Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, May 22
● As filed133 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 133 priced lines covering 2,906 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 1,639 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,212 head. replacement cattle receipts at 704 head. Counted as USDA files them — 28 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon May 22, 2023
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 1,639Last week 2,547Year ago 2,386
Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,212Last week 140Year ago 1,177
Replacement CattleReceipts 704Last week 199Year ago 1,052

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers. Demand was mostly good to very good again, this week. Quality was mixed from plain to attractive. A couple of load lots were offered this week and these were met with very good demand. Packages sold on good demand as well, as offerings were light and buyers had to bid aggressively to fill loads. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to run on grass. Additional Spring rains continue to fall intermediately and grass fever has hit buyers. CME feeder cattle positions traded mixed this past week which struggled to gain any traction following a surge in the corn market. New crop corn traded over 40 cents higher for the week to close Friday at 5.3450. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed need for cows for immediate harvest as they pushed cow prices higher in order to secure offerings. Slaughter cows sold 3.00-5.00 higher on all offerings in a narrow comparison. Rain in the southern plains helped slow the marketing of cows in the south, this coupled with slowing of spring culling in the north has shortened up the cow supply. Packers were force to be aggressive as they pushed to find cattle to meet needs. High quality cows continue to be purchased to feed, however fewer feeding cows were purchased this week compared to last. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Cow and bull quality was mostly average this week. Weigh up conditions were mixed as some cows had been out on grass and were very empty, while others were very full. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 10.00 lower. Fewer takers were seen for this class of cows this week. Quality was mostly average and part of the reason for lighter buyer participation.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
21,030156.00156.00
11,075161.00161.00
21,178140.00140.00
2665225.00225.00
41,140140.50–152.00146.91
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5521240.00–255.00249.19
190150.00150.00
1100175.00175.00
2770188.00188.00
3987148.00–155.00150.29
4854172.00172.00
8585250.00250.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1800188.00188.00
1950166.00166.00
3100225.00225.00
1760184.00184.00
3523275.00275.00
2575280.00280.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
11,060142.00142.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
81,029175.00175.00
15466250.00–260.00253.32
17628234.00–257.50248.40
4695221.00–239.00234.53
17883189.50189.50
4531262.50262.50
7729223.00223.00
15827193.00–198.00194.33
14579257.00–263.00261.46
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4688250.00250.00
1061,030186.50186.50
4865204.00204.00
10623262.50–272.50267.05
4575272.50272.50
1480300.00300.00
11780218.00–231.00221.85
23809205.00–212.00209.97
8525290.00–295.00293.19
14721231.00–236.00232.79
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
9713225.00225.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
23841200.00200.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2613240.00240.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
9587257.00257.00
Steers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2495255.00255.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
7656277.00277.00
33579300.00300.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
41,006181.00181.00
181,204175.00175.00
Heifers — Medium 2-3$ per cwt · actual wt
5636155.00155.00
4464185.00185.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
6973170.00170.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
2765174.00174.00
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6897176.00176.00
7659189.00–190.00189.71
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
11494217.50217.50
6787176.00–179.00178.02
3685180.00180.00
35628193.00–210.00208.01
14565212.50212.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
104680220.00–232.00226.02
72623224.00–257.00243.05
29765193.00–211.00204.26
5821190.00190.00
26505268.00–270.00269.16
6863184.00184.00
149582229.00–263.50260.77
31709213.00–224.50220.61
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11461261.00261.00
4343227.00227.00
35589204.00–243.00227.50
15603204.00–218.00216.13
3525226.00226.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
1108175.00175.00
3832184.50184.50
5851175.00–181.50177.60
16722190.00–192.00190.25
27625202.00–224.00218.05
8471230.00–260.00252.62
10582230.00230.00
47535230.00–251.00248.25
1760192.00192.00
12685212.50–217.00214.20
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5388215.00215.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
11551185.00185.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
78818191.00–202.50198.15

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open5948152.50–155.00153.47
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open3705156.00–165.00162.13
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open36884115.00–167.00141.02
Young (2-4 yrs)Open1093890.00–125.00108.19
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open194968130.00–190.00160.91
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open181,22095.00–109.00105.08
Young (2-4 yrs)Open2621,08194.00–182.00126.25
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)11,3901,600.001,600.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)21,3851,600.001,600.00
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)11,0251,400.001,400.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)21,2801,500.001,500.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)41,4861,500.00–1,550.001,524.71
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)71,1281,750.00–1,850.001,802.41
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)71,1261,560.00–1,625.001,571.96
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open51,3102,250.002,250.00
Aged (>8 yrs)Open21,3201,475.001,475.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open71,5711,650.001,650.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open101,4171,725.00–2,050.001,964.37
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open49542,200.002,200.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
262,113125.00–137.00130.72
581,815116.00–129.00121.12
551,63596.00–118.00109.15
Bulls — Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
12,025136.00136.00
11,475104.00104.00
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
51,31492.00–105.0097.96
11,375113.00113.00
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
51,216134.50134.50
61,344120.00–124.00121.66
111,327102.00–113.00107.35
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
251,386103.00–109.00105.68
821,37194.00–105.0098.32
371,34579.00–96.0089.81
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
191,515100.50–104.00101.66
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
451,17897.50–106.50102.41
971,17992.00–99.0095.62
171,16185.00–92.0089.43
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1811,38992.00–105.00100.55
31,51288.00–92.0090.01
1531,435103.00–112.00105.10
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
641,16381.00–93.0087.91
261,23397.00–108.0099.71
861,21292.00–97.0094.72
31,08078.00–80.0079.04
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
141,59393.50–100.0097.52
131,573106.00–113.00108.64
251,618101.00–107.00105.10
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1092377.00–89.0085.10
391388.00–96.0091.02
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
12,050107.00107.00
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.