Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 193 priced lines covering 8,861 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 8,897 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,898 head. replacement cattle receipts at 720 head.

Mon Oct 30, 2023

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 8,897Last week 5,499Year ago 10,613

Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,898Last week 2,112Year ago 3,519

Replacement CattleReceipts 720Last week 4,353Year ago 1,555

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher with instances of 20.00 higher seen on some offerings, steer calves over 500 lbs sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold 12.00-16.00 higher, heifer calves over 450 lbs sold 10.00-15.00 higher. Grass cattle prices rebounded to price levels seen two weeks ago as higher CME positions and better weather allowed for more market participants. The weather warmed throughout the week and pen and lot conditions were muddy as a result. Many calves were dirty throughout the week. Most calves sold in very small packages this week forcing buyers to piece together loads. No load lots were seen this week. Thursday and Friday's feeder specials both only had 8 lots over 30 head. CME positions were higher for the week as packers continue to show good demand for slaughter cattle. The November closed Friday at 240.60, with the Jan contract settling at 239.75. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly moderate this week. Quality was mixed from plain to attractive. Market activity this week was moderate to active. Weight up cows sold on moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Breaking cows sold generally steady, boning and lean cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Packers continue to focus on buying feeding cows again this week. Only poorer quality cows were purchased for immediate slaughter. A large portion of the thin cow offering sold to private feeders as they buy cows to turn out on corn stalks or feed. Packers were also active in buying this class of cows as they purchased cows to hold for the upcoming holidays. This class of cows sold steady to 1.00 higher. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white, sold steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter and feeding bulls sold generally steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate demand this week. Feeding buyers were not as aggressive again week which allowed plain or average quality young cows to fall in price. Young age cows sold mostly steady to 10.00 lower.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
112	—	381	330.00–410.00	356.13
488	—	521	280.00–315.00	293.48
23	—	287	352.50–380.00	363.59
793	—	570	245.00–287.00	274.86
357	—	478	279.00–331.00	312.00
180	—	424	326.00–383.00	341.67
215	—	670	236.00–257.00	247.94
373	—	618	242.00–270.00	257.59
44	—	711	240.00–248.00	245.45
31	—	317	345.00–365.00	352.50
16	—	767	232.00–235.00	233.89
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
96	—	429	300.00–330.00	312.85
133	—	527	240.00–279.00	273.27
88	—	618	231.00–249.00	238.70
3	—	852	216.00	216.00
13	—	730	233.00–234.00	233.22
104	—	480	272.00–302.00	285.87
44	—	666	227.50–241.00	234.97
96	—	580	229.00–264.00	250.13
75	—	328	325.00–355.00	345.14
94	—	380	312.50–338.00	322.55
Steers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	843	226.00	226.00
12	—	476	266.00–303.00	284.63
61	—	582	236.00–270.00	256.48
21	—	507	262.50–275.00	270.71
3	—	853	227.00	227.00
6	—	676	231.00	231.00
4	—	715	228.00	228.00
4	—	619	228.00–240.00	233.96
8	—	376	315.00	315.00
11	—	447	321.00	321.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	751	221.50	221.50
10	—	647	235.00	235.00
4	—	681	225.00	225.00
7	—	714	222.00	222.00
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
16	—	590	223.00	223.00
11	—	697	227.50	227.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	754	229.00	229.00
6	—	664	247.50	247.50
Steers — Medium 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	611	243.00	243.00
8	—	499	292.50	292.50
10	—	524	276.00	276.00
9	—	373	325.00	325.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	306	277.50	277.50
Steers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	777	180.00	180.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
13	—	882	234.00	234.00
15	—	782	239.50–247.00	242.01
18	—	732	241.00	241.00
24	—	697	239.50	239.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
15	—	533	245.00–265.00	262.41
18	—	274	327.50	327.50
Steers — Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	459	252.50	252.50
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	478	300.00	300.00
15	—	666	233.00	233.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	860	208.00–213.00	210.49
14	—	809	203.00–218.00	210.27
1	—	940	203.00	203.00
10	—	778	212.50–229.00	225.69
3	—	613	216.00	216.00
4	—	415	255.00	255.00
5	—	1,003	184.00	184.00
4	—	1,078	188.50	188.50
11	—	715	222.00	222.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	646	207.50	207.50
17	—	474	222.50	222.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
40	—	623	220.00–233.00	228.34
66	—	372	255.00–290.00	274.79
83	—	472	230.00–266.50	253.48
145	—	528	231.00–256.00	240.61
3	—	688	221.00	221.00
8	—	294	295.00	295.00
40	—	576	224.00–243.00	235.61
115	—	428	247.00–277.50	264.24
9	—	232	305.00	305.00
3	—	742	214.00	214.00
10	—	310	290.00–305.00	292.63
Heifers — Medium 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	596	211.00	211.00
4	—	336	255.00	255.00
Heifers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
34	—	575	225.00–239.50	235.99
4	—	383	285.00	285.00
1	—	210	210.00	210.00
22	—	614	211.00	211.00
26	—	533	214.00–237.00	221.07
14	—	486	237.50–255.00	249.32
12	—	673	202.00–231.50	215.41
Heifers — Medium 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	343	289.50	289.50
1	—	390	290.00	290.00
22	—	466	222.50–257.00	246.46
9	—	522	220.00–233.00	227.14
3	—	607	227.00	227.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
140	—	372	290.00–320.00	301.08
460	—	521	250.00–273.00	263.71
29	—	667	221.00–241.50	234.37
26	—	739	210.00–226.00	222.04
226	—	567	230.00–265.00	248.80
2	—	763	219.00–221.00	220.00
221	—	625	222.00–247.00	238.32
2	—	278	325.00–335.00	330.05
333	—	423	275.00–310.00	286.35
178	—	475	260.00–286.00	275.08
74	—	320	302.50–332.00	316.19
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	538	246.00	246.00
10	—	469	252.50	252.50
5	—	739	211.00	211.00
7	—	602	233.00	233.00
8	—	984	197.50	197.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	487	231.00	231.00
7	—	384	232.50–237.50	233.93
12	—	433	217.50	217.50
11	—	274	222.50–242.50	229.67
7	—	580	202.50–207.50	205.39
2	—	515	222.50	222.50
7	—	322	280.00–285.00	282.74
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
31	—	682	223.00	223.00
21	—	815	218.00–219.50	218.71
39	—	935	208.50–215.50	213.75
8	—	497	260.00	260.00
52	—	517	259.50	259.50
24	—	883	205.00–222.50	213.74
1	—	950	210.00	210.00
29	—	725	219.00	219.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	668	248.00	248.00
20	—	611	250.50	250.50
55	—	958	217.25	217.25
6	—	725	237.50	237.50
28	—	556	269.00–271.00	270.72
29	—	523	277.00	277.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
54	—	560	261.00	261.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	689	215.00	215.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
18	—	603	192.00	192.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	828	212.00	212.00
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	535	224.00	224.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	443	281.00	281.00
12	—	508	230.00–252.50	250.51
3	—	570	230.00	230.00
3	—	723	200.00	200.00
9	—	477	245.00	245.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
81	—	420	330.00	330.00
9	—	509	240.00–270.00	253.03
28	—	367	340.00–360.00	359.24
8	—	621	219.00–230.00	225.75
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	890	180.00	180.00
2	—	1,123	155.00	155.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,155	157.50	157.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	497	260.00	260.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	371	247.50	247.50

