Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 171 priced lines covering 5,346 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 4,514 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,139 head. replacement cattle receipts at 466 head.

Mon Jan 27, 2025

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 4,514Last week 2,627Year ago 4,561

Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,139Last week 454Year ago 1,587

Replacement CattleReceipts 466Last week 720Year ago 462

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Steers 450-699 lbs sold mostly 5.00-15.00 higher; steers over 700 lbs sold mostly steady to 8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Heifers under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Heifers 450-599 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Heifers over 600 lbs sold steady to 8.00 higher. Demand was mostly very good for light to moderate offerings. Higher fed cattle prices continues to spur demand for feeder cattle as feedlots attempt to fill empty bunk space. Many sets of cattle were purchased to develop into yearlings, either on California grass or southern wheat pastures. Canadian buyers were back in the market this week and showed very good demand for calves to ship into Canada to feed. CME positions traded sideways this week but saw strong support from higher fed cattle prices. The January contract settled at 281.68, 2.98 higher than last Fridays close. The March contract closed Friday at 275.725, 0.85 lower than last Fridays close. The April contract closed at 275.125 on Friday, 0.325 lower than last Fridays close. Quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive, overall quality this week was not as attractive as last weeks offering. Package sizes were mostly small to moderate this week and not as large as last weeks sale. Cooperate packer feeders continue to show very good demand for all feeder cattle on offer. Packers remain active in buying cattle too big or slightly too fleshy to go to grass. Most of these cattle were purchased to put in feedlots. Market activity was active with all bidders quickly bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Regional packers showed stronger demand for fat, breaking flesh cows. This pushed fleshy cows higher as major packers and regional packers fought over offerings. Breaking cows sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher as a result. Boning and lean cows sold steady to 4.00 higher. Only blemished cows, not suitable to feed, were purchased to slaughter this week. Feeding cow demand remains very good and packers were back in the market this week buying cows to put away on feed. Private buyers and packer buyers were both very aggressive as they bid on cows to feed. Even slightly lame or slightly blemished cows sold to feeding buyers as they purchased these cows to put on a holding ration. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 3.00-8.00 higher. Thin short term feeding or holding cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 8.00-12.00 higher driven by strong demand from packers for immediate harvest. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 5.00 higher. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Very good demand was seen from feeder buyers this week as many try to blend these older offerings in with yearlings.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
15	350–400	365	454.00–490.00	477.62
25	400–450	441	420.00–440.00	429.19
82	450–500	470	382.00–423.50	395.70
252	500–550	517	360.00–396.00	384.17
281	550–600	568	331.00–372.00	360.76
330	600–650	616	320.00–349.50	339.70
116	650–700	675	309.00–328.00	317.44
298	700–750	729	290.00–309.00	303.00
110	750–800	769	280.50–298.00	290.39
39	800–850	830	280.00–282.50	280.39
22	850–900	861	271.00–274.00	273.68
3	900–950	902	253.00	253.00
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	650–700	661	276.00	276.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
13	400–450	418	352.50–372.50	367.78
3	450–500	492	337.00	337.00
3	500–550	532	320.00	320.00
10	550–600	590	312.00	312.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
13	300–350	343	420.00–480.00	447.40
33	350–400	380	395.00–432.00	427.23
29	400–450	429	370.00–430.00	391.71
48	450–500	474	345.00–390.00	366.43
62	500–550	519	325.00–375.00	361.22
22	550–600	574	313.00–339.00	326.01
53	600–650	624	292.00–326.00	316.33
78	650–700	671	285.00–313.00	306.54
6	700–750	726	285.00–290.00	288.28
3	800–850	810	267.00–268.00	267.67
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
4	650–700	693	294.00	294.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	550–600	595	301.00	301.00
10	600–650	645	300.00–319.00	307.54
4	650–700	698	305.00	305.00
9	1200–1250	1,219	216.00	216.00
Steers — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	450–500	484	290.00	290.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	425	402.50	402.50
8	450–500	496	375.00	375.00
26	550–600	566	340.00	340.00
2	650–700	688	271.00	271.00
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	350–400	353	397.50	397.50
3	600–650	625	267.00	267.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	353	415.00–430.00	424.05
2	400–450	415	415.00	415.00
22	450–500	476	357.00–392.50	379.87
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
7	500–550	500	403.00	403.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
4	550–600	573	332.50	332.50
23	600–650	625	322.50–325.00	322.93
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
9	300–350	345	375.00–390.00	381.68
38	350–400	385	360.00–385.00	374.37
34	400–450	432	330.00–376.00	348.56
51	450–500	481	305.00–349.00	331.44
15	500–550	539	299.00–321.00	309.18
10	550–600	573	303.00–317.50	306.58
9	600–650	622	273.00–282.00	275.10
19	650–700	692	264.00–266.00	265.59
21	700–750	708	252.00	252.00
15	850–900	876	229.00–245.00	235.45
3	900–950	940	226.00	226.00
3	1000–1050	1,025	220.00	220.00
5	1050–1100	1,075	210.00–216.00	212.35
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	300–350	330	345.00	345.00
4	1100–1150	1,121	203.00–208.00	206.77
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
