Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 141 priced lines covering 7,527 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 4,857 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 761 head. replacement cattle receipts at 3,373 head.

Mon Feb 6, 2023

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 4,857Last week 852Year ago 4,329

Slaughter CattleReceipts 761Last week 263Year ago 1,135

Replacement CattleReceipts 3,373Last week 110Year ago 554

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive. Most calves were weaned this week. Order buyers, buying for packers continue to show very good demand for heavy weight, feedlot ready cattle. Quality has been mostly attractive on heavy weight offerings. Most heavy weight offerings were out of grow lots this week. Despite this, many offerings remain fairly clean with limited amounts of tag. Demand for grass cattle was very strong this week as several local ranchers were present at sales. Sales were heavily attended this week as a large crowd was seen at all sales this week. Market activity was active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand for light offerings. Last weeks extremely cold weather passed and supplies were slightly heavier this week as a result. Packers continue to show good demand for cows and bulls but were not as aggressive as last week. Feeding cow buyers were more active this week after being pushed out of the market last week. Breaking cows sold steady to 3.00 lower, boning cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower and lean cows sold 3.00-6.00 lower. Quality was mostly average. Feeding cows were not well tested last week, no comparison is available. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00 to 3.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were not well tested last week no comparisons and me made. Public auction yards held their annual Blue ribbon 2 sale this week. Demand for bred cows was good to very good.

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	5	—	1,249	1,300.00	1,300.00
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	589	—	1,090	1,850.00–2,135.00	2,005.18
(<2 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	13	—	1,085	1,350.00–1,600.00	1,527.16
Bred Heifers — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	17	—	935	1,650.00	1,650.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	45	—	953	1,875.00–1,900.00	1,886.59
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	15	—	1,043	90.00–98.50	95.79
(<2 yrs)	Open	5	—	1,103	104.00–115.00	111.12
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	102	—	1,000	76.00–118.00	98.17
(<2 yrs)	Open	21	—	1,076	120.00–145.00	129.96
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	778	142.00	142.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	15	—	1,383	1,350.00–1,375.00	1,366.59
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	62	—	1,242	1,675.00–1,750.00	1,737.93
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	14	—	1,306	1,875.00–1,900.00	1,881.58
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	2	—	1,075	1,400.00	1,400.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	7	—	1,636	1,475.00	1,475.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	370	—	1,409	1,400.00–1,850.00	1,598.98
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	442	—	1,224	1,825.00–2,300.00	2,024.25
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	105	—	1,216	1,625.00–2,150.00	2,006.12
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	472	—	1,351	1,650.00–2,075.00	1,898.39
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	24	—	1,480	1,575.00–1,825.00	1,664.14
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	5	—	1,407	1,450.00	1,450.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	41	—	1,300	1,210.00–1,375.00	1,244.80
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	11	—	1,210	1,225.00–1,325.00	1,259.57
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	36	—	988	1,700.00–1,850.00	1,812.55
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Non-Legible BANGS$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	8	—	1,266	1,775.00	1,775.00
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	7	—	1,414	1,350.00	1,350.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,202	1,725.00	1,725.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	7	—	1,380	1,310.00–1,325.00	1,316.35
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	431	—	1,371	1,300.00–1,585.00	1,417.73

