Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Mar 18
● As filed122 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 122 priced lines covering 4,278 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 4,464 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 701 head. replacement cattle receipts at 167 head. Counted as USDA files them — 7 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Mar 18, 2024
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 4,464Last week 1,135Year ago 1,964
Slaughter CattleReceipts 701Last week 849Year ago 546
Replacement CattleReceipts 167Last week 358Year ago 394

Compared to last week: Too few feeder steers sold this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on offerings under 550 lbs and steady to higher undertones were noticed on offerings over 550 lbs. Heifers offered a better comparison than steers this week, heifers under 450 lbs sold with steady undertones, heifers 450-550 lbs sold steady to 10.00 higher, heifers over 550 lbs sold 10.00-12.00 higher. Several ranchers were in town this week searching for replacement quality heifers. This helped improve heifer demand as both replacement buyers and grass buyers competed over offerings. Demand this week was mostly good for light to moderate offerings. Quality was mostly average to attractive. Most sales featured feeder specials this week. The bulk of the feeder cattle offering were offered in moderate sized packages with several partial load lots seen. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to develop into yearlings. This class continues to push higher as limited offerings and high demand continue to be seen. CME positions struggled much of the week. The March closed at 249.95 on Friday, while the April contract closed at 251.50, May closed at 253.775. Market activity was mostly active this week, a large buyer pool of both ranchers and order buyers were seen. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Packers showed very good demand for slaughter cows this week as they were forced to push offerings sharply higher in order to procure them. Slaughter cows sold 10.00-12.00 higher on breaking cows. Boning cows sold 10.00-15.00 higher. Lean cows sold steady to 5.00 higher. Feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly sharply higher. Slaughter bulls sold 10.00-15.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 higher. Demand remains good for high quality offerings.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2300–350325320.00–340.00330.46
4400–450415310.00–325.00321.25
8450–500462315.00–320.00318.06
5500–550524305.00–315.00311.79
11550–600566278.00–310.00302.92
12600–650622265.00–280.00276.76
17650–700679222.00–235.00224.41
3700–750733230.00230.00
38750–800789213.00–223.00213.26
1800–850800194.00194.00
2850–900893207.50–219.00213.27
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1250–300295395.00395.00
4300–350313385.00–400.00394.88
11350–400386380.00–385.00380.42
92400–450424353.00–375.00364.66
71450–500474339.00–367.50356.60
126500–550520330.00–357.50344.96
131550–600571323.50–347.00335.62
97600–650625301.00–321.00313.76
35650–700672285.00–307.00289.83
78700–750725270.00–281.00276.11
40750–800760250.00–268.00264.07
13800–850808239.00–244.00241.31
3900–950917222.50–236.00231.36
2950–1000980213.00213.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
24700–750748278.00278.00
2900–950910222.00222.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2300–350340352.50–375.00363.92
2350–400393340.00340.00
4400–450418330.00–350.00337.31
11450–500484313.00–340.00333.11
21500–550530327.50–336.00330.92
38550–600562324.00–327.00326.23
27600–650624288.50–307.00292.43
52650–700680265.00–282.00273.60
19700–750736249.00–251.00249.95
5750–800784242.00–248.00246.78
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1450–500490252.50252.50
1500–550525265.00265.00
1600–650625220.00220.00
1700–750720215.00215.00
1800–850815216.00216.00
1900–950900209.00209.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6400–450411360.00360.00
1450–500450320.00320.00
1500–550525315.00315.00
4600–650612287.00–290.00288.53
6850–900892221.00221.00
5900–950934213.00–221.00217.84
7950–1000992201.00–217.00214.79
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6250–300289325.00–330.00329.18
3300–350337310.00310.00
4350–400388290.00–300.00292.55
1400–450400285.00285.00
9450–500473272.50272.50
36500–550536240.00–290.00281.64
3550–600577245.00–262.50251.65
9600–650626223.00–240.00231.83
3650–700672205.00–227.50219.85
10700–750711196.00–210.00197.41
8750–800781185.00–214.00199.03
2900–950900190.00190.00
1950–1000965183.00183.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
17350–400379315.00–328.00325.22
58400–450424315.00–355.00340.22
81450–500470310.00–340.50325.12
194500–550522288.00–330.00316.13
219550–600574280.00–303.00295.32
355600–650620270.00–294.00287.29
400650–700673255.00–285.00269.06
115700–750725241.00–264.00251.63
59750–800763236.00–248.00243.43
42800–850822222.00–231.00228.89
6850–900868221.00–222.00221.34
1900–950905210.00210.00
2950–1000983207.00207.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
3550–600568320.00320.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
11550–600574230.00–232.50231.33
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
4500–550538292.00292.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
13350–400372312.50–325.00320.78
49400–450425292.50–336.00322.35
35450–500486294.00–306.00302.25
53500–550535267.50–309.00293.35
136550–600572251.00–286.00280.36
128600–650628246.00–279.50272.71
50650–700681235.00–271.00251.20
73700–750736231.00–238.00237.17
8750–800777215.00–229.00223.42
10800–850815190.00–200.00192.06
8900–950913196.00196.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
200600–650629288.50–294.50291.79
8700–750729250.00250.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
771,268121.00–141.00126.50
1081,085116.00–134.00128.82
101,091125.50–132.00128.26
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
61,265110.00–118.00113.42
711,365120.00–133.00125.19
1041,122128.50–138.00130.89
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
191,391121.50–155.00129.13
271,429131.00131.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
71,224119.00–125.50123.97
161,124101.00–119.00112.68
241,02090.00–100.0093.10
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
461,478123.00–135.00128.33
21,660123.00–125.00124.11
121,597128.50–133.00130.51
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
11,045109.00109.00
771,178115.00–128.00124.82
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
141,860140.00–154.00147.22
91,861133.00–146.00141.51
101,596112.00–136.00124.59
Bulls — Non-Traditional$ per cwt · actual wt
11,955161.00161.00
Dairy Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
91,443110.00110.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · n/c wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open12,300.002,300.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open61,4132,375.00–2,500.002,397.85
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open701,036136.00–197.00160.70
(<2 yrs)Open31893143.00–226.00191.53
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)141,0981,400.00–1,750.001,664.67
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)21,1482,400.002,400.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)91,2331,700.00–2,100.001,988.38
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)11,0501,800.001,800.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fancy$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)111,1322,750.002,750.00
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.