Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 129 priced lines covering 7,976 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 4,961 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 831 head. replacement cattle receipts at 4,395 head. Counted as USDA files them — 14 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Mon Feb 1, 2021

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 4,961Last week 4,002Year ago 2,910

Slaughter CattleReceipts 831Last week 1,034Year ago 576

Replacement CattleReceipts 4,395Last week 486Year ago 4,263

Compared to last week: Steers under 500 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher; 500-599 lbs steers sold steady to 3.00 higher; steers over 600 lbs sold steady to 4.00 lower. Heifers under 450 lbs sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower, heifers 450-599 lbs sold unevenly steady, heifers over 600 lbs sold steady to 3.00 higher. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive. Several long strings of backgrounded offerings sold this week. Most load lots sold on good demand and several were on offer this week. Demand for calves suitable to run on grass was mostly good. Heavy weight backgrounded offerings were in mostly moderate flesh with very few fleshy sets seen this week. Calves under 600 lbs continue to be in light flesh and mostly purchased as grass cattle. The March CME contract closed Friday at 138.275 and the April closed at 142.20 a gain of 0.55 and 1.45 respectfully for the week. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for mostly light offerings. Packers were very active again this week as they pushed to obtain the majority of the cow offering. Packers purchased cows both for immediate harvest as well as to feed. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher as packers pushed feeding buyers all week as they showed good demand for all high quality cows suitable to feed. Bulls sold mostly steady to firm in a narrow comparison. 2 year old to young age cows sold on light to moderate demand for mostly light offerings. This class of cows sold steady to 5.00 higher on slightly better demand than was seen last week.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	477	174.00	174.00
11	—	657	142.50	142.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
339	—	524	175.50–188.25	180.72
3	—	943	130.00	130.00
91	—	423	180.00–206.00	201.04
466	—	673	142.00–155.00	149.16
154	—	826	128.50–136.00	132.98
37	—	392	203.00	203.00
92	—	631	147.00–156.00	150.73
40	—	887	125.00–132.50	127.33
19	—	984	122.00–125.50	125.14
113	—	461	192.00–198.00	194.56
285	—	585	159.00–174.00	165.69
133	—	719	138.50–144.50	141.58
64	—	771	130.50–137.50	136.04
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
67	—	472	172.50–182.00	179.19
70	—	582	154.00–158.00	156.73
14	—	763	127.50–130.00	129.26
10	—	634	143.50	143.50
20	—	719	132.00–137.00	134.44
34	—	826	125.00–130.00	127.86
20	—	537	164.00–167.00	165.81
38	—	431	179.50–188.00	181.28
43	—	378	188.00–192.00	191.19
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	620	142.00	142.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
39	—	556	179.00	179.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
61	—	955	133.00	133.00
26	—	759	147.00	147.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	492	181.50	181.50
7	—	392	196.00	196.00
5	—	1,028	122.50	122.50
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	653	133.50	133.50
8	—	503	145.50	145.50
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
16	—	694	138.00	138.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	508	165.00	165.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
69	—	559	139.75	139.75
57	—	668	133.00	133.00
19	—	620	128.00–134.00	132.72
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	896	113.00	113.00
123	—	513	151.00–160.50	157.86
178	—	424	162.00–178.00	168.35
48	—	378	164.00–170.00	167.01
68	—	678	133.75–141.50	136.09
160	—	469	158.50–169.50	164.25
93	—	633	136.50–142.50	139.58
109	—	573	137.00–153.50	147.98
11	—	926	110.00–115.50	112.54
39	—	768	123.75–129.50	126.96
9	—	816	120.50–122.00	121.01
143	—	723	125.00–132.00	130.68
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
20	—	595	134.00	134.00
11	—	679	127.00	127.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
29	—	472	141.00–156.00	153.61
9	—	323	164.00	164.00
20	—	715	120.50–124.00	122.66
21	—	438	156.00–161.50	159.38
63	—	522	134.00–143.00	140.62
5	—	826	109.00	109.00
6	—	383	164.00	164.00
25	—	614	127.00–135.00	131.08
37	—	574	133.00–140.00	137.70
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	444	144.00	144.00
12	—	642	120.50	120.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
88	—	554	160.00	160.00
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	529	151.25	151.25
11	—	1,128	98.00–99.00	98.27
3	—	1,012	106.00	106.00
5	—	1,245	99.50	99.50
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	406	147.50	147.50
6	—	476	138.00	138.00
18	—	364	160.00	160.00
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,055	93.00	93.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	570	148.00	148.00
2	—	400	188.00	188.00
1	—	540	153.00	153.00
Dairy Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	808	121.00	121.00
9	—	643	128.00	128.00
Dairy Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
16	—	809	127.50	127.50
10	—	665	133.00	133.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	14	—	1,288	1,685.00	1,685.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	26	—	1,363	925.00–1,085.00	1,017.97
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	66	—	1,277	725.00–885.00	816.23
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	368	—	1,353	810.00–1,035.00	865.98
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	7	—	1,549	56.00	56.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	26	—	1,152	1,200.00–1,450.00	1,321.12
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	158	—	1,111	1,435.00–1,785.00	1,611.81
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	246	—	1,382	1,050.00–1,250.00	1,184.05
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	7	—	1,423	975.00	975.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	219	—	1,304	1,300.00–1,560.00	1,459.99
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	9	—	1,328	1,160.00–1,225.00	1,188.97
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	63	—	1,253	1,535.00–1,675.00	1,565.85
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	405	—	1,202	1,400.00–1,675.00	1,585.33
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	84	—	1,373	1,150.00–1,375.00	1,284.75
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	108	—	1,246	730.00–785.00	751.94
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	24	—	1,036	1,350.00	1,350.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	35	—	1,237	1,235.00–1,275.00	1,242.82
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	940	—	1,059	1,300.00–1,675.00	1,499.99
(<2 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	166	—	1,107	1,400.00–1,500.00	1,411.97
(<2 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	21	—	1,232	1,235.00–1,275.00	1,241.35
Bred Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	7	—	949	1,100.00	1,100.00
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	69	—	956	1,110.00–1,260.00	1,208.14
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	199	—	998	57.00–86.00	73.86
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	895	94.00	94.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	9	—	904	54.00–73.00	59.79

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	2,081	92.50–94.00	93.62
10	—	1,901	83.50–90.50	86.33
25	—	1,686	70.00–81.00	75.13
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,640	78.00	78.00
3	—	1,435	83.00–85.00	84.27
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,295	72.00	72.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	1,561	52.00–56.00	52.78
19	—	1,513	59.00–62.50	60.68
1	—	1,700	62.75	62.75
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,363	63.00–69.00	66.12
33	—	1,376	50.00–56.00	53.20
26	—	1,426	55.00–59.00	57.40
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,159	62.00–65.00	62.75
142	—	1,134	44.00–55.50	52.37
56	—	1,140	55.00–62.50	58.59
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
20	—	1,016	35.00–44.00	39.71
156	—	1,191	43.00–55.50	52.69
52	—	1,207	54.00–59.00	56.18
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,315	59.00	59.00
3	—	1,468	56.75	56.75
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,045	38.00–41.00	39.33
5	—	964	49.50–53.00	51.50
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
17	—	1,436	53.00–54.50	53.95
61	—	1,337	63.00–67.00	64.93
44	—	1,399	58.00–64.00	60.56

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