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	592	182.00	182.00
2	—	813	166.00	166.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
135	—	539	185.00–203.00	194.11
40	—	625	179.50–190.00	186.17
31	—	373	204.00–211.50	208.36
14	—	670	174.50–176.00	175.36
71	—	483	172.50–212.50	196.26
11	—	582	180.00–196.00	187.24
94	—	428	200.00–210.00	207.31
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
52	—	738	171.00–183.00	172.34
17	—	867	149.00–174.00	169.50
229	—	573	200.00–211.50	207.60
20	—	426	210.00–221.00	211.61
319	—	623	181.00–206.00	199.66
138	—	489	207.50–227.00	219.81
37	—	665	175.00–197.00	185.12
56	—	840	172.00–176.50	174.16
233	—	520	194.00–219.00	213.89
2	—	378	220.00	220.00
32	—	769	171.00–183.00	179.14
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
23	—	398	201.00	201.00
4	—	690	171.00	171.00
17	—	463	189.00–208.00	204.61
2	—	500	190.00	190.00
25	—	425	193.00–213.00	203.34
6	—	344	207.50	207.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	730	168.50	168.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	664	208.00	208.00
74	—	567	213.00–219.00	218.13
95	—	711	185.00–191.00	186.33
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	494	191.00	191.00
4	—	343	207.00	207.00
12	—	557	130.00–169.00	155.97
6	—	448	160.00	160.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	459	170.00	170.00
7	—	511	174.00	174.00
Heifers — Small and Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
33	—	476	140.00	140.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	447	140.00	140.00
Bulls — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	592	160.00	160.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	867	146.00	146.00
5	—	805	156.00	156.00
1	—	785	157.00	157.00
5	—	394	235.00	235.00
1	—	595	192.50	192.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
129	—	722	186.00–196.00	190.95
47	—	430	261.00–289.00	273.23
93	—	483	230.00–260.00	241.40
5	—	373	297.50	297.50
157	—	870	179.00–185.00	182.60
2	—	343	300.00	300.00
22	—	761	177.50–185.00	179.10
173	—	615	199.00–216.50	214.39
146	—	525	227.50–255.00	238.49
50	—	970	164.75–177.50	173.07
12	—	942	167.50	167.50
128	—	839	180.00–189.50	184.56
235	—	584	210.00–226.50	219.09
310	—	671	187.00–210.00	203.76
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	660	174.00	174.00
3	—	867	162.00	162.00
4	—	646	187.00	187.00
21	—	1,121	145.00	145.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	867	160.50	160.50
43	—	528	210.00–222.50	219.47
33	—	423	250.00–265.00	253.19
27	—	680	185.00–190.00	188.99
12	—	385	217.50–255.00	241.32
76	—	637	190.00–201.00	195.52
3	—	342	267.50	267.50
66	—	481	216.00–256.00	223.42
13	—	789	173.00	173.00
37	—	585	196.00–214.00	210.23
20	—	741	176.50–180.00	177.06
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
43	—	818	178.75	178.75
11	—	466	230.00	230.00
11	—	636	202.00	202.00
Steers — Small and Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
15	—	532	141.00	141.00
8	—	441	151.00	151.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	381	252.50	252.50
6	—	729	169.00	169.00
4	—	585	195.00	195.00
10	—	545	187.50–205.00	194.49
2	—	483	185.00–190.00	187.44
4	—	663	175.00	175.00
13	—	435	182.50–236.00	210.36
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	790	178.00–180.00	179.28
8	—	692	188.00	188.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,200	78.00–95.00	91.89
6	—	1,273	100.50–105.00	101.56
1	—	990	123.00	123.00
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,390	77.00	77.00
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,000	96.00	96.00
37	—	1,753	96.00–107.50	100.89
32	—	1,672	79.00–99.50	91.82
4	—	1,950	108.50–109.00	108.62
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
57	—	1,218	64.00–77.00	74.59
6	—	1,179	83.50–91.00	86.94
66	—	1,191	77.00–85.75	80.83
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,458	89.00–90.50	89.94
44	—	1,421	67.50–80.00	75.78
1	—	1,405	60.00	60.00
76	—	1,381	79.00–88.00	82.56
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
49	—	1,373	72.00–81.50	78.11
13	—	1,348	86.00–93.00	89.93
80	—	1,405	80.25–88.50	83.56
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
46	—	1,635	74.50–83.00	79.81
19	—	1,628	81.50–86.00	83.46
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,172	59.00–64.00	60.79
51	—	1,189	63.00–77.50	73.34
80	—	1,191	71.00–84.00	78.57
3	—	1,227	85.50–88.00	86.31
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	874	62.50–71.00	64.81

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