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	1	—	1,090	1,750.00	1,750.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	11	—	1,356	1,400.00	1,400.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	24	—	1,439	90.50–99.00	91.76
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	3	—	1,323	1,400.00	1,400.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	23	—	1,120	1,800.00–1,975.00	1,926.89
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,222	1,700.00	1,700.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	6	—	1,389	1,435.00	1,435.00
Bred Cows — Small and Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	18	—	791	75.00	75.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	10	—	1,314	1,225.00–1,325.00	1,298.34
Aged (>8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	10	—	1,292	1,225.00–1,250.00	1,236.92
Aged (>8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	19	—	1,281	1,285.00–1,310.00	1,306.11
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	745	110.00	110.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	13	—	966	101.00–148.00	118.90
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	20	—	1,097	88.00–107.50	95.37
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	196	—	940	112.00–189.00	156.04
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	224	—	1,054	89.50–152.50	119.93
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,119	105.00	105.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,052	106.00	106.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	895	110.00–115.00	112.40
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,065	86.00	86.00
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	998	104.00	104.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	920	67.00	67.00
1	—	990	84.00	84.00
13	—	928	68.00–77.50	72.21
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,429	105.00–109.00	107.16
170	—	1,392	77.00–94.00	88.18
191	—	1,411	91.00–105.00	98.23
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
26	—	1,472	87.00–103.00	93.24
1	—	1,480	110.00	110.00
4	—	1,536	73.00–77.00	74.94
94	—	1,428	77.00–91.00	84.68
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,869	106.50–107.00	106.68
22	—	1,671	86.00–103.50	96.47
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
139	—	1,189	72.00–87.00	79.78
24	—	1,201	97.50–104.00	100.11
215	—	1,215	85.00–97.00	90.05
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,758	105.00–109.00	106.20
59	—	1,576	89.50–104.00	99.42
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
189	—	1,185	69.50–86.00	78.26
51	—	1,273	84.50–93.50	87.67
62	—	1,176	52.00–75.00	69.89
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	2,126	119.00–126.00	123.62
12	—	1,900	105.00–115.00	109.63
49	—	1,805	84.00–106.00	101.62
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,295	82.00–84.00	83.06
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,633	93.00–104.00	97.53
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,505	93.00	93.00

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