Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Nov 20
● As filed122 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 122 priced lines covering 4,324 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 1,411 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 2,435 head. replacement cattle receipts at 1,919 head. Counted as USDA files them — 5 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Nov 20, 2023
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 1,411Last week 11,490Year ago 3,016
Slaughter CattleReceipts 2,435Last week 4,278Year ago 2,087
Replacement CattleReceipts 1,919Last week 1,170Year ago 1,920

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Steer calves 500-549 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower. All other weights of steer calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Heifer calves 500-549 lbs offered the best test this week these offerings sold 5.00-8.00 lower, all other heifer calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Demand this week was mostly light to moderate for very light offerings. Quality was plain to average. Package sizes were mostly small this week with many singles in the offering. Lower CME positions and poorer quality offerings kept many buyers from raising their hands. The January feeder contract settled Friday at 219.325, 7.10 lower for the week. The March contract closed at 222.725. Market activity this week was mostly slow with a small buyer pool seen for feeder cattle. Weight up cows sold on moderate demand for heavy offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Breaking cows sold unevenly steady, boning cows sold 1.00-3.00 lower, and lean cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower. Packers continue to focus on buying feeding cows this week. Only poorer quality cows were purchased for immediate slaughter. Both packer buyers and private feeders continue to buy thin cows to feed or turn out on corn stalks this winter. This class of feeding cows sold 2.00-3.00 lower. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white, sold steady to weak. Slaughter and feeding bulls sold generally steady. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate to good demand this week. Young age cows sold mostly steady to firm. Quality was average to very attractive.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3330340.00340.00
1750190.00190.00
3468245.00245.00
19523235.00–270.00262.41
2633180.00–185.00182.45
3550212.00212.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4880155.00155.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6323190.00–265.00220.32
19466214.00–245.00233.45
7740162.50–190.00172.36
1930175.00175.00
10579194.00–209.00199.25
12424230.00–245.00238.66
13779183.00–197.50196.09
20627177.50–207.50192.86
5391210.00–230.00225.96
9532233.00–242.00240.05
14670155.00–215.00190.84
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11619185.00–223.00218.44
4982154.00–194.00183.87
50471217.00–274.00265.41
50575216.00–270.00255.42
133523221.00–272.00255.59
37423222.50–271.00264.30
9912201.00–207.00204.66
7863212.00212.00
3315250.00–255.00251.72
11,160142.50142.50
36375250.00–295.00291.76
4288275.00–290.00282.30
3682197.50–217.00210.75
10728202.00–215.00210.52
9816182.00–198.00193.30
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
25569241.00241.00
23525251.00–259.00254.83
21429251.00–256.00252.85
14382251.00–278.00259.81
35482245.00–257.00253.88
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
14539285.00285.00
85457289.00289.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
22688214.00–217.00216.18
11733212.00–225.00220.53
5750215.00215.00
6461150.00–230.00195.83
5955187.00–192.50188.09
16569155.00–216.00203.63
5381205.00–260.00246.78
17636207.50–231.00212.66
2428200.00–210.00205.03
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
37487280.00–299.00297.04
3809210.00–219.00212.97
6727215.00215.00
18380250.00–320.00290.42
31,065182.00–190.50187.64
128534224.00–291.00286.88
13419240.00–304.00289.99
57618230.00–250.25248.57
7331295.00–337.50312.80
12672223.00–225.00223.50
4267245.00–300.00273.17
40582224.00–260.00251.54
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8370292.50–299.00295.72
11471279.00–284.00282.62
6589243.00–244.00243.67
17423271.00–284.00280.62
23519271.00–279.00275.30
2670212.50212.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
12369353.00353.00
28563284.00284.00
72458340.00340.00
4340365.00365.00
8403318.00318.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)911,3741,700.00–1,850.001,743.54
Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)751,2211,325.00–1,510.001,416.53
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)301,3621,700.00–1,850.001,726.94
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)511,3431,300.00–1,575.001,511.11
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)81,2891,385.00–1,475.001,420.40
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)1481,2411,500.00–2,550.002,200.39
Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)1171,1571,500.00–2,310.002,056.69
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)251,4261,575.00–2,100.001,690.82
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)851,3231,300.00–1,775.001,515.46
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)51,3351,350.001,350.00
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)401,3981,310.00–1,550.001,454.70
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)61,3911,385.001,385.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)201,4011,100.00–1,450.001,384.98
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)41,2181,100.00–1,275.001,166.79
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)761,2131,300.00–1,525.001,399.85
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open51,6131,900.00–2,450.002,231.39
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open41951107.00–116.00110.50
Young (2-4 yrs)Open20992104.00–132.50110.59
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open111961131.00–194.50156.91
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open401,112119.00119.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open141,38490.0090.00
Young (2-4 yrs)Open901,01488.00–182.50141.82
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open33838110.00–136.00123.37
(<2 yrs)Open1101,055124.00–162.50127.17
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open56874147.00–161.00150.76
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)709731,810.00–2,550.002,176.11

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
31,703108.00108.00
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
371,68692.00–112.00108.79
51,162120.00–122.00121.63
181,41575.00–103.0088.27
651,734102.50–118.00110.24
111,864120.00–167.50129.48
81,59180.00–105.0095.93
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
351,14080.00–87.5083.05
1941,18768.00–79.0074.13
411,17059.00–69.0065.84
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
1731,25679.00–93.0084.16
1031,16687.00–92.0088.70
1331,21670.50–79.5076.58
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
721,26088.00–110.0095.92
291,24772.00–81.0077.89
3551,26678.00–96.5082.93
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
61,07869.0069.00
1681,17668.00–81.0077.01
111,21381.00–82.0081.10
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
221,52890.00–103.0095.02
11,54588.0088.00
41,101110.00110.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
881,54288.50–100.5093.31
281,15895.00–110.50102.82
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.