Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 120 priced lines covering 4,691 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 4,164 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 537 head. replacement cattle receipts at 2,137 head. Counted as USDA files them — 287 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Mon Apr 29, 2019

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 4,164Last week 3,604Year ago 0

Slaughter CattleReceipts 537Last week 658Year ago 0

Replacement CattleReceipts 2,137Last week 1,240Year ago 0

Compared to last week: Feeder steers 500-899 lbs sold mostly 5.00 lower. Heifers 450-549 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower, 550-749 lbs heifers sold mostly 10.00 lower heifers over 750 lbs sold mostly 2.00-5.00 lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Cattle were offered in load lot quantities this week as well as in large packages. Flesh conditions this week varied from very light to moderate plus. Demand for feeder cattle was light to moderate on moderate offerings. Grass cattle demand was much lighter this week. CME positions from last Thursday through this Thursday saw the current May contract down 4.575 to settle at 138.975 while the August settled at 147.90, down 5.35. Market activity this week was mixed depending on the sale. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand this week for moderate to heavy offerings. Packers showed good demand for slaughter cows as they purchased cows for immediate harvest. With fewer feeding cow buyers in the market this week packers were able to purchase the majority of the cow offering. Slaughter cows sold unevenly steady from 1.00 lower to 2.00 higher. Cow quality this week lower overall compared to last week. Weighing conditions this week were mostly below average for buyers as many cows were very full. Slaughter bulls sold on good demand for light offerings. Feeding demand helped push bulls higher in places. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. The first test of pairs was seen this week and buyers purchased these offerings on mostly good demand. A large crowd was on hand to bid on these offerings. Young age 2-3 year olds sold on mostly moderate to good demand this week. A heavy offering of open 2 year old heifers was seen this week. Buyers are giving open heifers an 8.00-10.00 premium to wet bagged 2-3 year olds. 2-3 year old offerings sold steady to 10.00 higher this week.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	550	172.00	172.00
13	—	480	172.00–183.00	178.86
3	—	918	124.00	124.00
22	—	831	130.00–130.50	130.45
14	—	783	132.00–139.50	137.22
39	—	623	149.00–165.00	150.62
80	—	684	143.00–153.00	149.84
91	—	740	136.00–147.00	145.14
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
26	—	483	187.00–190.00	187.56
55	—	885	125.50–132.00	128.75
65	—	522	177.00–183.50	182.05
87	—	633	171.00–175.25	172.80
92	—	677	147.50–173.00	158.86
109	—	726	146.50–157.00	150.42
165	—	773	141.50–145.75	143.97
224	—	832	130.00–142.50	138.16
200	—	576	174.00–180.50	177.74
14	—	989	123.00–123.50	123.14
7	—	916	128.00	128.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
24	—	587	171.50	171.50
7	—	392	194.00–200.00	195.74
3	—	407	180.00	180.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,013	118.00	118.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	506	178.00	178.00
Steers — Medium 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	657	153.00	153.00
55	—	551	171.00	171.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	656	174.50	174.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	763	141.00	141.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	639	135.00	135.00
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,038	109.00	109.00
13	—	1,072	105.00–109.50	107.85
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,045	104.00	104.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	892	121.00	121.00
6	—	492	177.50	177.50
8	—	109	260.00–375.00	345.00
3	—	1,122	99.00	99.00
1	—	1,010	106.00	106.00
5	—	720	140.00	140.00
2	—	962	118.00	118.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	755	127.50	127.50
2	—	568	159.00	159.00
3	—	632	146.00	146.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	302	195.00	195.00
45	—	509	171.00	171.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
16	—	423	173.00	173.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
24	—	715	146.50	146.50
73	—	798	1,100.00	1,100.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
35	—	715	142.00	142.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	427	161.00	161.00
8	—	622	131.00	131.00
10	—	507	139.00–140.00	139.20
26	—	585	137.00	137.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	642	137.00	137.00
25	—	469	160.00–162.00	161.75
50	—	531	146.00	146.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	678	130.50	130.50
12	—	623	141.00	141.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
98	—	517	153.00–161.00	156.56
85	—	680	137.00–143.25	142.52
60	—	873	120.00–124.50	124.27
54	—	472	162.00–168.50	165.77
284	—	590	145.50–151.00	148.01
276	—	622	142.50–147.75	144.89
161	—	774	123.00–132.25	130.36
107	—	813	124.50–129.75	128.98
146	—	727	125.00–138.00	132.31
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	659	135.00	135.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	436	160.00	160.00
4	—	395	165.00	165.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
87	—	586	142.00–149.00	144.88
65	—	634	137.00–142.00	140.34
43	—	535	145.00–150.50	148.33
43	—	489	153.00–164.50	156.02
18	—	675	133.00–139.50	137.55
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	331	172.00–172.50	172.29
8	—	481	154.00	154.00
20	—	441	155.00–159.00	156.97

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	13	—	1,293	1,100.00–1,250.00	1,181.49
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,433	1,050.00	1,050.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	8	—	1,461	1,450.00–1,550.00	1,508.85
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	14	—	1,264	1,800.00–1,900.00	1,846.07
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	47	—	1,390	2,100.00–2,260.00	2,242.37
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	10	—	1,329	1,575.00	1,575.00
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	10	—	1,487	1,350.00	1,350.00
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	11	—	1,843	1,475.00	1,475.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	46	—	1,462	1,250.00–1,350.00	1,307.83
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	9	—	1,425	1,450.00	1,450.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,422	1,650.00	1,650.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,250	1,425.00	1,425.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	6	—	1,480	1,125.00–1,200.00	1,178.58
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	15	—	1,405	1,400.00–1,525.00	1,466.39
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	18	—	1,585	1,250.00–1,400.00	1,347.03
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,495	67.00	67.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	5	—	1,237	105.00	105.00
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	17	—	1,078	2,100.00	2,100.00
(<2 yrs)	Open	68	—	1,057	1,800.00–2,150.00	1,993.03
Heifer Pairs — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	25	—	929	1,500.00–1,700.00	1,639.68
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	908	81.00–92.00	85.67
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,350	57.00–59.00	58.27
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	54	—	1,326	62.00–74.00	66.89
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	73	—	1,091	65.00–109.00	84.95
(<2 yrs)	Open	304	—	950	76.00–128.00	106.67
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	58	—	1,549	60.00–69.00	66.11
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	38	—	1,440	61.50–66.50	63.38
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	N/A	8	—	1,075	1,325.00–1,700.00	1,436.86

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
17	—	1,442	55.00–62.50	60.23
55	—	1,422	63.50–68.00	65.59
7	—	1,434	66.00–73.00	69.97
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	930	52.00–60.50	56.33
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
125	—	1,203	52.00–62.50	58.86
67	—	1,242	60.00–66.00	63.82
12	—	1,250	66.50–70.50	68.24
5	—	1,177	50.00–53.00	50.92
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	1,711	55.00–65.50	62.26
10	—	1,621	64.50–67.50	66.49
Cows — Premium White 65-75%$ per cwt · actual wt
15	—	1,710	70.50	70.50
Bulls — Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,690	88.50	88.50
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
26	—	1,810	82.00–91.00	85.66
22	—	1,704	72.00–82.50	78.16
8	—	2,178	92.25–105.00	97.34

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