Compared to last week: Feeder steers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Heifers under 550 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply lower undertones were noticed. Heifers over 550 lbs sold mostly 3.00-9.00 lower. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Ranches in Eastern Montana are culling replacement heifers due to drought conditions and low water levels in reservoirs due to light snowfall this winter. Heifer quality this week was much more attractive than steer quality. Most of these offerings sold as feeder cattle and not as replacements. CME feeder cattle positions were lower again this week as high feed cost continue to put stress on the market. May feeder cattle settled Friday at 131.725, while the August settled at 144.275 which is 1.875 and 2.475 lower respectfully. Market activity was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Seasonally heavy supplies of cows are being marketed as drought conditions drive cows to market. Packers continue to show need for cows as they sent a large portion of them to immediate harvest this week. The cutter cow cutout continues to inch higher as we are entering the height of ground beef season. The weekly cutter cow cutout was 201.16 up 4.13 from last week. However, heavy supplies allowed packers to buy slaughter cows mostly lower this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower on boning and lean cows. Breaking cows sold steady to firm. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 lower. Packers continue to purchase large amounts of feeding cows as well. With high feed cost many private ranchers are mostly out of the market, but order buyers continue to search for and bid on cows that they think are bred. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady this week. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. This class sold generally steady. Demand for rebreed type cattle was mostly good as quality was attractive. Feeding type cattle saw prices stabilize this week after several weeks of lower prices.
| Head | Wt range | Avg wt | Price range | Avg price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 169 | — | 718 | 125.00–133.00 | 130.40 |
| 29 | — | 670 | 131.00–139.50 | 136.90 |
| 10 | — | 810 | 111.00–118.00 | 113.09 |
| 102 | — | 764 | 120.00–124.00 | 123.43 |
| 5 | — | 895 | 108.00 | 108.00 |
| 107 | — | 570 | 146.50–156.00 | 149.20 |
| 62 | — | 522 | 144.00–152.00 | 149.01 |
| 14 | — | 473 | 146.00 | 146.00 |
| 85 | — | 627 | 133.00–146.75 | 141.40 |
| Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 2 | — | 810 | 109.00 | 109.00 |
| Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 18 | — | 435 | 135.00–150.00 | 146.94 |
| 48 | — | 580 | 130.00–142.00 | 138.61 |
| 1 | — | 710 | 122.00 | 122.00 |
| 4 | — | 398 | 150.00 | 150.00 |
| 18 | — | 520 | 145.00–148.00 | 146.10 |
| 26 | — | 483 | 131.00–145.00 | 137.09 |
| 31 | — | 629 | 130.00–137.50 | 135.52 |
| 63 | — | 662 | 132.75–133.50 | 132.84 |
| Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 64 | — | 757 | 130.00 | 130.00 |
| Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 4 | — | 489 | 149.00 | 149.00 |
| 18 | — | 376 | 147.50 | 147.50 |
| 10 | — | 324 | 146.00 | 146.00 |
| 33 | — | 434 | 145.00–147.00 | 146.41 |
| Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 7 | — | 485 | 122.50 | 122.50 |
| 15 | — | 648 | 101.00 | 101.00 |
| 12 | — | 438 | 143.00 | 143.00 |
| 17 | — | 571 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
| Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 6 | — | 473 | 135.00 | 135.00 |
| 19 | — | 713 | 112.00 | 112.00 |
| 18 | — | 556 | 120.00–132.00 | 122.11 |
| Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 12 | — | 518 | 134.00 | 134.00 |
| Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 18 | — | 765 | 132.00–138.00 | 134.99 |
| 6 | — | 425 | 187.00 | 187.00 |
| 39 | — | 629 | 150.00–164.00 | 153.20 |
| 12 | — | 460 | 182.00 | 182.00 |
| 5 | — | 822 | 120.50 | 120.50 |
| 3 | — | 543 | 165.00 | 165.00 |
| 23 | — | 727 | 134.50–136.00 | 135.01 |
| 14 | — | 563 | 160.00–160.50 | 160.29 |
| 9 | — | 683 | 139.00–150.50 | 146.35 |
| Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 3 | — | 700 | 150.00 | 150.00 |
| 15 | — | 513 | 190.00 | 190.00 |
| Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 2 | — | 600 | 148.00 | 148.00 |
| 23 | — | 484 | 161.00–175.00 | 166.38 |
| 2 | — | 568 | 160.00 | 160.00 |
| 18 | — | 521 | 151.00–167.50 | 153.21 |
| 3 | — | 810 | 117.00 | 117.00 |
| 2 | — | 335 | 180.00 | 180.00 |
| 14 | — | 650 | 135.00 | 135.00 |
| Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 55 | — | 652 | 121.00–125.00 | 123.90 |
| 8 | — | 580 | 140.00 | 140.00 |
| Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 5 | — | 918 | 114.00 | 114.00 |
| Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 4 | — | 429 | 155.00 | 155.00 |
| Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 7 | — | 912 | 106.00–109.00 | 108.13 |
| 2 | — | 70 | 225.00–275.00 | 250.00 |
| 5 | — | 959 | 100.00–105.50 | 101.10 |
| Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 22 | — | 520 | 128.00–136.00 | 132.76 |
| 12 | — | 662 | 115.00–124.00 | 118.64 |
| 10 | — | 584 | 128.00–137.00 | 130.57 |
| 10 | — | 480 | 132.50–135.00 | 133.80 |
| 4 | — | 708 | 117.00 | 117.00 |
| Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 4 | — | 426 | 138.00 | 138.00 |
| 5 | — | 492 | 130.00 | 130.00 |
| Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 6 | — | 1,125 | 92.00–98.00 | 95.17 |
| Bulls — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 2 | — | 808 | 106.00 | 106.00 |
| Age | Stage | Head | Wt range | Avg wt | Price range | Avg price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs) | Open | 7 | — | 1,326 | 1,085.00–1,150.00 | 1,100.98 |
| Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| Aged (>8 yrs) | Open | 4 | — | 1,186 | 800.00 | 800.00 |
| Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| (<2 yrs) | Open | 1 | — | 790 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
| Young (2-4 yrs) | Open | 6 | — | 787 | 61.00–79.00 | 71.44 |
| Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| (<2 yrs) | Open | 309 | — | 958 | 75.50–107.00 | 91.36 |
| Young (2-4 yrs) | Open | 207 | — | 1,087 | 61.00–96.00 | 77.42 |
| Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| Young (2-4 yrs) | Open | 4 | — | 1,000 | 65.00 | 65.00 |
| (<2 yrs) | Open | 23 | — | 1,022 | 81.00–85.00 | 81.15 |
| Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| (<2 yrs) | Open | 5 | — | 929 | 84.00–86.00 | 84.38 |
| Young (2-4 yrs) | Open | 1 | — | 1,220 | 62.00 | 62.00 |
| Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 14 | — | 1,055 | 850.00 | 850.00 |
| Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 13 | — | 1,168 | 900.00–1,200.00 | 1,024.38 |
| Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 5 | — | 1,283 | 92.00–101.00 | 93.59 |
| Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 13 | — | 1,287 | 1,000.00–1,375.00 | 1,155.27 |
| Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| Aged (>8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 10 | — | 1,487 | 850.00–935.00 | 893.39 |
| Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| Young (2-4 yrs) | N/A | 1 | — | 1,790 | 1,900.00 | 1,900.00 |
| (<2 yrs) | N/A | 6 | — | 1,110 | 1,600.00–2,100.00 | 1,810.13 |
| Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||||
| (<2 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 12 | — | 1,043 | 1,025.00–1,050.00 | 1,030.28 |
| Head | Wt range | Avg wt | Price range | Avg price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 2 | — | 1,075 | 41.00–50.00 | 45.52 |
| 140 | — | 1,169 | 47.00–63.50 | 55.99 |
| 101 | — | 1,205 | 57.00–66.50 | 61.09 |
| 6 | — | 1,145 | 67.50–69.75 | 69.02 |
| Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 2 | — | 1,548 | 73.50 | 73.50 |
| Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 11 | — | 1,214 | 68.50–72.00 | 70.26 |
| 90 | — | 1,179 | 62.00–68.50 | 65.93 |
| 124 | — | 1,174 | 52.00–65.00 | 57.49 |
| Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 149 | — | 1,427 | 62.50–68.50 | 66.15 |
| 39 | — | 1,416 | 57.00–64.50 | 61.94 |
| 28 | — | 1,404 | 67.00–73.50 | 71.23 |
| Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 3 | — | 875 | 61.00–63.00 | 62.02 |
| 11 | — | 919 | 50.00–58.00 | 53.31 |
| 3 | — | 820 | 43.00–48.50 | 46.84 |
| Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 30 | — | 1,606 | 65.00–69.50 | 67.13 |
| 9 | — | 1,735 | 72.50–73.50 | 72.61 |
| 30 | — | 1,613 | 61.00–66.50 | 63.51 |
| Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 4 | — | 1,493 | 53.00 | 53.00 |
| 55 | — | 1,393 | 62.00–67.50 | 63.97 |
| 4 | — | 1,383 | 69.50 | 69.50 |
| 88 | — | 1,420 | 53.00–62.50 | 58.56 |
| Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 1 | — | 1,540 | 79.00 | 79.00 |
| 52 | — | 1,794 | 83.00–92.50 | 87.25 |
| 37 | — | 1,593 | 72.00–83.50 | 78.90 |
| 32 | — | 2,019 | 90.00–102.00 | 95.14 |
| Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 1 | — | 1,125 | 65.00 | 65.00 |
| Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt | ||||
| 2 | — | 1,255 | 84.00–88.00 | 85.79 |
| 19 | — | 1,247 | 72.00–83.50 | 77.98 |