Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Jan 3
● As filed63 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 63 priced lines covering 2,001 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 1,848 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 474 head. replacement cattle receipts at 223 head.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Jan 3, 2022
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 1,848Last week 6,964Year ago 7,263
Slaughter CattleReceipts 474Last week 2,868Year ago 1,347
Replacement CattleReceipts 223Last week 3,510Year ago 461

Compared to last week: All yearlings were scarcely tested thus no trend is available. Steer calves under 550 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher. Steers over 550 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Heifer calves 450-549 lbs offered the best test this week selling mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. All other heifer offerings were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady to higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Many calves were offered in small size packages with a load lot or light load lot seen as well. Small packages of calves sold on noticeably lighter demand this week. Most calves were weaned 45 days or more with several sets weaned over 90 days. The best demand this week was seen for calves suitable to develop into yearlings. CME feeder cattle contracts increased in price over the holidays. The January contract closed at 162.10, 1.85 higher than last report(Dec 17th). The March contract closed at 166.675, 4.975 higher. The August contract settled at 181.375 on Friday. Market activity this week was mostly active with a large buyer pool actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Both packers and private companies showed good demand for high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Feeding bull buyers were active again this week which helped push bull prices slightly higher. Young age cows were too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, steady to lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was plain to average. Demand from Southern fall breeding programs has lightened over the last few weeks as it is starting to get late in the season to rebreed for these producers.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
32435166.50166.50
38477146.00–165.50155.94
3390174.00174.00
14541145.00–160.00157.94
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
17428174.00–189.00183.71
17391180.50180.50
49657142.00–153.00151.84
71476170.00–174.00171.46
64758145.50–150.50149.70
19877148.50148.50
17626142.00–152.00150.00
35576142.00–160.00152.19
135540165.00–170.00167.35
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8419176.00176.00
11383172.00172.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
44513175.00–177.00175.76
27562168.00–173.00171.84
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
81,205112.50112.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
11501125.00125.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
58619167.00–187.00177.16
90470199.00–220.00212.92
65573173.00–198.00189.48
34754158.50–160.00159.91
91426211.00–219.00215.18
216522192.00–209.50202.79
36688159.00–166.00164.17
46883147.00–154.50153.24
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
7526140.00140.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6591176.00176.00
25632161.00–164.00162.55
6375190.00190.00
26542175.00–187.00184.52
7491190.00–192.00190.27
23336191.00–208.00196.47
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4523175.00–185.00179.93
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3688135.00135.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)221,4331,000.001,000.00
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)51,3661,100.001,100.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open651,10854.00–78.0066.01
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open71,08245.00–49.0047.11
(<2 yrs)Open921,01864.00–97.5081.94
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open51,17260.00–68.5064.78

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
121,66682.00–87.0083.98
61,32872.00–79.0076.11
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
141,83783.00–89.5085.47
32,28890.00–94.0092.27
61,91072.00–82.0078.34
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
21,37355.5055.50
1061,42956.00–64.0060.05
111,38265.00–67.5066.04
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
261,38448.00–55.0052.88
571,42455.50–63.5059.42
11,43066.5066.50
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
31,79063.50–64.5063.79
81,69354.00–61.0057.87
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
601,21754.00–61.0055.36
251,13945.00–52.5048.73
121,24761.50–62.0061.58
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
11,31062.0062.00
511,21651.00–62.0055.84
281,12942.00–54.0048.93
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
51,58163.5063.50
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
582041.00–44.0043.41
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.