Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Apr 8
● As filed75 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 75 priced lines covering 1,064 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 706 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 436 head. replacement cattle receipts at 310 head.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Apr 8, 2024
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 706Last week 5,526Year ago 3,953
Slaughter CattleReceipts 436Last week 470Year ago 898
Replacement CattleReceipts 310Last week 592Year ago 594

Compared to last week: Too few sales were seen for either steers or heifers to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on a lighter, lower quality offering. Cattle suitable to develop on grass sold with the best demand. Most cattle on offer were lightly fleshed and met the weight requirements buyers were looking for in grass cattle. Demand over all was moderate to good for light offerings. Timely rains and mountain snow has helped improve drought conditions over this past week. See the drought monitor for an updated look at the drought at https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?MT. CME positions continue to show lower movement as lower live cattle prices and cash sales have caused feeder prices to back up significantly in the last couple weeks. The April feeder contract closed Friday at 237.60, May closed at 234.20 and August at 245.50. Market activity this week was mostly moderate to 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 sold generally steady on all offerings. Feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold unevenly steady. Slaughter bulls sold steady to weak. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Demand remains good for high quality offerings which buyers are looking to rebreed.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4350–400374380.00380.00
5400–450432361.00–370.00363.04
12450–500483330.00–360.00351.40
10500–550521322.50–327.00325.44
32550–600572312.00–324.00321.62
17600–650615292.50–309.00306.25
23650–700675274.00–284.00279.68
7700–750721264.00–272.00269.54
2750–800768242.00242.00
6850–900851237.00237.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1550–600580308.00308.00
2600–650605283.00283.00
1650–700675266.00266.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6100–150100485.00–500.00487.50
2500–550503310.00310.00
5600–650610285.00285.00
2800–850810210.00210.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
250–10085475.00475.00
1300–350305355.00355.00
1350–400395370.00370.00
1500–550520307.50307.50
3700–750720227.50227.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4350–400381322.50–325.00323.71
6400–450414300.00–320.00306.66
5450–500487303.00–307.00305.39
28500–550529284.00–303.00295.07
14550–600577274.00–282.00278.38
30600–650625261.00–283.00272.35
32650–700685256.00–267.00263.98
12700–750738240.00–244.00242.36
15750–800788224.00–239.00229.94
10850–900854198.00198.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2300–350338255.00255.00
6500–550541240.00240.00
2550–600595220.00220.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · estimate wt
250–10090450.00450.00
9350–400394305.00305.00
5400–450406255.00–290.00282.85
4450–500476302.50302.50
15500–550510265.00–285.00279.04
12550–600589240.00–273.00262.05
5600–650604269.00269.00
2650–700675230.00230.00
3750–800785206.00–207.00206.67

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open49936173.00–230.00205.21
Young (2-4 yrs)Open141,133135.00–185.00157.13
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open144929147.00–208.00187.64
Young (2-4 yrs)Open981,050151.00–180.00168.73
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)101,1522,900.002,900.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo)161,0621,900.00–2,450.002,367.49
Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)21,5831,975.001,975.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)31,4941,700.00–1,850.001,750.71
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)51,1731,800.00–2,400.002,284.72

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
41,131135.00–142.50137.90
191,214110.00–131.50122.52
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
541,549124.00–140.00133.13
241,513115.00–129.00120.25
11,475146.00146.00
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
361,324121.00–138.00129.88
101,386112.00–129.00120.97
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
121,205135.00–135.50135.08
441,318119.50–144.00129.73
21,288121.50–126.00123.68
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
11,190135.50135.50
31,10391.00–98.0093.82
3990101.00–107.50104.32
111,144112.00–127.50118.42
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
671,409128.00–143.50138.99
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
11,470137.00137.00
42,220145.00–154.00150.52
451,907124.00–155.00139.83
31,590112.00–130.00122.97
91,855146.00–155.00151.45
11,925158.00158.00
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
12,605169.00169.00
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.