Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 155 priced lines covering 4,080 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 2,299 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,513 head. replacement cattle receipts at 1,047 head. Counted as USDA files them — 123 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Mon May 13, 2024

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 2,299Last week 525Year ago 2,547

Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,513Last week 591Year ago 140

Replacement CattleReceipts 1,047Last week 671Year ago 199

Compared to last week: Too few sales were seen the previous week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on all feeders on offer. Cattle were mostly offered in larger package sizes this week as Sale yards were hosting turn out to grass specials. Several large packages of cattle could be purchased this week and buyers showed very good demand as a result. Most of these offerings were cattle out of a grow yard or already out on grass and had been put together earlier this year or last fall. Quality this week was mostly plain to average, with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. Cattle suitable to develop on grass continue to sell with the best demand. Demand was mostly good for light to moderate offerings. CME positions pushed higher this week as boxed beef values saw a solid run up for retailer buying for the upcoming holiday. The May feeder cattle contract closed Friday at 246.725, up 7.925 from last Friday. August closed at 259.85 up 8.95 from last Friday. Market activity this week was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Packers showed mostly very good demand for slaughter cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold steady to firm on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher. Demand from private feeders forced packers to bid up lean cows in order to secure offerings. Feeding cow demand was very good this week as many buyers were in the seats, as well as on the internet, at all the sales actively buying cows. Feeding cows all sold 1.00 to 3.00 higher with the biggest increase coming from thin cow offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive with many high quality reputation offerings seen. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00 to 8.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher. Demand was 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
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	9	—	1,378	2,600.00	2,600.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,403	2,875.00	2,875.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,775	2,675.00	2,675.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	38	—	1,395	2,585.00–2,635.00	2,595.70
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	8	—	1,623	2,725.00–2,750.00	2,731.35
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,530	2,350.00	2,350.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,416	2,600.00	2,600.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	47	—	914	141.00–205.00	178.12
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	8	—	1,050	117.50–150.00	135.35
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	8	—	1,193	131.00–137.00	134.16
(<2 yrs)	Open	327	—	961	150.00–233.50	206.42
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	177	—	1,028	137.00–221.00	178.09
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,469	150.00–156.00	154.94
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,630	134.00	134.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	753	211.00–213.00	211.94
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	880	130.00	130.00
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	7	—	762	181.00–215.00	193.95
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	4	—	876	155.00	155.00
Stock Cows — Medium 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	790	175.00	175.00
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,095	139.00–150.00	146.10
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,183	142.00–145.00	143.56
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	58	—	966	3,150.00–3,275.00	3,208.77
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,315	2,300.00	2,300.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	4	—	1,235	1,550.00	1,550.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	11	—	1,240	2,200.00–2,375.00	2,319.24
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	10	—	1,056	2,175.00–2,200.00	2,177.34
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	5	—	1,441	2,050.00–2,075.00	2,070.25
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,123	2,300.00	2,300.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	100–150	130	525.00	525.00
10	700–750	740	240.00–244.00	242.38
5	750–800	782	242.00	242.00
8	900–950	935	210.00–222.50	215.58
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	600–650	631	263.00	263.00
2	700–750	745	236.00	236.00
4	750–800	759	216.00	216.00
1	950–1000	960	190.00	190.00
1	1050–1100	1,065	160.00	160.00
Bulls — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	750–800	750	227.50	227.50
7	800–850	849	219.00	219.00
3	850–900	897	217.50	217.50
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	1150–1200	1,180	171.00–187.50	179.28
2	1200–1250	1,223	172.00–184.00	177.89
4	1250–1300	1,254	160.00	160.00
