Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 142 priced lines covering 7,995 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 7,841 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 418 head. replacement cattle receipts at 2,382 head.

Mon Dec 2, 2019

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 7,841Last week 9,736Year ago 0

Slaughter CattleReceipts 418Last week 695Year ago 0

Replacement CattleReceipts 2,382Last week 4,751Year ago 0

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend, however yearlings continue to sell on good to very good demand. 350-549 lbs steer calves sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher; 550-699 lbs steer calves sold steady to 3.00 higher, steer calves over 700 lbs sold unevenly steady. Heifer calves weighing less than 450 lbs sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher; 450-499 lbs heifer calves sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower; heifer calves 500 lbs and heavier sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive. Quality varied greatly this week especially from sale to sale. Demand for cattle suitable to run on grass improved this week led mostly by west coast grass operations which saw much needed rain over the last two weeks. Weaned calves were of mostly plain to average quality this week and buyers offered little to no premium as a result. Unweaned Calves with two rounds of preconditioning shots sold with the best demand this week. These calves continue to sell with strong premiums to calves with only one round of preconditioning shots or non at all. Market activity this week was mixed. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Packers, coming off of a holiday week were eager to purchase cows for immediate harvest in order to cover short term needs early in the week. Boning and lean cows sold steady to 1.00 higher, breaking cows were too lightly tested to trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Demand from feeding buyers was good to very good this week. Packers and feeding buyers both showed strong demand for all classes of feeding cows. However thin feeding cows suitable for short term feeding programs sold with the best demand this as packers pushed these offerings higher due to increased slaughter cattle demand. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold steady to 2.00 higher. Thin fleshed cows destined for short term feed sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-4.00

