Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 118 priced lines covering 2,087 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 1,548 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 495 head. replacement cattle receipts at 613 head. Counted as USDA files them — 7 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Mon Apr 22, 2024

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 1,548Last week 4,748Year ago 6,608

Slaughter CattleReceipts 495Last week 980Year ago 712

Replacement CattleReceipts 613Last week 829Year ago 833

Compared to last week: Too few sales were seen this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed on steers under 550 lbs, while steady undertones were noticed on steers over 550 lbs. All heifers sold with steady undertones. Cattle this week were mostly offered in small to moderate size packages; a couple of load lots were seen again this week and these cattle sold on very good demand. Cattle suitable to develop on grass continue to sell with the best demand. Most cattle on offer were lightly fleshed and met the weight requirements buyers were looking for in grass cattle. Demand was mostly good to very good for light to moderate offerings. Many ranchers are starting to brand and turn out pairs and yearlings for summer grazing. CME positions improved throughout the week following last weeks cattle on feed report. The April feeder contract settled Friday at 245.53, up 4.205 from last Friday. The May feeder cattle contract closed at 248.70, up 6.70 from last Friday. August closed at 260.55 up 7.05 from last Friday. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Packers showed mostly moderate demand for slaughter cows for immediate harvest which was significantly lighter demand than last week. Packers continue to show good demand for cows suitable to feed. Feeding cow demand was mostly good with private feeders and packers both competing over high quality offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking cows; boning and lean cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 lower. Feeding cows all sold fully steady. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00-5.00 lower. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 higher. Demand remains good to very good for high quality offerings which buyers are looking to rebreed.

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
20	—	1,175	101.00–119.00	108.08
5	—	1,127	80.00–91.00	86.44
5	—	1,242	114.00–129.00	119.89
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,090	112.50–121.00	116.24
12	—	1,197	125.00–131.00	127.60
62	—	1,223	117.00–132.00	121.98
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,677	135.00–139.00	136.73
6	—	1,774	117.00–124.00	121.51
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,631	140.00–143.00	140.59
11	—	1,525	134.00–140.00	135.77
1	—	1,790	119.00	119.00
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,471	135.00–136.00	135.22
28	—	1,494	101.00–125.00	113.04
12	—	1,389	117.00–136.00	124.18
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,378	139.00–142.00	140.87
97	—	1,378	120.00–137.00	129.00
20	—	1,402	107.00–127.00	120.39
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	903	79.00–83.00	81.27
4	—	968	100.00–103.00	101.51
2	—	993	112.00	112.00
Cows — Premium White 65-75% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	2,068	132.00	132.00
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
27	—	1,789	133.00–145.00	139.49
15	—	1,974	147.00–157.00	150.67
9	—	1,537	116.00–130.00	124.27
1	—	2,370	134.00	134.00
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,365	126.00	126.00
4	—	1,326	130.00–142.50	133.67
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,385	134.00	134.00
8	—	1,315	112.00–130.00	120.45

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	1000–1050	1,015	207.00	207.00
3	1050–1100	1,068	202.50	202.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
3	450–500	460	310.00	310.00
3	550–600	550	310.00	310.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
18	350–400	394	391.00	391.00
11	400–450	437	360.00–372.50	364.17
120	450–500	458	341.00–370.00	366.37
45	500–550	534	330.00–340.00	334.66
6	550–600	585	330.00–331.00	330.33
24	600–650	632	305.50–312.00	306.60
7	650–700	677	276.00–281.00	278.09
8	700–750	729	265.00–273.00	270.08
4	750–800	770	259.00–262.00	259.74
5	800–850	833	244.50	244.50
6	850–900	874	224.50–227.00	224.91
7	900–950	919	219.50	219.50
3	1050–1100	1,070	207.00	207.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	300–350	321	360.00	360.00
13	400–450	432	320.00–350.00	335.21
11	500–550	518	311.00–326.00	318.54
11	550–600	569	300.00–328.00	313.30
2	600–650	608	275.00	275.00
4	650–700	682	270.00–271.00	270.75
3	750–800	763	259.50	259.50
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	378	320.00	320.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	418	338.00	338.00
6	600–650	638	281.00	281.00
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	950–1000	963	172.50	172.50
11	1000–1050	1,013	161.00–170.00	165.12
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	440	320.00	320.00
74	450–500	466	312.00–322.00	319.39
27	500–550	511	309.50	309.50
62	550–600	570	282.00–298.00	286.34
55	600–650	612	273.00–284.00	277.76
39	650–700	667	252.00–266.00	260.35
23	700–750	734	245.00–251.00	248.71
35	750–800	787	235.00–241.00	239.23
10	800–850	824	212.00–235.00	221.49
4	850–900	859	209.00	209.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
28	300–350	341	325.00–342.50	335.16
23	350–400	392	311.00–327.50	313.69
11	400–450	420	302.50–314.00	308.13
32	450–500	480	287.00–306.00	300.27
79	500–550	532	280.00–295.00	287.86
26	550–600	569	257.50–276.00	271.00
23	600–650	640	257.00–264.00	261.84
5	650–700	666	229.00–232.00	230.24
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
7	550–600	595	245.00	245.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
14	400–450	435	280.00–300.00	292.38
2	450–500	490	280.00	280.00
9	500–550	531	240.00–265.00	250.97
2	550–600	568	255.00	255.00
5	800–850	800	205.00	205.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	400–450	418	282.50	282.50
7	450–500	476	247.50	247.50
4	600–650	631	215.00	215.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
20	350–400	385	310.00	310.00
15	500–550	527	279.00	279.00
4	550–600	588	256.00	256.00
8	600–650	637	240.00–252.50	243.11
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	450–500	460	260.00	260.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
3	500–550	543	280.00	280.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
61	600–650	646	276.00	276.00
49	750–800	792	250.00	250.00
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	1050–1100	1,068	211.00	211.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
9	550–600	563	269.00–280.00	277.42
3	600–650	623	245.00	245.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	50–100	72	650.00–675.00	662.85
1	150–200	175	231.00	231.00
2	350–400	355	370.00	370.00
5	600–650	605	275.00–280.00	276.99
2	650–700	668	252.00	252.00
4	700–750	720	252.00	252.00
8	750–800	760	241.00	241.00
4	800–850	829	217.00	217.00
3	950–1000	955	216.00	216.00
7	1050–1100	1,055	210.00–212.50	211.43

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,127	129.00–171.00	157.71
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,453	144.50–146.00	144.74
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	213	—	1,037	126.00–202.00	167.64
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	5	—	1,113	122.00–141.00	133.60
(<2 yrs)	Open	209	—	980	160.00–207.00	185.64
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	7	—	981	119.00–172.50	140.94
(<2 yrs)	Open	23	—	930	163.50–199.00	177.76
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	8	—	768	194.00–197.50	195.36
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	4	—	1,345	2,450.00	2,450.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	11	—	1,386	2,500.00–2,950.00	2,733.93
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,467	2,425.00	2,425.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	—	1,059	241.00	241.00

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.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

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Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line