1	1300–1350	1,345	155.00	155.00
Bulls — Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1200–1250	1,220	190.00	190.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	1150–1200	1,185	178.00	178.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	300–350	310	390.00	390.00
55	450–500	464	365.00–370.00	367.26
56	500–550	537	334.00–340.00	335.36
56	550–600	561	314.00–336.00	330.21
33	600–650	614	309.00–321.00	316.06
19	650–700	671	277.00–292.50	281.49
2	700–750	705	272.00	272.00
5	750–800	777	253.00	253.00
5	900–950	925	234.00	234.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
10	800–850	824	239.00	239.00
10	900–950	922	226.00	226.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	400–450	407	335.00–340.00	339.30
27	450–500	481	324.00–355.00	335.84
16	500–550	519	298.25–325.00	312.61
13	550–600	588	300.00–310.00	303.99
36	600–650	623	271.00–303.00	282.85
17	650–700	672	254.00–277.00	269.49
16	700–750	727	249.00–263.00	251.09
1	750–800	780	249.00	249.00
17	800–850	816	243.00–244.00	243.71
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	353	325.00	325.00
8	400–450	437	300.00	300.00
9	500–550	528	295.00–305.00	301.83
13	550–600	567	280.00	280.00
8	600–650	634	230.00–231.00	230.37
8	750–800	773	218.00–238.00	233.03
4	900–950	910	212.00	212.00
Steers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	400–450	413	269.00	269.00
35	500–550	508	242.50–255.00	243.91
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	450–500	492	298.00–305.00	299.68
10	500–550	515	277.50	277.50
7	550–600	585	250.00	250.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
7	700–750	749	255.00	255.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	650–700	663	253.00	253.00
3	700–750	722	263.00	263.00
2	850–900	860	205.00	205.00
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	650–700	692	229.00	229.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	450–500	474	320.00	320.00
38	500–550	520	309.00–311.00	310.84
346	550–600	579	290.00–309.00	299.32
72	600–650	618	280.00–300.00	291.61
308	650–700	660	261.00–279.00	273.85
64	700–750	727	249.00–255.00	250.82
15	750–800	779	235.00–242.00	239.62
6	850–900	885	234.50	234.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
10	350–400	374	302.50–317.00	310.88
4	400–450	448	306.00	306.00
31	450–500	484	282.50–299.00	294.83
2	500–550	510	282.50	282.50
29	550–600	574	265.00–288.00	277.62
68	600–650	640	251.00–274.00	270.70
13	650–700	665	247.50–250.00	248.88
2	700–750	743	235.00	235.00
2	750–800	783	239.00	239.00
10	800–850	846	222.00	222.00
4	850–900	850	223.00	223.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
3	550–600	562	288.00	288.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
19	450–500	481	265.00–283.00	269.21
42	500–550	529	261.00–277.00	268.94
9	550–600	595	255.00–257.50	255.54
48	600–650	608	231.00–245.00	231.90
13	650–700	685	236.00	236.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	363	312.50	312.50
49	500–550	512	280.00–299.00	289.97
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
12	300–350	310	305.00	305.00
15	350–400	361	290.00	290.00
11	400–450	423	284.00–292.50	287.98
9	450–500	494	272.00	272.00
43	500–550	518	229.00	229.00
Heifers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
22	400–450	442	225.00–237.50	229.67
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	700–750	719	225.00	225.00
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	550–600	598	230.00	230.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,685	141.00	141.00
43	—	2,036	154.00–175.00	163.41
64	—	1,750	140.00–159.00	149.04
1	—	2,395	154.00	154.00
33	—	1,640	122.00–144.00	136.26
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	1,291	130.00–142.00	133.61
2	—	1,298	142.00–144.00	143.03
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
15	—	1,338	120.00–141.00	127.53
1	—	1,385	137.00	137.00
Cows — Premium White 65-75%$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,655	139.00	139.00
56	—	1,498	141.00–143.00	141.22
1	—	1,445	147.00	147.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,108	75.00–104.00	95.04
26	—	1,189	122.00–131.00	126.07
49	—	1,141	100.00–121.00	112.63
19	—	1,195	132.00–141.00	134.79
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	990	122.00	122.00
19	—	933	102.50–117.50	110.25
5	—	883	90.00–97.50	94.76
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
21	—	1,583	129.00–135.00	132.76
3	—	1,583	142.00–147.00	144.43
35	—	1,455	135.50–142.00	138.60
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
31	—	1,489	139.50–146.00	140.59
105	—	1,383	127.00–140.00	134.66
11	—	1,502	115.00–127.00	123.27
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
226	—	1,387	127.00–140.00	134.70
34	—	1,425	115.00–127.00	122.27
75	—	1,385	139.00–146.00	141.44
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	1,578	142.00–145.00	144.00
6	—	1,651	125.00–134.00	131.75
77	—	1,554	135.00–141.50	137.50
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
52	—	1,095	107.00–124.00	118.78
189	—	1,187	124.00–133.00	129.79
117	—	1,200	133.00–139.00	134.89
Cows — Premium White 65-75% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,075	136.00	136.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,485	145.00	145.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,010	135.00	135.00

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

More

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line