Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, May 6
● As filed94 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 94 priced lines covering 2,823 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 1,132 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 428 head. replacement cattle receipts at 2,271 head. Counted as USDA files them — 151 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon May 6, 2019
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 1,132Last week 4,164Year ago 0
Slaughter CattleReceipts 428Last week 537Year ago 0
Replacement CattleReceipts 2,271Last week 2,137Year ago 0

Compared to last week: The best test for feeder steers was 700-749 lbs sold mostly 3.00-4.00 lower, all other weights were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Heifers 600-749 lbs sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower, all other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Cattle were offered mostly in small packages and singles this week. Flesh conditions this week varied, however most offerings were in very light to light flesh; limited moderate plus to fleshy cattle were seen this week. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly light to moderate on light offerings. Grass cattle demand was lighter again this week as CME positions continue to struggle. CME positions from last Thursday through this Thursday saw the current May contract down 2.725 to settle at 136.25 while the August settled at 144.475, down 3.425. Market activity this week was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand this week for moderate to heavy offerings. Feeding buyers were the driver of the market this week as they showed very good demand for all ages and classes of cows. Packers showed need for cows throughout the week, however they were not able to pick many away from feeding buyers until late in the week when they had more a more competitive order. Cow meat continues to do well as demand for ground beef remains good and is entering its seasonal high. The cutter cow cutout was 171.45 as of yesterdays close. 90% lean trimmings continue to see good demand as these are used in making ground beef blends. Imported 90% lean continue to run at a premium to domestic product as tighter cow supplies and a herd rebuilding phase in Australia has tightened the supply of imported product. This has packers searching for lean grinding materials to fill needs that these tightened have created. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Notably, all cows and bulls were pushing fill this week with most showing moderate to heavy amounts of fill. 2-4 year old cows and heifers sold mostly 8.00-12.00 lower this week. Lighter feeding demand was the main driver of lower prices as buyers feeding for grade and yield took a massive step back as they adjusted to lower CME contract prices. Demand for wet bagged re-breed cows slipped slightly but remains moderate to good on high quality offerings.

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
221,49269.00–74.5071.06
561,43665.00–70.5067.89
71,35756.00–63.0060.23
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
31,59567.00–71.0069.67
51,47161.00–65.5064.29
11,76572.5072.50
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
81,29368.50–71.5070.09
671,14754.00–65.5058.56
121,18346.00–53.5049.36
381,21464.00–69.0065.52
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
294558.50–65.0061.78
790553.00–57.5055.59
485847.00–53.5051.81
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
531,92283.50–93.0088.04
351,58570.50–83.5079.51
11,60086.5086.50
182,05092.50–98.5094.68
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
12,62077.0077.00
Bulls — Canadian Origin$ per cwt · actual wt
21,66383.50–84.0083.76
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
497467.00–76.0071.84

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)41,3401,200.001,200.00
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)211,2371,400.00–1,610.001,539.37
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)51,4221,435.001,435.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)41,3381,150.001,150.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)Open41,7061,600.001,600.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open51,4251,675.001,675.00
Young (2-4 yrs)Open121,1811,725.00–1,800.001,733.25
Young (2-4 yrs)Open71,7281,900.001,900.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)Open471,4841,410.00–1,475.001,445.76
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open21,17059.00–62.0060.59
(<2 yrs)Open1695587.00–96.0091.25
Young (2-4 yrs)Open589666.00–82.0076.09
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open281,15558.00–65.0063.88
Aged (>8 yrs)Open311,09756.00–62.0058.27
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open3401,06468.50–103.0084.05
Aged (>8 yrs)Open2771,24661.00–71.5065.28
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open1581,39264.00–73.0069.29
(<2 yrs)Open41299072.00–113.0096.03
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open2151,31766.00–74.5070.09
Stock Cows — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open3677103.00103.00
Heifer Pairs — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open119491,800.00–1,825.001,811.47
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open651,1201,850.00–1,925.001,898.22
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)61,1341,325.00–1,400.001,360.18

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
10871126.50126.50
Steers — Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
41,016120.50120.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2948121.00121.00
13626151.00–159.00153.61
18690143.50–148.00145.20
3830131.50131.50
2860129.00129.00
4530157.00–169.00163.06
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
51718143.00–153.00148.27
3970124.00124.00
6507177.50–179.00178.75
13762142.00–144.00143.15
32565171.00–178.00173.48
43628160.00–170.00164.92
13477175.00–187.50181.64
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
51,081115.00115.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
11580165.00165.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6488143.00–151.00145.60
14505148.00148.00
20733122.00–129.00124.48
2680135.00135.00
26623122.00–136.00129.56
38586135.00–143.00139.49
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
9950111.00111.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
7847119.00119.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
21460155.50–156.00155.55
18521150.00–151.00150.40
38720128.50–135.00132.92
39571145.00–146.00145.92
50628138.00–146.25142.62
73665134.00–144.00140.87
84766124.50–127.00125.59
2100175.00175.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
19459151.00151.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
6901113.00113.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2945116.00116.00
9485173.00173.00
2788125.00125.00
1200375.00375.00
3120275.00–325.00290.28
1510179.00179.00
4603145.00145.00
6993117.00–118.00117.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4575143.00143.00
8541145.00145.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2428167.50167.50
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11,020113.00113.00
121,080105.00–111.00107.84
141,142108.00–113.00111.93
151,168105.00–106.00105.20
Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
1093262.5062.50
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.