Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, May 29
● As filed118 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 118 priced lines covering 2,605 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 546 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,427 head. replacement cattle receipts at 1,906 head. Counted as USDA files them — 627 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon May 29, 2023
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 546Last week 1,639Year ago 946
Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,427Last week 1,212Year ago 1,560
Replacement CattleReceipts 1,906Last week 704Year ago 1,316

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly good to very good on very light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average. Packages were small with many singles on offer. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to run on grass. Many locations received 1.5-4.5 inches of rain over the weekend and spring pasture and range conditions are good to very good in many locations. CME live and feeder cattle positions got a shot in the arm this week as packers paid higher prices for fat cattle which helped provide support to the futures market. Corn also soften some after a 40 cent higher move last week. 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 1.00-3.00 higher on all offerings. Rain in the southern plains helped slow the marketing of cows in the south, this coupled with the slowing of spring culling in the north has shortened up the cow supply. High quality cows continue to be purchased to feed, however packers were slightly more selective as they purchased mostly very high quality cows for that purpose. Feeding cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00 to 2.00 higher. Cow and bull quality was mostly average to very attractive this week. Weigh up conditions were mixed as some cows had been out on grass and were very empty, while others were pushing some fill, especially by mid to late week, as changing weather pattern was seen. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold 5.00-8.00 lower. Fewer takers were seen for this class of cows this week, as it is getting into breeding season and many buyers have finished purchasing this class of cows. Quality was mostly average, and similar to last week. Cow calf pairs sold on good to very good demand this week.

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open8785120.00–142.00128.69
Young (2-4 yrs)Open2818112.50112.50
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open794292.50–115.00101.65
(<2 yrs)Open101,065114.00–158.00132.16
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open11,025116.00116.00
(<2 yrs)Open51,027117.00–150.00122.65
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open9910140.00–141.00140.79
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open951,052117.50–178.00147.31
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open321,24199.00–108.50107.16
Young (2-4 yrs)Open2061,139101.00–167.00118.72
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)151,4861,435.00–1,610.001,547.41
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)31,388100.00–110.00105.74
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)31,345105.00–106.00105.68
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)21,478106.50–108.00107.20
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)31,288123.00–129.00124.65
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)101,2511,300.00–1,500.001,397.78
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)61,3321,500.00–1,625.001,547.48
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)201,1691,550.00–1,850.001,778.27
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)21,52382.00–108.0094.85
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)31,1771,400.001,400.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open961,5382,200.00–2,900.002,653.82
Young (2-4 yrs)Open671,2472,475.00–3,000.002,812.38
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open741,6102,075.00–2,485.002,341.81
Young (2-4 yrs)Open321,1192,600.002,600.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open221,2322,650.002,650.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open211,2742,485.002,485.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)Open151,4071,775.001,775.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)Open911,4511,900.00–2,175.002,010.06
Aged (>8 yrs)Open181,3301,850.001,850.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open51,4572,100.00–2,400.002,305.90
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open21,3501,875.001,875.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open121,4481,600.00–2,350.002,102.59
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open161,3402,500.002,500.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)Open221,3951,725.00–1,800.001,758.29
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open251,0032,550.002,550.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)N/A12,185138.50138.50
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open91,0662,500.00–2,600.002,534.19
(<2 yrs)Open1001,2702,700.00–3,350.003,208.07

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
21733203.00203.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
12743184.00184.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
19596235.00235.00
6402270.00270.00
11515240.00–261.00247.65
7662230.00–237.00233.95
21937177.00–183.00178.71
33735210.00–218.00214.57
6635226.00–229.00227.23
22483268.00268.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
17586236.00–247.50240.46
6622222.50–230.00226.29
2528223.00223.00
7845179.00179.00
7681200.00–227.50218.73
9411229.00–252.00239.19
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
51,267131.00–157.00142.79
11,070151.00151.00
11,010165.00165.00
31,125141.00141.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4709209.00–215.00212.03
2180500.00500.00
2960161.00–171.00166.03
5916168.00–170.00169.60
4795181.00181.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3685220.00220.00
Steers — Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
71,046175.00175.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2750215.00215.00
3488265.00265.00
1800205.00205.00
2928187.00187.00
9726226.00–227.00226.33
2505280.00280.00
2430251.00251.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11854184.00184.00
16708218.00218.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3600250.00250.00
1675234.00234.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
7826185.00185.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4614280.00–288.00286.00
4590285.00–292.00290.27
11661233.00–250.00246.80
2540290.00290.00
Steers — Medium 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
14746208.00208.00
Steers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6409200.00200.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3498246.00246.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
341,15082.00–93.0090.36
481,210102.00–111.00107.50
1221,18893.00–106.0097.27
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
71,04971.00–84.0078.96
1461,23593.00–105.5098.22
521,18180.00–97.0090.16
491,239101.00–111.00106.88
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
161,38689.00–96.0094.18
951,37097.00–106.00101.66
1431,444104.50–112.50107.43
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
81,534101.00–103.00102.43
161,571108.50–112.00110.07
51,530106.50–108.00107.20
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
111,734103.50–108.50105.32
61,68195.00–103.00100.08
111,666109.00–112.00109.79
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
1231,38895.00–106.00101.88
251,39990.00–96.0093.60
881,414105.00–114.00107.61
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
396793.00–96.0094.02
887373.00–92.0085.47
Bulls — Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
21,863117.00–128.00122.89
21,413103.00103.00
101,879133.00–135.00134.19
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
211,65298.00–116.00111.55
262,050127.00–138.00131.97
41,558119.00119.00
571,817117.00–129.00123.44
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
11,36099.0099.00
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
12,71590.0090.00
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
121,475127.00–137.00134.13
311,433112.00–132.00121.31
51,491105.00–109.00108.29
Bulls — Canadian Origin$ per cwt · actual wt
12,465127.00127.00
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.