Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 147 priced lines covering 8,637 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 8,740 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 610 head. replacement cattle receipts at 401 head.

Mon Mar 29, 2021

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 8,740Last week 772Year ago 4,024

Slaughter CattleReceipts 610Last week 393Year ago 249

Replacement CattleReceipts 401Last week 304Year ago 694

Compared to last week: Receipts were too light last week to make an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality this week was average to attractive. Many load lots of feeders sold this week and demand was good for both packages and load lots. The majority of cattle on offer this past week were in light flesh with a few thin fleshed calves in the offering which buyers purchased with strong premiums. Quality overall was average to very attractive this week. CME positions had a roller coaster week as the prospective plantings report showed only slightly higher planting intentions for corn compared to 2020. This push corn prices up the limit on Wednesday and feeder cattle prices sharply lower. The April contract closed Thursday (CME was closed on Good Friday) at 143.875 while the May contract closed at 149.225 that's 4.45 higher on the April and 0.65 lower on the May contract. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand as packers showed good demand for slaughter cows. Feeding buyers showed good demand for cows as well which helped push all cow prices higher. Light offerings has been the driving force in higher cow prices as packers report light receipts at all sales across the upper plains states. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-4.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher. Warmer weather was seen this week and cows and bulls offered buyers mostly below average weigh up conditions all week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-4.00 higher. Two year old to young age cows sold on mostly good to very good demand this week. Buyers showed similar demand for both cows the feed or rebreed. This class sold 9.00-12.00 higher.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	818	135.00–136.50	136.08
10	—	651	141.00	141.00
19	—	630	163.00–166.00	164.07
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
313	—	679	157.50–170.00	162.53
198	—	567	174.00–188.00	184.24
318	—	533	182.00–197.00	189.86
148	—	773	136.00–152.00	144.95
62	—	387	189.50–217.50	211.85
45	—	821	137.50–139.50	138.61
48	—	954	127.00–130.50	130.17
644	—	627	160.00–182.00	173.41
153	—	435	191.00–215.50	208.92
379	—	474	194.00–211.00	203.71
59	—	879	141.00	141.00
132	—	713	145.50–159.75	155.67
41	—	918	129.50–134.50	130.24
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	660	137.00	137.00
12	—	525	165.00	165.00
11	—	445	185.50	185.50
7	—	626	146.00	146.00
4	—	453	160.00	160.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
185	—	553	189.50–191.00	190.32
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
27	—	432	187.50–200.75	193.20
3	—	937	124.00	124.00
22	—	791	138.50	138.50
14	—	810	131.00–137.50	135.65
21	—	681	145.00–150.00	148.87
7	—	961	122.00	122.00
106	—	626	149.00–168.00	160.28
20	—	740	134.00–147.50	139.89
29	—	487	176.50–185.00	181.16
67	—	582	154.00–175.00	168.77
28	—	383	200.00–210.00	206.86
124	—	540	173.00–180.00	175.71
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,022	119.00	119.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	945	123.50	123.50
8	—	499	184.00	184.00
2	—	1,050	124.00	124.00
19	—	874	130.00	130.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	562	166.00–176.00	173.94
4	—	623	151.00	151.00
5	—	428	188.00	188.00
9	—	343	195.00	195.00
30	—	537	175.00–180.00	176.12
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	704	167.00	167.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
30	—	825	134.00–135.00	134.83
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	754	129.00	129.00
7	—	608	139.00	139.00
7	—	466	185.00	185.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
16	—	388	153.00–153.50	153.25
14	—	468	149.00	149.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
247	—	671	137.00–149.50	145.31
752	—	627	143.00–158.50	152.85
448	—	518	158.50–169.00	163.96
450	—	586	150.00–163.00	159.40
110	—	765	129.00–137.00	131.61
8	—	370	177.50	177.50
23	—	810	127.00–130.50	129.01
224	—	423	167.25–179.00	173.99
3	—	963	123.00	123.00
440	—	483	161.00–175.00	169.77
255	—	729	135.00–143.00	139.63
1	—	95	325.00	325.00
24	—	855	126.50–127.50	127.29
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
47	—	430	145.00–170.00	163.43
5	—	620	138.00–143.00	139.97
27	—	368	163.00–170.00	165.74
49	—	466	154.00–170.50	166.61
150	—	575	140.50–154.00	150.80
19	—	529	145.00–159.50	155.71
82	—	683	132.25–141.00	135.84
4	—	763	128.00	128.00
17	—	740	130.75	130.75
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
83	—	678	149.00–149.50	149.21
181	—	727	141.00–151.50	146.98
36	—	792	135.00	135.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
32	—	784	127.50–128.00	127.89
38	—	861	123.50–123.75	123.69
8	—	974	118.00	118.00
3	—	812	126.50	126.50
4	—	716	129.50	129.50
24	—	625	137.00–145.00	139.35
6	—	688	136.00	136.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	522	137.00	137.00
7	—	471	146.50	146.50
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
70	—	533	155.50–156.00	155.64
28	—	486	159.75	159.75
5	—	391	170.00	170.00
193	—	576	150.25–152.00	150.94
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	695	133.50	133.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	617	160.00	160.00
26	—	559	166.50–168.00	167.26
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	714	146.00	146.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
36	—	572	152.00–167.00	159.77
2	—	840	126.00–132.00	128.98
2	—	600	153.00	153.00
4	—	477	178.00–180.00	179.02
1	—	665	151.00	151.00
1	—	985	118.00	118.00
2	—	938	121.00–130.00	125.49
1	—	75	200.00	200.00
4	—	701	146.00	146.00
9	—	347	211.50	211.50
9	—	516	165.00–173.00	171.19
2	—	770	129.00	129.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	534	153.00–160.00	155.11
2	—	705	129.00	129.00
3	—	835	128.00	128.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,053	113.00	113.00
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,224	96.00–104.50	100.22
7	—	1,112	115.00–118.00	116.58
13	—	1,034	116.00–123.00	119.28
2	—	1,080	120.00–121.00	120.50
7	—	1,169	99.00–116.00	109.30
Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	655	60.50	60.50

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,455	83.00	83.00
1	—	1,320	93.00	93.00
7	—	1,320	85.00–87.50	86.94
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
63	—	1,851	83.50–93.50	88.03
43	—	1,629	72.00–85.00	79.85
27	—	1,941	93.00–99.50	95.89
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,300	84.50	84.50
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,645	94.00	94.00
1	—	2,635	83.00	83.00
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	923	42.50–47.00	44.93
7	—	954	52.00–56.00	54.25
2	—	950	64.00–64.50	64.24
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,400	71.50	71.50
41	—	1,438	57.00–64.50	63.06
34	—	1,395	64.00–70.00	66.35
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,175	70.00–71.00	70.38
54	—	1,155	55.00–65.00	61.99
27	—	1,181	64.00–69.50	65.41
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
63	—	1,382	63.00–69.75	67.14
14	—	1,478	61.00–63.50	62.10
7	—	1,426	70.75–71.50	71.11
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
15	—	1,602	56.00–66.00	61.56
4	—	1,624	67.50–69.00	68.13
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,622	58.00–66.50	63.18
6	—	1,610	66.75–68.00	67.04
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,097	43.00–54.00	50.04
33	—	1,254	63.50–68.00	65.88
39	—	1,199	55.00–64.00	60.54

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	235	—	1,011	71.00–120.00	97.69
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	98	—	1,083	64.00–106.00	79.88
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	900	65.00	65.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	853	88.00	88.00

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