Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 205 priced lines covering 12,614 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 11,119 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 2,859 head. replacement cattle receipts at 1,108 head.

Mon Oct 28, 2024

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 11,119Last week 11,452Year ago 8,897

Slaughter CattleReceipts 2,859Last week 2,616Year ago 1,898

Replacement CattleReceipts 1,108Last week 1,028Year ago 720

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 400 lbs sold mostly steady, steer calves 400-599 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Steer calves over 600 lbs sold steady to 5.00 lower. Heifer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher, heifer calves 500-649 lbs sold mostly 4.00 to 6.00 lower; heifer calves over 650 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Yearling steers were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however firm undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers all sold steady to 3.00 higher. Calf quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive. Quality was more attractive this week compared to last week. Yearling quality was mostly average to attractive, and similar compared to last week. Demand was mostly moderate to good for yearlings and calves. Load lots of yearlings sold on very good demand. The first full load lots of calves on offer this fall sold this week. These offerings were met with very good demand. Most calves were offered in small packages to partial load lots. Packages sizes under 5 head sold with significantly lighter demand compared to larger consignments. The best demand for calves continues to be for high quality light weight calves under 500 lbs which buyers can develop into yearlings. Increased demand was seen for these offerings as more buyers were seen for this class of calves. Most lightweight calves continue to go south to wheat pastures or west to California to grass, however this week some farmer-feeders were in the market looking for calves to background. CME positions saw lower movement this past week. The October contract final settlement was 250.98, 1.355 higher than last Fridays close. The November contract closed Friday at 246.875, 1.70 lower than last Fridays close; The January contract closed Friday at 243.20. 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 moderate to heavy offerings. Packers showed mostly light demand for slaughter cows this week. Slaughter cows sold 5.00-7.00 lower on all classes. Private feeding cow buyers continue to buy all types of cows to put on feed, even lame or slightly blemished cows continue to be sent to feed. Feeding cow demand was stronger this week compared to last week. Demand was mostly good to very good, with many takers seen. Some sales had over 10 buyers purchasing cows to feed. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher, on high quality feeding cows, average quality or slightly blemished cows sold steady to 3.00 lower. Offerings were much heavier this week compared to last week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-4.00 lower. Cow and bull quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive and overall significantly more attractive compared to last week. Weigh conditions were mixed this week. Cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to 3.00

lower on a similar quality offering.

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,535	114.00	114.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,430	1,950.00	1,950.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	1	—	1,250	2,075.00	2,075.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	6	—	1,174	169.00–178.00	175.10
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	37	—	1,183	2,000.00–2,400.00	2,321.13
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	4	—	1,645	111.00–122.00	117.48
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	22	—	1,126	2,100.00–2,300.00	2,224.91
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	1,248	1,950.00	1,950.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	5	—	1,042	1,900.00	1,900.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	3	—	1,128	1,800.00	1,800.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	15	—	1,320	1,675.00–1,700.00	1,692.60
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	7	—	1,359	2,200.00–2,350.00	2,330.68
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	31	—	1,215	1,675.00	1,675.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	4	—	1,150	1,725.00	1,725.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,018	1,900.00	1,900.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Non-Legible BANGS$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	1,478	1,975.00	1,975.00
Bred Cows — Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	5	—	1,222	1,775.00–1,925.00	1,836.77
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	1,203	1,775.00–2,100.00	1,918.92
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	47	—	1,001	125.00–178.00	158.60
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	22	—	1,069	125.00–170.00	139.68
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,045	165.00	165.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	442	—	936	141.00–215.00	191.96
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	235	—	1,044	128.00–202.50	165.92
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	2	—	968	142.50	142.50
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	3	—	874	140.00–175.00	162.11

