4,250.00	$4,216.25
1497	1497	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	6	3,650.00	$3,650.00
1488–1608	1548	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	4,250.00	$4,250.00
1485–1720	1563	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	3	4,000.00–4,100.00	$4,036.67
1616	1616	Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	5	3,650.00	$3,650.00
1650	1650	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	1	4,000.00	$4,000.00

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1330	1330	Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	3,100.00	$3,100.00
1380	1380	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	3,500.00	$3,500.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1005	1005	(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	4,000.00	$4,000.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1328	1328	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	8	4,500.00	$4,500.00	—
1512	1512	Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	11	4,250.00	$4,250.00	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1622	1622	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	5	3,650.00	$3,650.00	—

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
915	915	85-90%	1	105.00	$105.00	$961	—

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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.