higher. Young age cows suitable to re-breed sold on moderate to good demand. Offerings sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Quality was average to attractive.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	813	139.00	139.00
7	—	679	137.00–147.50	142.94
12	—	364	179.50	179.50
35	—	622	138.50–146.00	142.32
23	—	347	177.00–185.00	178.03
3	—	882	136.50	136.50
4	—	556	151.50	151.50
60	—	415	165.00–175.00	170.75
87	—	519	150.50–157.00	151.69
34	—	491	155.00–164.00	162.08
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	320	175.00	175.00
9	—	616	140.00–143.00	141.63
11	—	375	174.00–182.00	180.46
19	—	669	133.00–145.50	140.05
28	—	577	145.00–151.00	147.47
38	—	422	177.50–181.00	179.42
81	—	477	162.50–173.00	167.24
92	—	541	149.00–161.50	157.14
3	—	735	136.00	136.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
59	—	716	129.00–148.50	141.66
41	—	334	208.00–210.00	208.48
37	—	423	170.00–198.00	186.96
4	—	801	145.00	145.00
19	—	380	170.00–208.00	187.28
28	—	793	130.00–148.00	144.95
281	—	479	151.00–189.00	178.56
423	—	619	143.00–157.75	151.46
515	—	526	149.00–181.00	167.41
515	—	574	140.00–163.50	156.05
147	—	670	136.00–150.50	147.01
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	778	137.00–143.00	138.94
24	—	883	145.50	145.50
57	—	662	144.50–151.00	147.50
58	—	476	160.00–178.00	171.37
64	—	712	148.00–152.00	149.83
73	—	410	197.50	197.50
2	—	318	202.00	202.00
116	—	619	154.00–156.00	155.52
130	—	527	156.00–162.00	159.59
88	—	575	151.00–160.00	155.82
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
15	—	662	132.00	132.00
10	—	723	125.00	125.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	808	141.00	141.00
13	—	675	134.00	134.00
19	—	733	127.00–134.00	131.44
3	—	483	148.00	148.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	492	144.00	144.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	494	147.50	147.50
Steers — Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	687	133.00	133.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
155	—	626	159.75	159.75
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,057	126.00	126.00
4	—	1,171	131.50	131.50
Heifers — Medium 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	796	123.50	123.50
11	—	865	122.00	122.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
38	—	500	152.50	152.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	620	124.00	124.00
33	—	446	148.00	148.00
15	—	984	126.00	126.00
10	—	885	129.00	129.00
1	—	915	130.00	130.00
5	—	510	132.00	132.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
322	—	587	127.00–140.75	138.10
354	—	473	134.00–156.00	149.83
5	—	707	120.00–126.00	123.56
9	—	276	187.50	187.50
26	—	685	124.00–132.00	127.40
31	—	346	167.00–170.00	169.61
32	—	380	140.00–165.00	148.64
82	—	410	153.00–165.00	163.19
363	—	525	132.00–148.50	143.55
176	—	615	127.00–140.00	133.90
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	381	156.00	156.00
27	—	469	136.00–139.50	138.00
64	—	534	130.00–140.00	136.01
3	—	738	139.00	139.00
9	—	591	130.00	130.00
99	—	432	140.00–148.00	146.04
1	—	915	127.00	127.00
3	—	330	157.50	157.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	878	137.00	137.00
77	—	469	141.00–152.00	146.26
135	—	564	130.00–139.00	135.38
247	—	511	135.00–149.50	144.72
13	—	657	130.00	130.00
17	—	919	131.50–132.50	132.27
31	—	963	130.50–133.00	132.68
32	—	437	152.00	152.00
45	—	613	132.50–140.00	133.79
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
21	—	355	136.00	136.00
Heifers — Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,004	138.75	138.75
10	—	1,054	137.50	137.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	622	122.00–126.00	124.89
26	—	435	135.00–145.00	141.51
41	—	464	136.00–146.00	142.16
58	—	520	127.00–138.50	133.93
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
17	—	746	140.50	140.50
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	700	124.00	124.00
7	—	474	127.00	127.00
22	—	785	132.50	132.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	678	123.00	123.00
7	—	504	138.00	138.00
7	—	589	123.00	123.00
4	—	325	195.00	195.00
4	—	434	157.50	157.50
67	—	490	138.00–142.50	139.24
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	445	171.00	171.00
2	—	525	126.00	126.00
2	—	720	116.00	116.00
4	—	628	136.00	136.00
6	—	477	140.00–152.50	144.22
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	743	118.00	118.00

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
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	12	—	1,473	875.00	875.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	6	—	1,160	875.00	875.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	2	—	1,198	800.00	800.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	4	—	1,173	1,000.00	1,000.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Non-Legible BANGS$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	4	—	1,046	900.00	900.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	52	—	1,335	58.50–74.00	63.63
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	9	—	1,377	58.00	58.00
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	339	—	1,316	50.00–69.25	57.17
(<2 yrs)	Open	226	—	1,027	65.00–99.50	81.20
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	179	—	1,134	56.00–87.00	69.43
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	305	—	1,346	53.50–70.00	59.66
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	14	—	850	58.00–78.00	72.53
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	8	—	1,162	53.00–54.00	53.66
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	237	—	1,169	41.00–53.50	49.15
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	71	—	1,202	47.00–54.00	52.01
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	24	—	1,156	42.00–59.00	52.43
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	9	—	1,026	68.00–73.00	68.93

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,917	83.00–87.00	85.56
51	—	1,831	73.50–85.00	80.55
30	—	1,711	59.00–78.50	70.49
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,730	82.00	82.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
57	—	1,272	50.00–55.00	53.03
55	—	1,221	41.50–51.50	47.50
18	—	1,120	31.00–40.00	35.05
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,538	51.00–59.00	54.96
3	—	1,508	63.50–65.00	64.13
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
60	—	1,439	52.00–57.00	54.05
8	—	1,511	58.00–64.50	62.62
8	—	1,420	47.00–53.00	49.41
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	907	32.50–45.00	40.53
2	—	893	30.00	30.00

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