Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 112 priced lines covering 4,453 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 3,604 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 658 head. replacement cattle receipts at 1,240 head.

Mon Apr 22, 2019

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 3,604Last week 6,347Year ago 0

Slaughter CattleReceipts 658Last week 1,745Year ago 0

Replacement CattleReceipts 1,240Last week 454Year ago 0

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 500-749 lbs which sold mostly 2.00-5.00 lower. Heifers 500-849 lbs sold mostly 2.00 to 6.00 lower, with

the exception of 650-699 lbs heifers which sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. All other weights of steers and heifers were too lightly tested to

develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive with big

quality differences between sales. Overall, quality this week was not as attractive as last week. CME contract prices were a major discussion

among order buyers and ranchers this week as prices since the release of last weeks cattle on feed report have been in a tailspin. The April

contract closed Monday and settled at 145.98. The May contract as of Thursdays close was 143.55, down 7.975; the August contract as of

Thursdays close was 153.25, down 7.425. However, demand for grass cattle remains mostly good despite huge losses seen on all CME

positions. Overall demand was mix with good demand seen for cattle suitable to fit grass orders and mostly light to moderate for all other

weights of cattle. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for moderate

offerings this week. Packers and feeding cow buyers both were very aggressive as they attempted to fill orders this week. Packers have seen

an uptick in meat prices over the last few weeks as the cutter cow cutout pushed over 170.00 for the first time in months. This gave packers

more leverage as they bid on offerings. However, feeding buyers felt just as emboldened as many have seen prices for premium white cows

increase throughout the spring. With cow feeders emptying the last of the pens from winter and early spring many are looking to replace

these cows. With both feeders and packers bidding aggressively on cows, cows reached their highest prices so far this year. Slaughter cows

sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. The best demand seen this week was for fleshy cows. Slaughter

bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher. 2-3 year olds continue to sell on good demand as order buyers and local ranchers both pushed to fill

orders. 2-3 year olds sold steady to firm this week.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
53	—	468	161.00–171.50	169.48
152	—	727	135.00–143.00	138.14
208	—	670	140.00–155.00	149.01
240	—	574	155.00–163.00	157.74
368	—	629	152.00–159.00	154.97
73	—	519	157.00–164.50	161.81
4	—	429	175.00	175.00
53	—	769	130.00–135.00	132.46
25	—	807	129.00–131.50	131.09
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	521	155.00	155.00
19	—	473	158.00	158.00
17	—	565	150.00–154.00	152.77
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
74	—	689	147.00–148.00	147.85
69	—	804	132.00–134.00	132.98
54	—	716	140.00–145.00	142.88
30	—	757	137.75	137.75
18	—	633	157.00	157.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	836	119.00	119.00
16	—	851	115.00	115.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
125	—	526	150.00–160.00	156.21
1	—	60	150.00	150.00
35	—	580	140.00–154.50	152.13
64	—	478	151.00–165.25	160.25
5	—	397	172.50	172.50
11	—	329	175.00	175.00
28	—	620	138.50–150.00	144.79
22	—	687	137.00–139.75	139.01
17	—	763	124.00–129.00	127.82
11	—	418	165.00–170.50	168.90
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	528	148.00	148.00
7	—	435	160.00	160.00
37	—	584	136.00–137.00	136.21
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	699	120.00	120.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	559	129.00	129.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	790	127.50	127.50
16	—	818	124.00	124.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	498	172.50	172.50
6	—	783	137.00	137.00
13	—	962	118.00–128.00	124.59
9	—	865	122.00–134.00	129.17
3	—	370	200.00	200.00
1	—	90	200.00	200.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	480	197.50	197.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	745	134.00	134.00
1	—	800	128.00	128.00
5	—	542	157.50	157.50
2	—	793	125.00	125.00
2	—	995	112.00	112.00
2	—	878	124.00	124.00
2	—	1,173	90.50	90.50
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,090	112.00	112.00
4	—	1,015	118.00	118.00
13	—	1,127	93.50–110.00	97.28
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
128	—	812	135.00–146.00	143.42
11	—	445	192.50	192.50
6	—	360	208.00	208.00
100	—	529	180.50–194.50	187.80
99	—	623	169.00–178.25	173.99
80	—	726	153.00–161.00	156.60
92	—	679	155.50–171.00	164.84
63	—	868	135.50–141.50	139.59
10	—	450	190.00–191.00	190.40
116	—	569	177.00–183.00	181.86
27	—	764	141.50–153.50	149.22
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	528	175.00	175.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
41	—	529	184.75	184.75
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · estimate wt
3	—	100	200.00	200.00
34	—	589	171.00–175.75	174.59
26	—	441	181.00–187.50	182.52
16	—	682	146.00–157.00	153.75
14	—	491	183.50–185.00	183.92
12	—	512	169.00–179.00	173.70
17	—	620	157.00–163.00	162.30
4	—	784	140.00–142.00	141.52
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	725	143.00	143.00
2	—	945	119.00	119.00
Steers — Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,094	116.00	116.00
Steers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	659	129.50	129.50
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,025	124.50	124.50
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	463	177.00	177.00
5	—	374	184.00	184.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	699	146.00	146.00
18	—	934	129.00	129.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
49	—	500	192.50	192.50

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,210	1,185.00	1,185.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	15	—	1,195	1,425.00–1,475.00	1,459.53
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,140	60.50	60.50
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,013	81.00–95.00	87.08
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,295	58.50	58.50
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,096	56.00–58.00	57.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	354	—	1,011	81.00–121.00	100.94
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	127	—	1,390	60.00–69.25	66.73
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	105	—	1,296	58.00–68.50	64.64
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	109	—	1,328	62.50–70.00	67.52
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	166	—	1,092	67.00–108.00	85.73
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	8	—	1,015	1,410.00–1,485.00	1,429.76

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,584	68.00–70.50	68.58
12	—	1,616	65.50–67.00	66.29
2	—	1,680	61.50–63.50	62.57
Cows — Premium White 65-75%$ per cwt · actual wt
91	—	1,737	66.50–68.00	66.91
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
58	—	1,243	60.00–67.50	64.63
10	—	1,274	66.00–68.00	67.20
17	—	1,057	41.00–54.00	51.35
96	—	1,197	52.50–63.50	59.56
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
104	—	1,413	63.00–68.50	66.61
15	—	1,454	52.00–64.50	60.75
23	—	1,419	67.00–70.50	68.66
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	945	50.00–62.00	56.99
5	—	889	44.00–54.00	50.39
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
68	—	1,841	77.50–92.50	85.22
26	—	1,685	69.50–81.50	75.31
18	—	2,208	89.00–98.00	93.24

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Source: USDA AMS, as filed — nothing recomputed and nothing rounded. This summary aggregates the same sales the Montana barn reports cover, so it must never be added to a state total built from those barns.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line