Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 215 priced lines covering 7,983 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 7,727 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,334 head. replacement cattle receipts at 392 head.

Mon Oct 7, 2024

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 7,727Last week 2,689Year ago 5,300

Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,334Last week 1,049Year ago 1,642

Replacement CattleReceipts 392Last week 312Year ago 728

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed, 450-549 lbs steer calves sold mostly 5.00 higher, steer calves over 550 lbs sold steady to 10.00 higher. Heifer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher, heifers over 500 lbs sold steady to firm. Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Calf quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Yearling quality was mostly plain to average. Demand was mostly moderate for yearlings as quality hampered demand. Demand for calves was mostly good to very good. Very few load lots or partial load lots were seen this week. Most cattle were offered in small to moderate size packages. Most yearlings were coming off grass with a few backgrounded lots noticed. CME positions continue to push higher this past week. The October contract closed at 249.75, 0.125 higher than last Fridays close. The November contract closed Friday at 249.80, 0.525 higher than last Fridays close. Market activity this week was mostly active, with good participation seen from bidders both ringside as well as over the internet. Weigh up cows and bulls sold on mostly light to moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed light demand for slaughter cows this week. Feeding buyers were very active again this week purchasing cows to put on feed. Slaughter cows sold steady on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 3.00-5.00 lower. Feeding cow demand was mostly good, with many takers seen for this class of cows. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 lower as lighter demand from slaughter buyers allowed poorer quality cows to sell lower. High quality cows continue to sell fully steady. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Demand for feeding bulls was light this week as packers were the main buyer of feeding bulls. Feeding bulls sold generally steady. Cow and bull quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Weigh conditions were mostly average this week. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher with very strong demand seen from rebreed buyers. Demand was very good.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
6	200–250	227	410.00–460.00	424.15
14	250–300	283	412.50–440.00	433.79
110	300–350	334	402.50–450.00	411.97
161	350–400	370	365.00–428.50	396.97
319	400–450	423	330.00–390.00	349.99
404	450–500	482	307.00–335.00	324.93
509	500–550	525	295.00–321.50	308.10
353	550–600	579	275.00–305.00	290.39
216	600–650	622	266.00–297.00	286.55
76	650–700	664	262.00–285.00	272.02
28	700–750	725	245.00–265.00	255.46
22	750–800	755	254.00	254.00
7	800–850	804	248.00	248.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	200–250	248	410.00	410.00
10	250–300	287	410.00–417.50	415.40
34	300–350	321	284.00–405.00	363.58
53	350–400	368	330.00–390.00	365.68
60	400–450	433	310.00–340.00	327.51
72	450–500	472	282.00–310.00	301.89
109	500–550	529	275.00–303.00	294.25
72	550–600	581	240.00–284.00	274.11
13	600–650	614	252.00–271.00	264.40
12	650–700	661	246.00–261.00	254.81
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
13	550–600	557	280.00	280.00
30	650–700	668	268.00	268.00
2	700–750	705	255.00	255.00
7	750–800	765	254.00	254.00
3	800–850	821	247.00–249.50	247.83
2	850–900	865	233.00	233.00
4	900–950	949	231.00	231.00
4	950–1000	955	228.00	228.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
4	500–550	541	292.00	292.00
67	700–750	742	259.00–260.00	259.93
11	750–800	765	260.00	260.00
3	800–850	837	248.00	248.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
50	500–550	507	323.75	323.75
100	700–750	727	266.50–277.00	269.07
61	750–800	787	264.00–272.00	269.29
31	800–850	832	244.00–263.00	249.56
2	850–900	870	240.00	240.00
26	900–950	914	238.00–249.00	245.71
20	950–1000	994	227.50–231.00	228.62
28	1000–1050	1,001	227.00	227.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	300–350	335	305.00	305.00
14	450–500	498	290.00	290.00
9	500–550	519	250.00–266.00	258.79
3	550–600	595	247.00	247.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	550–600	580	279.00	279.00
6	600–650	645	266.00	266.00
25	650–700	677	266.00–273.00	270.31
1	700–750	705	242.50	242.50
3	750–800	792	253.00	253.00
2	800–850	840	222.50	222.50
Steers — Medium 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
6	300–350	332	392.50	392.50
8	400–450	402	337.50	337.50
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
15	600–650	634	262.00	262.00
18	650–700	674	250.00–258.00	253.06
Steers — Medium 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	363	315.00	315.00
8	400–450	438	262.50	262.50
Steers — Medium 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	550–600	555	225.00	225.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
