Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Aug 5
● As filed72 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 72 priced lines covering 961 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 379 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 702 head. replacement cattle receipts at 87 head. Counted as USDA files them — 16 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Aug 5, 2024
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 379Last week 217Year ago 570
Slaughter CattleReceipts 702Last week 356Year ago 644
Replacement CattleReceipts 87Last week 74Year ago 75

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality was mostly plain to average and lower than last week. Demand was mostly good despite sharply lower CME contract positions. No load lots were seen this week and most cattle were offered in small packages or as singles. CME positions traded sharply lower over the past two weeks as concerns over the US economy caused large sell offs. The August feeder cattle contract closed Friday at 246.50, down 13.20 since Friday July 26th, the September closed at 241.60, down 18.00 since July 26th, the October closed at 239.775, down 18.525 since July 26th. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Cows continue to green up as calves, competition with grasshoppers over forage, and dry conditions are causing some cows to lose body condition scores. Cow quality was mostly lower this week as a result. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 higher on breaking cows, boning cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower, lean cows sold 1.00-2.00 higher. Most of the unevenness in the slaughter cow prices was due to competition with feeding buyers. Packers and private feeders continue to show very good demand for feeding cows. Feeding cows sold steady to weak on high quality boning and breaking cows, lean feeding cows sold 1.00-2.00 higher. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive but not as attractive as the previous week of sales. Weigh conditions were mixed. Many sets of cattle were pushing light to moderate amounts of fill. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady in a narrow comparison. Feeding bull buyers forced packers to keep prices near steady as they picked through the bull offering to find bulls 1500-1950 lbs. to feed. Feeding bulls sold generally steady to firm. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was good for high quality offerings which buyers are looking to rebreed. Quality was average to attractive.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5750–800783245.00245.00
18800–850811243.00243.00
5900–950901223.00223.00
27950–1000963213.00–219.00218.32
31050–11001,050206.00206.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2350–400350305.00305.00
3600–650617265.00265.00
Heifers — Medium 1 · Spayed$ per cwt · actual wt
7750–800790216.00216.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4650–700650246.00246.00
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3400–450417240.00240.00
6950–1000998205.00205.00
51100–11501,114189.00189.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2750–800768232.00232.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4850–900879249.00–252.00250.52
5900–950916243.00–248.00245.99
10950–1000968235.00235.00
21050–11001,055219.00219.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
11450–500450307.00307.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2600–650618267.50267.50
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
7600–650624289.50289.50
21150–12001,160210.00210.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3300–350342345.00345.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
28550–600591299.00299.00
3600–650638287.00287.00
31650–700664279.00279.00
10700–750747263.00263.00
13750–800777246.00–250.50249.11
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
41000–10501,010204.00–228.00217.47
71050–11001,062206.00–225.00217.02
Bulls — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
15750–800750231.00231.00
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2900–950920222.00222.00
191000–10501,042222.00222.00
31100–11501,109215.00–217.00215.67
11150–12001,185202.50202.50
31200–12501,215173.00–185.00180.95
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1900–950935209.00209.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2500–550525275.00275.00
Beef/Dairy Steers — Large 3$ per cwt · actual wt
6600–650612206.00206.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open71,156149.00–162.00150.70
(<2 yrs)Open301,155150.00–174.00164.09
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open91,332155.00155.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open21,040151.00–160.00155.61
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)51,4102,900.002,900.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)51,7693,000.003,000.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)31,8732,800.002,800.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo)31,5172,300.002,300.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
121,510132.00–143.00137.56
71,457117.00–129.00123.47
41,462145.50–147.00146.61
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
1021,486144.50–154.50149.19
301,342121.00–136.50132.60
1181,418135.00–147.00143.81
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
11,055129.00129.00
131,115102.00–126.00116.90
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
32,255144.50144.50
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
81,618142.00–146.50144.74
31,708135.00–138.00136.97
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
41,661135.00–137.00136.45
191,692140.00–147.00143.29
241,592144.75–148.50145.75
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
261,183126.00–139.00133.07
131,128143.00–149.00145.47
201,172107.00–125.00120.89
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
211,508177.00–182.00178.72
111,539130.00–173.00152.77
541,595155.00–174.00164.45
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
61,251120.00–150.00126.07
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
271,730130.00–157.50148.20
711,882155.00–173.50164.48
142,065171.50–183.00176.20
Bulls — Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
11,940163.00163.00
Dairy Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1960100.00100.00
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.