Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 152 priced lines covering 4,110 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 2,676 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 634 head. replacement cattle receipts at 2,066 head. Counted as USDA files them — 540 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Mon Apr 29, 2024

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 2,676Last week 1,548Year ago 724

Slaughter CattleReceipts 634Last week 495Year ago 1,205

Replacement CattleReceipts 2,066Last week 613Year ago 792

Compared to last week: Too few sales were seen last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on steers under 550 lbs, while steady to higher undertones were noticed on steers over 550 lbs. All heifers sold with steady undertones. Feeder cattle were mostly offered in small to moderate size packages, with a few partial loads and load lots seen. Demand for full load lots was very good. Cattle suitable to develop on grass continue to sell with the best demand, and most cattle sold this week were marketed as grass cattle. Most cattle on offer were lightly fleshed, fleshy cattle sold with a large discount. Demand was mostly good to very good for light to moderate offerings. CME positions sold off throughout the week. The May feeder cattle contract closed Friday at 243.30, down 5.70 from last Friday. August closed at 254.75 down 5.80 from last Friday. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for light offerings. Packers showed good demand for slaughter cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold fully steady on breaking cows; boning and lean cows sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher. The biggest increase in price this week was seen on lower yielding cows which private feeders were looking for for quick compensatory gain and packers were buying for immediate harvest. 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. Feeding cows all sold steady to 3.00 higher, again the biggest value increase this week was from lower yielding thinner cows. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive. Several sets of very high quality reputation offerings were seen this week as ranchers culled cows. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. Demand remains good to very good for high quality offerings which buyers are looking to rebreed. Young two year old heifers which have not calved yet sold with a 8.00-12.00 discount to ones which lost calves.