9	600–650	606	266.00	266.00
1	1150–1200	1,185	201.00	201.00
Steers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
11	550–600	574	245.00–274.00	253.49
8	600–650	609	230.00–263.00	249.71
11	650–700	690	255.00–258.00	256.09
8	700–750	743	223.00–242.00	230.13
14	750–800	764	233.50–253.00	239.15
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1000–1050	1,048	219.00	219.00
3	1050–1100	1,062	210.00	210.00
Steers — Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	600–650	644	222.50	222.50
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	850–900	886	231.00	231.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	400–450	419	320.00	320.00
13	550–600	585	268.00	268.00
20	650–700	665	252.00–255.00	252.77
7	700–750	725	248.50	248.50
153	750–800	776	239.00–252.00	247.73
86	800–850	840	236.00–243.50	238.17
51	850–900	873	227.00–235.00	232.07
161	900–950	909	220.00–234.50	229.62
56	950–1000	962	216.00–218.50	218.01
12	1000–1050	1,020	209.00–220.50	216.69
34	1050–1100	1,050	210.00	210.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
11	700–750	721	231.00–247.00	244.00
40	750–800	770	236.00–245.00	238.60
6	800–850	820	225.00–229.00	227.33
12	850–900	887	219.00–227.00	224.31
19	900–950	934	213.00–225.00	219.97
5	950–1000	962	205.00–206.00	205.60
2	1000–1050	1,048	195.00	195.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
5	900–950	903	209.00	209.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	200–250	245	350.00	350.00
4	250–300	283	330.00–350.00	340.53
36	300–350	327	315.00–340.00	332.17
11	350–400	396	317.00–340.00	321.90
83	400–450	433	280.00–310.00	298.48
113	450–500	478	275.00–290.00	284.86
60	500–550	521	237.00–274.00	259.39
18	550–600	578	241.00–258.00	251.10
10	600–650	626	249.00	249.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
3	800–850	830	210.00	210.00
2	950–1000	968	196.00	196.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
12	800–850	842	230.00–230.50	230.17
3	850–900	877	226.00	226.00
31	900–950	941	216.00–217.00	216.84
8	950–1000	979	206.00–211.00	208.98
4	1000–1050	1,043	196.00	196.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
25	250–300	277	360.00–400.00	374.05
55	300–350	318	325.00–380.00	350.57
263	350–400	379	320.00–389.00	337.12
224	400–450	423	307.00–350.00	324.17
379	450–500	470	280.00–316.00	302.18
339	500–550	522	270.00–294.00	280.85
190	550–600	571	258.50–279.00	269.17
42	600–650	621	252.50–262.00	255.86
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
7	650–700	669	222.00	222.00
1	1000–1050	1,045	203.50	203.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
31	450–500	451	318.00	318.00
21	900–950	904	240.00	240.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	300–350	342	302.50	302.50
3	350–400	397	285.00	285.00
10	400–450	439	270.00	270.00
6	450–500	473	253.00	253.00
1	500–550	505	257.50	257.50
Heifers — Medium 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
4	700–750	709	210.00	210.00
Heifers — Medium 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
14	350–400	389	324.00	324.00
16	400–450	444	302.00	302.00
7	550–600	566	253.00	253.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	550–600	571	253.50	253.50
10	600–650	621	247.00	247.00
76	650–700	686	245.00–247.50	246.89
5	700–750	715	244.50	244.50
10	750–800	767	230.00–240.00	236.94
Heifers — Medium 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
20	450–500	495	254.00	254.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	450–500	499	256.00	256.00
14	650–700	688	219.00–225.00	221.55
14	700–750	749	217.50–224.00	218.89
3	750–800	788	220.00	220.00
Heifers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
32	450–500	481	265.00–288.00	275.41
13	500–550	538	266.00	266.00
2	550–600	585	233.00	233.00
8	600–650	633	238.00–246.00	241.92
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	550–600	578	254.00	254.00
7	1050–1100	1,083	200.00–207.00	203.83
6	1100–1150	1,107	197.00	197.00
2	1200–1250	1,225	190.00	190.00
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	1150–1200	1,187	184.00	184.00
Heifers — Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
8	500–550	546	222.50	222.50
8	550–600	587	241.00	241.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	450–500	487	210.00	210.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	400–450	405	330.00	330.00
16	450–500	498	295.00	295.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	700–750	713	250.00	250.00
1	750–800	790	230.00	230.00
3	950–1000	993	208.00	208.00
4	1000–1050	1,020	207.50	207.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	230	465.00	465.00
10	300–350	345	377.50	377.50
10	350–400	369	342.50–370.00	350.37
11	400–450	420	327.50–336.00	333.57
16	450–500	466	297.00–326.00	322.31
38	500–550	525	302.00–306.00	304.87
2	550–600	565	272.50	272.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	650–700	662	232.50	232.50
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	1100–1150	1,124	193.00–195.00	194.20
2	1150–1200	1,178	185.00–189.00	186.98
3	1200–1250	1,205	183.00	183.00
Bulls — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	382	360.00	360.00
12	600–650	645	241.00	241.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1250–1300	1,262	150.00–171.00	165.70

