Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 95 priced lines covering 2,674 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 2,547 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 140 head. replacement cattle receipts at 199 head. Counted as USDA files them — 1 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Mon May 15, 2023

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 2,547Last week 763Year ago 2,214

Slaughter CattleReceipts 140Last week 1,363Year ago 1,945

Replacement CattleReceipts 199Last week 2,168Year ago 1,356

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all cattle on offer. Demand was mostly good to very good this week. Quality was average to very attractive. Several load lots were seen this week, but demand was good to very good for both packages as well as load lots. Demand for cattle suitable to run on grass continues to be very good as local ranchers and order-buyers were both active in purchasing cattle this week. Spring rains have been very beneficial to pasture and range lands which has further spurred demand for grass cattle. CME feeder cattle positions pushed higher this week as new crop Dec corn fell below 5.00 which helped push feeders higher. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Packers opted to send much of the cow offering to feed this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on all offerings. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady. Feeding cows sold steady. Cow and bull quality was plain to average this week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady on good to very good demand.

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
21	—	1,337	92.00–96.00	93.90
3	—	1,292	78.00	78.00
2	—	1,560	101.50–103.00	102.34
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,171	83.00–87.00	84.20
4	—	1,037	68.00–75.00	71.96
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	1,469	102.50–109.00	104.42
14	—	1,466	97.00–101.00	98.25
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,133	89.00–95.00	94.16
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
30	—	1,188	90.00–99.50	95.79
3	—	1,332	87.50	87.50
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,520	92.00–109.00	100.56
4	—	2,014	116.00–123.00	120.83
2	—	2,058	131.00	131.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
131	—	522	248.00–261.00	255.35
52	—	488	253.00–266.00	259.88
43	—	434	255.00–265.00	259.23
282	—	620	230.00–252.00	239.91
8	—	861	166.00–178.00	172.06
72	—	775	196.00–210.00	205.01
95	—	567	245.00–260.00	253.98
69	—	678	239.00–240.50	239.93
11	—	380	257.00	257.00
156	—	813	196.00–210.00	209.35
134	—	723	225.00–239.00	237.33
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	954	171.00	171.00
31	—	671	231.50–243.50	237.92
10	—	888	183.00	183.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	385	200.00–207.50	202.73
6	—	412	200.00–210.00	205.08
2	—	655	197.50	197.50
3	—	612	205.00	205.00
3	—	737	160.00	160.00
3	—	577	202.50	202.50
2	—	288	223.00	223.00
3	—	845	153.00	153.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
208	—	593	265.75	265.75
4	—	750	226.00	226.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	783	177.00–184.00	181.17
2	—	888	166.00	166.00
3	—	412	247.50	247.50
15	—	476	241.00–244.00	242.22
10	—	722	217.00–222.50	220.34
6	—	621	230.00	230.00
13	—	541	244.00	244.00
16	—	829	168.00–185.00	180.46
23	—	576	224.00–239.00	228.81
25	—	672	207.00–225.00	215.10
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	521	264.00	264.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	391	240.00–250.00	247.96
5	—	579	230.00	230.00
2	—	303	235.00	235.00
2	—	510	215.00	215.00
3	—	813	165.00	165.00
2	—	923	160.00	160.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	714	264.00	264.00
6	—	451	302.50	302.50
8	—	626	274.00	274.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	585	259.00	259.00
2	—	798	203.00	203.00
4	—	425	280.00	280.00
12	—	732	211.00–225.00	214.32
10	—	645	240.50–249.00	243.04
11	—	673	245.00	245.00
5	—	919	168.00–182.00	176.43
2	—	828	197.00	197.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
30	—	807	205.00–216.00	207.59
185	—	768	239.50	239.50
2	—	1,105	150.00	150.00
34	—	435	290.00–297.50	294.84
4	—	319	270.00	270.00
64	—	475	287.50–292.50	290.65
18	—	732	230.00–242.00	235.98
40	—	926	197.00–200.50	199.54
46	—	587	273.00–280.00	278.14
2	—	1,075	154.00	154.00
65	—	665	250.00–265.00	263.06
29	—	859	190.00–203.00	201.19
92	—	515	282.00–289.00	285.40
12	—	385	288.00–290.00	288.68
23	—	605	261.00–268.00	261.93
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	478	299.00–300.00	299.28
60	—	883	207.00	207.00
22	—	501	290.00	290.00
21	—	608	273.00	273.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	592	248.00	248.00
4	—	514	252.00	252.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	603	254.00	254.00
9	—	735	215.00–225.00	220.48
2	—	473	282.00	282.00
3	—	561	277.50	277.50

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	39	—	970	132.50–180.00	160.22
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	25	—	1,107	100.00–175.00	119.39
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	142	—	708	1,725.00	1,725.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	1,325	1,800.00	1,800.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,400	2,250.00	2,250.00

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