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
10	450–500	471	240.00–267.50	253.33
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
15	600–650	607	238.00–239.00	238.54
8	650–700	671	234.00–235.00	234.61
4	950–1000	995	213.00	213.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
53	250–300	287	385.00–405.00	394.27
122	300–350	331	357.50–390.00	378.84
291	350–400	374	327.00–368.00	347.50
378	400–450	424	301.00–340.00	323.05
373	450–500	473	289.00–315.00	303.68
417	500–550	522	250.50–305.00	280.59
412	550–600	571	241.00–275.00	262.20
83	600–650	624	241.00–250.00	248.04
49	650–700	671	230.00–244.00	237.48
7	700–750	741	226.50	226.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
13	600–650	647	245.00	245.00
93	700–750	718	219.00–252.50	249.68
137	750–800	779	222.50–248.00	244.22
204	800–850	818	236.25–241.00	237.55
236	850–900	859	226.00–240.00	236.28
21	900–950	913	224.00–230.00	224.53
79	950–1000	969	217.00–226.00	224.35
9	1000–1050	1,033	216.50–218.00	216.83
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
39	250–300	288	355.00–392.00	375.44
28	300–350	322	332.50–347.50	340.82
87	350–400	382	302.00–330.00	321.79
164	400–450	426	267.50–312.50	295.82
70	450–500	476	255.00–295.00	281.73
46	500–550	540	250.00–260.00	257.89
16	550–600	580	240.00–251.00	246.63
18	600–650	607	236.00–241.00	239.42
5	650–700	672	238.00	238.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
13	700–750	706	240.00	240.00
39	750–800	771	238.00	238.00
119	800–850	814	226.00–234.00	229.94
11	850–900	852	228.00–237.00	235.35
29	900–950	936	214.50–220.00	215.31
4	950–1000	973	213.00	213.00
4	1000–1050	1,049	208.00	208.00
Heifers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
13	450–500	488	260.00–291.00	285.60
6	500–550	514	250.00–261.00	255.57
14	550–600	557	242.00–261.00	247.61
30	600–650	614	239.50–240.00	239.93
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
25	1050–1100	1,086	205.00–213.00	210.48
6	1100–1150	1,134	198.00–209.00	205.41
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
11	750–800	795	220.50	220.50
Heifers — Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
3	1050–1100	1,053	211.00	211.00
Heifers — Medium 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	250–300	270	340.00	340.00
18	300–350	336	344.00	344.00
4	350–400	380	305.00	305.00
33	400–450	431	308.00	308.00
56	450–500	466	250.00–286.00	257.77
7	500–550	521	250.00	250.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
33	500–550	545	254.00	254.00
9	600–650	621	247.00	247.00
8	650–700	684	232.50	232.50
Heifers — Medium 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
7	450–500	459	270.00	270.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	600–650	617	253.00	253.00
9	700–750	746	229.00	229.00
6	750–800	753	226.50	226.50
Heifers — Medium 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
183	600–650	629	260.50	260.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	200–250	241	475.00	475.00
23	250–300	278	435.00–455.00	444.38
92	300–350	330	400.00–435.00	418.14
184	350–400	381	377.50–450.00	393.02
378	400–450	423	345.00–392.50	372.33
728	450–500	475	309.00–377.00	345.13
716	500–550	520	289.00–335.75	317.63
634	550–600	571	276.00–317.00	296.23
602	600–650	621	258.00–294.00	278.49
220	650–700	673	250.00–272.00	263.72
69	700–750	726	244.00–261.00	254.72
28	750–800	774	240.00–252.50	247.54
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
8	350–400	383	362.50	362.50
17	400–450	430	343.00	343.00
25	550–600	596	260.00–276.00	270.23
10	650–700	690	245.00	245.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
4	450–500	450	297.50	297.50
7	750–800	752	241.00	241.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
26	450–500	466	344.00	344.00
63	500–550	529	323.75	323.75
68	800–850	825	259.50	259.50
12	850–900	861	248.00	248.00
1	950–1000	980	250.00	250.00
34	1000–1050	1,024	216.00–230.50	227.45
5	1050–1100	1,098	223.00	223.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	700–750	707	249.00	249.00
6	750–800	797	247.50	247.50
2	800–850	808	240.00	240.00
2	850–900	890	237.00	237.00
2	900–950	938	215.00	215.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
9	800–850	818	232.00–236.00	234.67
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
1	200–250	245	440.00	440.00
13	250–300	284	435.00–450.00	443.12
92	300–350	342	355.00–405.00	387.01
