Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Mar 11
● As filed133 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 133 priced lines covering 2,025 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 1,135 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 849 head. replacement cattle receipts at 358 head. Counted as USDA files them — 3 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Mar 11, 2024
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 1,135Last week 3,970Year ago 1,763
Slaughter CattleReceipts 849Last week 945Year ago 844
Replacement CattleReceipts 358Last week 1,929Year ago 648

Compared to last week: Too few feeder cattle sold this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on both steers and heifers of similar quality compared to the previous week. Demand this week was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average this week and lower than last week's heavy offering of attractive feeders. The bulk of the feeder cattle offering were offered in small sized packages or as singles this week, no load lots were seen. Quality and light offerings hampered demand as buyers were not able to gather full loads of like quality calves. Light calves under 450 lbs sold on good demand again this week as buyers can slow grow these offerings and sell them at a later date. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. CME positions struggled much of the week as some profit taking was seen. Fundamentally, market positions remain strong with higher CME feeder cattle index prices seen and higher prices on slaughter cattle in very light volume. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week, however a smaller buyer pool was noted. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive but overall not as attractive as last week. Packers showed mostly good demand for slaughter cows this week, but good to very good demand for feeding cows. Early week all cows were purchased to slaughter as supplies remain short. Slaughter cows sold steady on breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold unevenly steady from weak to 3.00 higher. Feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly steady to firm. Slaughter and feeding bulls sold steady to 4.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to weak on a lower quality offering. Demand remains good for high quality offerings.

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bulls — Non-Traditional$ per cwt · actual wt
11,320125.00125.00
51,401116.00–124.00120.95
11,120166.00166.00
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
261,752122.00–139.00128.52
221,64294.00–124.00116.07
112,077139.00–147.00143.62
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1880107.50107.50
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
32,587139.00139.00
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
41,613105.00–118.00110.09
21,335124.00–132.50128.04
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
221,658116.00–125.50119.48
121,718124.50–127.50125.43
41,803109.00–116.00111.53
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Non-Traditional$ per cwt · actual wt
2945122.50–125.00123.74
11,230109.50109.50
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
541,175107.00–119.00114.13
151,202118.00–123.00119.57
41,08870.00–82.0077.09
601,11990.00–108.0099.72
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
61,468125.00125.00
11,780117.00117.00
81,497119.00–124.00123.17
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1581,144109.00–119.00116.03
21,07098.00–106.00101.81
801,178119.00–128.00121.04
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1695990.00–105.0098.48
1895115.00115.00
185075.0075.00
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
211,457121.00–130.50123.55
501,432110.00–121.00116.59
141,40796.00–108.00103.07
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
341,438121.00–128.00124.90
971,399113.00–122.50119.88
31,405109.00–120.50116.90
Dairy Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
11,670111.00111.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
4850–900893120.00120.00
Beef/Dairy Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2600–650633257.50257.50
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
11100–11501,140170.00170.00
11150–12001,155150.00150.00
11200–12501,225145.00145.00
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
51100–11501,113167.00–205.00182.02
51200–12501,218156.00–176.00170.81
21300–13501,323160.00160.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7300–350318355.00–365.00360.63
3500–550502297.50297.50
2550–600575277.50277.50
6650–700681252.00–257.00254.54
2750–800763225.00225.00
3800–850837223.00–238.00233.01
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
11000–10501,015139.00139.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3350–400358365.00365.00
6400–450418355.00355.00
14500–550502321.00–330.00322.93
13600–650622268.00–285.00270.63
6650–700685259.00–274.00264.03
3700–750727249.00–258.00254.93
14750–800767240.00–245.00242.87
5850–900874214.00214.00
4900–950902223.00223.00
2950–1000988210.00210.00
11000–10501,045182.00182.00
21050–11001,080163.00–184.00173.35
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2600–650643289.00289.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2300–350308372.50372.50
19350–400375356.00–370.00361.13
20400–450423328.00–362.50339.05
21450–500486317.00–340.00330.51
6500–550526317.00–332.00324.41
28550–600565312.00–323.00317.54
7650–700675274.00–286.00279.48
5700–750731257.00–264.00259.56
6750–800779240.00–257.00249.41
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5350–400385360.00360.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5600–650633253.00–280.00258.46
1650–700665245.00245.00
2700–750745244.00244.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
41400–450433335.00–352.50348.57
12450–500464305.00–342.00328.91
9500–550546312.50312.50
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5350–400358345.00345.00
4450–500496310.00310.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2350–400373379.00379.00
8400–450439365.00–375.00371.24
18450–500466353.00–354.00353.23
10500–550516340.00–350.00344.30
2550–600590320.00–328.00323.97
53600–650622305.00–319.00309.47
19650–700672281.00–310.00293.24
10700–750710270.00–286.00282.73
9750–800758259.00259.00
23800–850814240.00–249.00241.18
2850–900870236.00236.00
51050–11001,069205.00–209.00206.58
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
15900–950905219.00219.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
9350–400395325.00–336.00334.82
21400–450415300.00–313.00309.84
3450–500492295.00–305.00298.36
15500–550523282.00–299.00296.33
26550–600573267.50–285.00275.57
21600–650620261.00–276.00269.12
4650–700662243.00–252.00249.66
3700–750745237.00237.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4350–400366282.00282.00
9400–450418297.00297.00
2500–550543273.00273.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
15350–400389302.50–339.00326.56
10450–500486309.00309.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5250–300294330.00330.00
8300–350329300.00–320.00309.88
2400–450413265.00265.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
7350–400359285.00285.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
9350–400368340.00–350.00346.39
50400–450434335.00–355.00341.05
50450–500478310.00–327.00316.47
103500–550536300.00–315.50309.01
86550–600571277.00–308.00298.64
14600–650627265.00–280.00273.24
18650–700676251.00–266.00259.79
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
1350–400385310.00310.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Stock Cows — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open3870128.00128.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open7886152.00–192.50171.62
Young (2-4 yrs)Open3907155.00155.00
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open2735192.50–212.50201.89
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open1940134.00134.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open951,105117.00–185.00143.62
(<2 yrs)Open93973160.00–225.00191.26
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open51,045170.00170.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)191,2661,775.00–2,025.001,818.75
Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)171,2921,800.00–2,100.001,902.28
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)81,1521,750.001,750.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)181,4501,800.00–2,300.002,221.06
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)191,4552,435.002,435.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Non-Legible BANGS$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open31,5682,450.002,450.00
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.