Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Apr 1
● As filed98 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 98 priced lines covering 5,760 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 5,526 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 470 head. replacement cattle receipts at 592 head. Counted as USDA files them — 3 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Apr 1, 2024
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 5,526Last week 236Year ago 929
Slaughter CattleReceipts 470Last week 461Year ago 725
Replacement CattleReceipts 592Last week 209Year ago 626

Compared to last week: Too few sales were seen the previous week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on a significantly higher quality offering. Two large feeder specials were seen this past week and demand. Cattle suitable to develop on grass sold with the best demand. Most cattle on offer were light and green and fit the weigh requirements buyers were looking for in grass offerings. Timely rains and snow have supplies much needed moisture to the area with heavy mountain snow and valley rain and snow. Grass fever has set in and despite lower CME positions buyers showed good demand for offerings as supplies remain light. Demand was mostly good to very good for moderate offerings. Several ranchers were in town this week buying cattle for grass, and heifers for replacements. Quality was mostly average to very attractive. Replacement type heifers were very attractive this week. CME positions struggled much of the week and lower closing prices were seen for the second week in a row. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers continue to show very good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Packers were also forced to compete with feeding buyers as well as a few ranchers looking for young cows to turn out and rebreed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Packers showed very good demand for slaughter cows this week. Slaughter cows generally steady on all offerings. Feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly steady to firm. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 3.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison. Demand remains good for high quality offerings.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
16350–400374400.00–404.00401.28
53400–450434346.00–407.00389.49
87450–500470341.00–386.00374.70
316500–550529325.00–368.00350.49
171550–600569320.00–343.00334.71
419600–650627296.00–324.00315.18
219650–700679280.00–304.00297.63
68700–750731262.00–281.00268.50
107750–800789248.00–258.00252.20
11850–900888232.00–236.00234.19
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
7400–450425310.00–330.00318.38
32450–500473300.00–325.00308.49
4550–600585277.00277.00
20600–650607210.00–220.00212.59
13650–700680227.00–258.00243.80
8750–800761208.00–234.00223.90
2800–850840212.00212.00
7850–900856227.00227.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
87750–800750280.00280.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
18350–400380356.00–380.00367.71
20400–450423334.00–370.00355.45
43450–500475305.00–373.00343.30
48500–550534290.00–335.00316.16
53550–600582297.00–323.00312.64
43600–650639260.00–298.00286.68
58650–700676250.00–290.00274.96
17700–750726241.00–255.00251.49
26750–800782222.00–249.00234.77
15800–850827217.00–227.00222.85
7900–950944214.00–219.00217.59
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4300–350335307.00–310.00308.48
18350–400372310.00–330.00315.56
24450–500485270.00–290.00275.21
29500–550513245.00–285.00251.64
24550–600577237.00–262.00242.00
11600–650621215.00–250.00236.73
13650–700690215.00–233.00227.25
8750–800789200.00–217.00206.43
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5350–400357342.00–350.00345.23
169400–450430325.00–344.00333.61
199450–500483313.00–331.00321.70
100500–550521292.00–320.00311.82
588550–600575288.00–315.00299.83
214600–650608277.00–297.00285.10
170650–700673255.00–290.00271.05
123700–750716252.00–270.00264.24
38750–800757246.00–270.00256.86
7800–850808225.00–237.00233.54
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
26300–350336287.50–340.00318.91
33350–400385322.00–344.00335.15
111400–450428305.00–329.00318.40
85450–500475282.00–325.00304.95
160500–550529255.00–301.00280.71
69550–600576254.00–284.00273.42
85600–650614257.00–279.00269.95
49650–700674237.50–262.00251.61
28700–750727237.00–260.00246.15
31750–800781234.00–253.00243.04
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Replacement$ per head · actual wt
370600–6506301,835.00–1,900.001,894.59
21650–7006721,910.001,910.00
158700–7507101,960.00–2,025.002,000.66
141750–8007891,950.00–2,185.002,098.47
125800–8508322,200.00–2,210.002,203.10
8850–9008542,075.002,075.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
14600–650609309.00309.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
14350–400377375.00375.00
43450–500476320.00–340.00337.65
10500–550526290.00–305.00291.43
5550–600578275.00–277.00276.23
8700–750739253.00253.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
161,561136.00–142.00140.29
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
41,263123.00–127.00124.33
21,043114.00–116.00114.96
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
81,347137.00–150.00142.79
491,348121.00–139.00133.48
111,410115.00–129.00122.81
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
71,104105.00–114.00109.42
161,257111.00–129.00121.06
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
51,408137.00–143.00140.44
141,326127.00–145.00136.83
21,248119.00–121.00119.92
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
251,470122.00–139.00131.81
41,475117.00–125.00119.20
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
171,807131.00–153.00139.89
81,675116.00–137.00126.85
121,954150.00–169.00159.25

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)11,2601,600.001,600.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)171,3701,950.00–2,100.002,092.75
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)19601,400.001,400.00
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)211,1951,775.00–2,700.002,654.83
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)51,3361,910.00–2,350.002,127.53
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)11,3851,850.001,850.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)111,0922,400.002,400.00
(<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)38521,100.00–1,750.001,325.15
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)41,1501,100.001,100.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open90862177.50–240.00215.23
Young (2-4 yrs)Open701,029123.00–213.00160.84
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open31,1072,050.00–2,450.002,293.37
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.