118	350–400	380	272.50–382.50	361.46
146	400–450	430	315.00–356.00	338.06
97	450–500	483	298.00–321.00	309.93
160	500–550	529	261.00–317.00	297.98
113	550–600	580	269.00–287.00	276.90
24	600–650	626	245.00–266.00	258.29
15	650–700	680	240.00–256.00	246.75
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
9	350–400	370	350.00	350.00
2	800–850	815	236.00	236.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	250–300	296	390.00	390.00
2	300–350	328	370.00	370.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	550–600	596	252.50	252.50
2	1100–1150	1,125	221.00–231.00	225.96
Steers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	465	322.50	322.50
32	550–600	583	268.00–290.00	272.65
30	600–650	637	242.50–272.50	270.84
37	650–700	678	240.50–256.50	253.17
12	700–750	741	241.00–246.00	243.49
9	750–800	751	238.00	238.00
Steers — Medium 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
12	450–500	492	281.00–305.00	290.91
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	650–700	652	253.00	253.00
Steers — Medium 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	250–300	260	342.50	342.50
7	350–400	380	372.50	372.50
13	400–450	417	340.00–351.00	346.71
11	450–500	492	297.50	297.50
6	650–700	694	222.50	222.50
Steers — Medium 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	500–550	546	202.50	202.50
Steers — Medium 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
10	200–250	245	395.00	395.00
6	250–300	260	335.00	335.00
6	450–500	467	192.50	192.50
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
25	550–600	591	280.50	280.50
71	650–700	659	264.00–271.00	270.11
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
11	900–950	920	211.00	211.00
1	1000–1050	1,020	207.50	207.50
1	1050–1100	1,090	200.00	200.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	350–400	390	350.00	350.00
5	400–450	422	320.00–330.00	325.87
4	450–500	486	287.50–312.50	306.52
6	550–600	591	247.00	247.00
2	650–700	688	231.00–234.00	232.49
1	700–750	740	227.50	227.50
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	200–250	217	480.00	480.00
25	350–400	384	345.00–394.00	366.31
6	500–550	503	280.00–297.00	291.36
10	600–650	613	245.00–251.00	246.78
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
16	300–350	312	437.00	437.00
10	450–500	493	303.00	303.00
2	1050–1100	1,058	215.00	215.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	410	290.00	290.00
2	450–500	490	260.00	260.00
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	1100–1150	1,117	197.50–210.00	201.72
2	1150–1200	1,165	200.00	200.00
6	1200–1250	1,219	160.00–185.00	180.83
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	1150–1200	1,160	172.50	172.50
Bulls — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	440	332.50	332.50
1	500–550	545	265.00	265.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
36	—	1,855	143.00–156.00	148.19
39	—	1,728	116.00–146.00	136.06
1	—	1,485	140.00	140.00
4	—	2,085	156.00–160.00	158.06
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
22	—	1,638	123.00–145.50	138.42
13	—	1,640	142.00–152.00	145.91
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,265	122.50	122.50
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
460	—	1,185	95.00–118.00	106.39
61	—	1,182	120.00–131.00	124.78
298	—	1,192	109.00–126.00	116.86
8	—	1,137	86.00	86.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
21	—	1,580	123.00–129.50	125.78
18	—	1,661	109.00–123.50	119.01
8	—	1,646	130.00–135.00	131.27
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,447	70.00–96.00	87.66
37	—	1,411	90.00–106.00	99.59
45	—	1,420	104.00–125.00	108.81
2	—	1,460	113.00–129.00	120.97
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	960	77.50–80.00	79.40
11	—	932	80.00–97.00	86.33
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,010	113.00	113.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
67	—	1,201	97.00–114.00	102.44
43	—	1,142	71.00–89.00	82.34
93	—	1,140	85.00–104.00	95.00
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
621	—	1,382	113.00–131.50	122.94
139	—	1,362	128.00–140.00	131.29
228	—	1,375	99.00–117.50	110.42
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	840	95.00	95.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,676	105.00–121.00	110.67
5	—	1,670	123.50–125.00	124.29

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