Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 111 priced lines covering 2,864 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 2,593 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 616 head. replacement cattle receipts at 256 head.

Mon Sep 11, 2023

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 2,593Last week 1,134Year ago 1,841

Slaughter CattleReceipts 616Last week 462Year ago 746

Replacement CattleReceipts 256Last week 15Year ago 98

Compared to last week: The best test for feeder steers was for 850-899 lbs which sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. All other steer weights were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers 700-799 lbs sold generally steady to firm, 800-1049 lbs sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher. All heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop any market trend, higher undertones were noticed. Demand was mostly good to very good this week for light to moderate offerings. Packages of yearling cattle sold on very good demand. Most offerings were in small to moderate size packages this week, and demand was good for all package sizes. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Several early consignments of spring born calves were seen this week. These were met with mostly good demand as quality was mostly attractive. Market activity this week was active with several buyers in the market bidding aggressively on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was average to attractive. Packers focused on buying feeding cows this week and only purchased poorer quality cows for slaughter. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to weak on boning and lean cows, breaking cows sold fully steady. Feeding cows sold steady to firm. Slaughter bulls sold steady, while feeding bulls sold steady to firm. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on very good demand this week as more market participants were seen. Too few young cows were seen last week to make an accurate comparison. Higher undertones were noticed.

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,985	124.00–129.00	125.84
25	—	1,696	92.00–113.00	107.16
67	—	1,856	113.00–123.50	117.94
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
38	—	1,568	95.00–114.00	110.23
24	—	1,633	114.00–120.00	116.34
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,580	108.00	108.00
13	—	1,585	116.00–117.50	116.12
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
25	—	1,456	113.00–119.00	115.80
103	—	1,398	98.00–114.00	109.39
26	—	1,400	97.00–104.00	100.94
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	850	55.00	55.00
14	—	832	81.00–86.00	83.67
2	—	898	102.00	102.00
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
33	—	1,426	95.00–102.00	98.98
4	—	1,514	116.00–119.50	118.55
26	—	1,422	101.00–113.50	105.28
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,760	105.00	105.00
17	—	1,669	108.00–116.00	112.90
26	—	1,642	116.50–120.00	117.57
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
48	—	1,175	82.00–103.50	95.56
20	—	1,207	99.00–107.00	104.15
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,161	69.00–80.00	76.58
15	—	1,237	99.00–105.00	101.87
38	—	1,182	81.00–101.00	90.94

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 Stage (1-3 mo)	2	—	813	1,950.00	1,950.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	15	—	1,392	118.50	118.50
(<2 yrs)	Open	102	—	1,041	124.00–191.00	157.02
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	69	—	1,137	105.00–152.50	122.22
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	875	117.50–132.50	125.26
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,128	130.00	130.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,137	105.00–113.00	109.92
Stock Cows — Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	7	—	980	137.00	137.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	263	325.00	325.00
6	—	397	272.00	272.00
15	—	514	267.00–279.00	273.58
22	—	418	272.50–285.00	282.14
43	—	468	265.00–295.00	278.90
11	—	318	285.00–310.00	298.45
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
70	—	848	239.25	239.25
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
35	—	637	250.00–257.50	254.91
8	—	718	230.00–240.00	234.99
7	—	574	252.00–257.50	254.32
31	—	679	248.00–250.00	248.72
13	—	783	241.00	241.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
149	—	817	232.00–242.00	238.69
11	—	1,013	205.50–223.00	216.14
144	—	721	246.25–254.00	249.31
86	—	917	220.00–234.00	227.28
97	—	867	230.00–239.75	234.72
8	—	961	213.00–226.00	220.86
135	—	771	239.00–252.00	246.05
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
20	—	1,091	190.00–198.00	194.82
6	—	865	234.50	234.50
3	—	778	239.00	239.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	923	222.00	222.00
11	—	896	230.50	230.50
2	—	960	211.00	211.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	594	246.00–246.50	246.36
6	—	672	241.00–245.00	242.30
6	—	504	249.00	249.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Value Added$ per cwt · actual wt
76	—	762	249.00	249.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	568	232.00	232.00
7	—	541	261.00	261.00
3	—	490	247.00	247.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
69	—	718	236.00–245.00	242.77
38	—	788	236.00–243.00	237.97
6	—	975	205.00–207.00	206.01
10	—	883	210.00–225.50	217.50
25	—	843	212.50–231.50	227.70
Heifers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	388	245.00	245.00
Heifers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	468	230.00	230.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	718	225.00	225.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	413	305.00	305.00
7	—	341	335.00	335.00
19	—	605	234.50	234.50
10	—	540	256.00	256.00
2	—	685	212.00	212.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,010	222.50–227.50	226.64
11	—	760	256.00–259.00	257.89
5	—	633	286.50	286.50
26	—	724	264.50–268.00	266.89
6	—	907	240.00–245.50	243.68
19	—	826	248.50–251.50	249.29
196	—	872	240.50–252.50	247.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	429	320.00–330.00	324.66
92	—	544	287.50–299.00	298.51
58	—	391	325.00–391.00	389.86
4	—	268	345.00	345.00
11	—	326	367.00	367.00
250	—	475	300.00–348.00	342.21
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	680	246.00	246.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	911	235.00	235.00
15	—	876	239.50	239.50
3	—	672	273.00	273.00
1	—	730	258.00	258.00
5	—	769	245.00–255.00	250.59
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	893	242.00	242.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	783	249.00–253.00	252.01
6	—	696	272.00	272.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,055	210.00–220.00	217.13
4	—	988	214.50	214.50
4	—	804	214.00	214.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	564	250.00	250.00
8	—	421	302.50	302.50
4	—	361	307.50	307.50
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,268	156.00	156.00
1	—	1,110	187.00	187.00
2	—	1,200	150.00	150.00
1	—	1,045	161.00	161.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	413	290.00	290.00
13	—	518	255.00	255.00

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