16	300–350	337	418.00	418.00
24	350–400	370	397.50–409.00	403.96
69	400–450	429	360.00–417.50	379.15
166	450–500	477	335.00–380.00	364.34
245	500–550	518	323.50–356.00	337.68
278	550–600	572	308.00–329.00	321.99
335	600–650	623	287.50–309.00	299.02
73	650–700	680	274.00–286.00	280.61
25	700–750	733	265.50–272.00	269.31
6	750–800	767	266.00–270.00	268.66
9	800–850	810	255.00–267.00	262.51
5	850–900	888	241.00–249.00	242.55
1	900–950	915	241.00	241.00
2	1000–1050	1,020	224.00–231.00	227.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	300–350	324	390.00	390.00
3	450–500	488	327.00	327.00
9	500–550	527	316.00	316.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
12	700–750	726	278.00	278.00
29	750–800	770	269.50	269.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
6	400–450	417	367.50	367.50
14	450–500	494	330.00	330.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	350–400	376	340.00–352.50	344.16
5	500–550	524	282.50	282.50
2	550–600	575	280.00	280.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	400–450	436	361.00	361.00
4	450–500	493	307.50	307.50
53	500–550	521	309.00–326.00	312.74
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	600–650	639	265.00	265.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
23	550–600	574	323.00	323.00
40	600–650	645	296.00	296.00
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
14	600–650	621	283.00–287.00	284.73
4	1100–1150	1,146	212.00	212.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	1200–1250	1,210	180.00	180.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	417	390.00	390.00
1	450–500	485	385.00	385.00
14	550–600	576	301.00–325.00	308.85
11	650–700	680	285.00–295.00	287.66
4	750–800	767	254.00–270.00	261.96
1	800–850	800	256.00	256.00
3	900–950	910	253.00	253.00
5	950–1000	978	225.00–241.00	237.84
4	1000–1050	1,003	225.00	225.00
7	1050–1100	1,076	220.00–224.00	222.31
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
11	500–550	523	310.00–320.00	311.76
12	550–600	595	285.00	285.00
3	750–800	790	250.00	250.00
1	900–950	910	234.00	234.00
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1100–1150	1,148	214.00	214.00
2	1150–1200	1,173	209.00	209.00
1	1300–1350	1,300	162.50	162.50
Dairy Steers — Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	650–700	652	250.00	250.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	2	—	1,210	1,650.00	1,650.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	7	—	1,293	1,850.00	1,850.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,263	2,100.00	2,100.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	4	—	1,379	2,250.00	2,250.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	—	1,165	2,000.00	2,000.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	1	—	1,430	2,000.00	2,000.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	6	—	1,094	2,050.00	2,050.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	2	—	1,453	2,500.00	2,500.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	5	—	1,128	2,150.00–2,200.00	2,170.30
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	8	—	1,205	2,200.00–2,500.00	2,396.90
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	9	—	1,142	2,450.00–2,600.00	2,522.37
Bred Cows — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	5	—	996	2,475.00	2,475.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	7	—	1,356	2,000.00–2,025.00	2,007.32
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	19	—	967	145.00–191.00	172.34
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	18	—	1,053	127.50–152.50	141.34
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	13	—	1,166	124.00–128.00	127.41
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	78	—	1,145	139.50–202.50	157.03
(<2 yrs)	Open	192	—	1,011	152.00–240.00	199.03
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,410	161.00	161.00
(<2 yrs)	Open	3	—	833	187.50	187.50
Stock Cows — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,008	154.00	154.00
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	4	—	763	170.00–185.00	178.85
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	968	133.00	133.00
Stock Cows — Medium 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	5	—	734	172.50	172.50
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,243	157.00	157.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	3	—	1,130	2,400.00	2,400.00
(<2 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,000	2,250.00	2,250.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
23	—	1,506	142.00–149.00	146.11
64	—	1,495	136.00–145.00	140.64
6	—	1,450	127.00–129.00	128.17
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,698	123.00–134.00	129.88
24	—	1,605	135.00–146.00	142.06
15	—	1,680	143.00–149.50	145.90
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	874	96.00–115.00	105.10
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
145	—	1,166	123.50–136.00	128.79
78	—	1,150	105.00–123.50	119.14
29	—	1,201	135.00–145.00	139.26
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
26	—	1,176	91.00–119.00	110.13
12	—	1,093	112.00–128.00	120.99
1	—	1,195	132.00	132.00
5	—	1,140	84.00–99.00	93.06
Cows — Premium White 65-75% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,130	150.00	150.00
1	—	2,130	125.00	125.00
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
268	—	1,367	118.00–143.00	135.48
115	—	1,368	140.00–150.25	147.15
47	—	1,409	108.00–126.00	122.03
Cows — Premium White 65-75%$ per cwt · actual wt
14	—	1,687	137.00–150.50	143.53
1	—	1,730	139.50	139.50
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,414	102.00–119.00	108.52
21	—	1,441	118.00–134.50	127.98
7	—	1,362	138.00–145.00	142.35
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	2,120	136.00–142.00	138.86
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	2,390	167.00	167.00
8	—	2,165	150.00–155.00	154.43
18	—	1,896	147.00–169.00	159.07
26	—	1,700	131.00–158.00	145.12
14	—	2,228	159.00–190.00	180.17
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,228	130.00–142.00	134.05
11	—	1,452	157.00–175.00	160.76
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,260	130.50	130.50

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