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	113	—	1,117	120.00–188.00	155.50
(<2 yrs)	Open	318	—	981	149.00–212.00	184.95
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	9	—	755	180.00–205.00	199.34
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,068	147.00–190.00	165.73
Stock Cows — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	693	117.50	117.50
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	17	—	740	147.50–188.00	175.99
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	24	—	922	135.00–187.50	169.93
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	15	—	976	125.00–162.50	138.12
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	11	—	1,309	2,650.00	2,650.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,110	3,000.00	3,000.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,233	1,850.00	1,850.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	9	—	1,305	2,525.00–2,675.00	2,605.30
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	11	—	1,499	2,325.00–2,450.00	2,358.25
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,188	2,425.00	2,425.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,603	1,900.00	1,900.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	45	—	1,467	2,200.00–2,650.00	2,490.23
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	24	—	1,400	3,375.00–3,500.00	3,483.04
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	110	—	1,391	3,500.00–3,750.00	3,618.60
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	13	—	1,051	3,175.00	3,175.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	85	—	1,472	2,600.00–3,500.00	3,015.18
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	17	—	1,211	2,975.00–3,125.00	3,034.11
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,485	2,825.00	2,825.00
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,289	2,250.00	2,250.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	16	—	1,604	2,350.00–2,550.00	2,432.94
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	11	—	1,245	1,900.00	1,900.00
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	150	—	1,194	3,275.00–3,750.00	3,470.50
(<2 yrs)	Open	27	—	1,081	3,500.00	3,500.00
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	31	—	1,033	2,800.00–3,000.00	2,909.94
Bred Heifers — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	10	—	898	2,300.00–2,350.00	2,305.35
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,260	2,175.00	2,175.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per head · actual wt
7	650–700	688	260.00	260.00
44	700–750	742	248.00–258.00	249.08
58	750–800	780	1,900.00–1,960.00	1,954.88
74	750–800	757	243.50–249.00	246.69
21	850–900	877	2,010.00	2,010.00
5	850–900	873	221.50	221.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
11	550–600	565	261.00	261.00
30	800–850	824	226.50	226.50
3	900–950	942	211.00	211.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	392	292.50	292.50
4	400–450	441	285.00	285.00
18	450–500	463	255.00–262.50	258.84
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	400–450	409	331.00–332.50	332.11
50	500–550	513	292.00–296.00	295.19
187	550–600	581	279.50–292.50	285.81
53	600–650	610	270.00–281.50	278.56
68	650–700	667	251.00–273.50	266.35
44	700–750	711	246.00–260.00	255.61
98	750–800	762	239.00–249.00	242.66
10	800–850	823	224.50–231.00	227.97
4	850–900	876	214.00	214.00
16	950–1000	973	213.50	213.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	600–650	603	274.50	274.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	300–350	322	330.00	330.00
12	350–400	352	327.50	327.50
17	400–450	408	320.00	320.00
11	450–500	481	292.50–300.00	296.65
40	500–550	516	280.75–296.00	287.43
35	550–600	582	250.50–280.00	264.79
48	600–650	635	251.50–271.00	259.05
15	650–700	684	218.00–256.00	243.26
10	700–750	729	233.00–247.00	243.08
17	750–800	785	214.00–236.00	228.14
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
5	700–750	749	244.00	244.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	600–650	633	223.00	223.00
13	750–800	764	221.00	221.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	50–100	90	400.00	400.00
5	150–200	150	450.00–500.00	470.00
3	500–550	505	299.00	299.00
5	550–600	569	290.00–310.00	306.13
2	650–700	668	245.00	245.00
4	700–750	724	248.00–265.00	253.71
9	750–800	763	229.00–244.00	234.00
15	800–850	822	220.00–239.00	237.76
4	850–900	884	191.00	191.00
1	900–950	925	212.50	212.50
8	950–1000	969	214.00–219.00	216.60
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	600–650	625	260.00	260.00
2	700–750	743	225.00	225.00
6	900–950	902	222.50	222.50
6	950–1000	981	212.00–215.00	213.01
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	1000–1050	1,031	212.50–216.00	215.20
1	1050–1100	1,070	207.00	207.00
14	1100–1150	1,115	176.00	176.00
6	1150–1200	1,174	174.00–192.00	185.36
1	1200–1250	1,225	180.00	180.00
2	1250–1300	1,278	171.00	171.00
1	1300–1350	1,310	161.00	161.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	1250–1300	1,275	155.00	155.00
Bulls — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
10	600–650	624	270.00	270.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
21	500–550	505	346.00–367.50	356.37
80	550–600	575	310.50–339.00	328.86
95	600–650	611	290.00–315.00	311.13
211	650–700	664	280.00–303.00	296.51
76	700–750	722	268.00–279.00	270.86
254	750–800	778	250.25–265.50	254.37
4	800–850	801	250.50	250.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
11	650–700	695	265.00	265.00
16	850–900	867	226.00–232.00	228.80
17	900–950	921	219.00–221.50	220.76
7	1000–1050	1,026	215.00	215.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	500–550	500	290.00	290.00
10	600–650	622	275.50	275.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	300–350	347	380.00	380.00
12	350–400	370	367.50–380.00	372.54
17	450–500	497	322.50–347.50	331.16
30	500–550	520	316.00–332.50	325.71
32	550–600	593	293.00–308.00	299.25
2	600–650	638	286.50	286.50
27	650–700	690	250.00–279.00	270.17
49	700–750	715	247.50–266.00	262.24
17	750–800	770	246.00–249.00	247.52
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	650–700	673	267.00	267.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11	650–700	675	283.00	283.00
8	700–750	713	240.00	240.00
2	850–900	878	224.00	224.00
6	1050–1100	1,051	215.50	215.50
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	500–550	518	317.50	317.50
19	550–600	574	290.00–315.00	300.27
5	600–650	606	310.50	310.50
2	750–800	780	235.00	235.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
4	800–850	813	240.00	240.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,120	120.00	120.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,675	129.00	129.00
19	—	1,575	133.00–139.50	135.62
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,113	127.00–136.00	133.81
37	—	1,152	105.00–119.00	109.88
9	—	1,136	91.00–98.00	95.22
16	—	1,182	117.00–133.00	123.97
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,710	140.00–141.00	140.52
4	—	1,818	119.00–125.00	123.04
5	—	1,654	133.00–139.00	135.62
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
27	—	1,433	136.50–144.00	137.62
12	—	1,474	112.00–122.00	117.11
28	—	1,389	124.00–137.00	132.19
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	955	109.00	109.00
1	—	800	90.00	90.00
7	—	841	97.50–112.50	106.47
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
47	—	1,396	136.00–139.00	137.24
206	—	1,363	124.00–138.00	131.13
17	—	1,420	118.00–129.00	123.14
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
35	—	1,171	112.00–121.00	117.11
51	—	1,199	127.00–139.50	134.21
108	—	1,194	121.00–134.00	126.31
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,285	140.00	140.00
3	—	1,348	114.00–131.00	124.34
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,391	115.00–140.00	133.43
7	—	1,494	135.00–150.00	146.46
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
47	—	1,611	116.00–139.00	130.21
2	—	1,595	127.00–132.00	129.58
52	—	1,866	136.00–154.00	145.82
27	—	2,082	147.00–165.00	156.63

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

More

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line