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
(<2 yrs)	Open	200	—	953	140.00–214.00	192.86
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	58	—	1,147	132.00–180.00	147.76
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	24	—	850	190.00	190.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,004	130.00–180.00	153.48
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,086	133.00–144.00	139.49
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	4	—	716	168.00	168.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	4	—	1,324	1,650.00	1,650.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	12	—	1,111	1,985.00–2,150.00	2,061.52
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	7	—	1,441	1,800.00–1,850.00	1,843.51
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	11	—	1,121	1,800.00–2,000.00	1,942.24
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Non-Legible BANGS$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	5	—	1,175	1,450.00	1,450.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	3	—	1,310	1,625.00	1,625.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	5	—	1,531	106.00	106.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
11	—	1,649	101.00	101.00
Dairy Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,334	91.00–94.00	92.98
1	—	1,040	125.00	125.00
4	—	1,570	85.50	85.50
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
68	—	1,417	103.00–120.00	112.81
253	—	1,396	117.00–135.00	124.98
118	—	1,401	132.00–143.00	134.67
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
17	—	1,219	106.00–117.00	109.94
1	—	1,055	122.50	122.50
61	—	1,155	90.00–105.00	97.85
17	—	1,101	77.50–89.00	85.06
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,583	116.00–119.50	118.15
3	—	1,610	128.00–132.00	130.07
20	—	1,565	120.00–126.00	122.48
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
35	—	1,705	120.00–129.00	124.77
10	—	1,638	128.00–130.00	128.56
8	—	1,659	109.00–119.00	116.39
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
119	—	1,165	99.00–117.00	109.59
40	—	1,202	126.00–138.00	128.67
138	—	1,225	111.00–126.50	120.14
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,673	125.00–126.50	125.79
1	—	1,500	97.50	97.50
29	—	1,388	92.00–112.00	104.54
23	—	1,539	112.00–119.00	115.68
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	894	94.00–101.00	97.48
2	—	973	107.50	107.50
5	—	959	75.00–85.00	78.56
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	2,117	161.00–170.00	165.43
33	—	1,922	143.00–159.00	150.33
46	—	1,789	126.00–146.00	137.21
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,550	167.00	167.00
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
36	—	1,433	121.00–144.00	139.65
4	—	1,500	146.00–153.00	150.37

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