Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 195 priced lines covering 4,190 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 3,364 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,044 head. replacement cattle receipts at 545 head. Counted as USDA files them — 58 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Mon Sep 22, 2025

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 3,364Last week 1,386Year ago 3,927

Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,044Last week 263Year ago 1,235

Replacement CattleReceipts 545Last week 134Year ago 314

Yearling steers and calves both sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Yearling heifers and heifer calves both sold unevenly steady in a narrow comparison. Demand was mostly good for light to moderate offerings. Several load lots were seen this week and these offerings were met with very good demand. Packages of calves and yearlings sold unevenly. Quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive, with lots of variation noticed. CME positions whipsawed over the past week causing buyers to show caution at times. As of Fridays close the September contract had a final settlement of 365.04, up 5.89 from last Friday, while the October closed at 357.00, up 2.90 for the week, the November contract closed Friday at 354.475. Market activity was mostly active this past week with a large crowd of order buyers and farmer feeders in the seats as well as over the internet actively bidding on cattle. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly moderate. Very few cows continue to be purchased for immediate harvest. Only extremely poor or very blemished cows were purchased for immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows were to lightly tested the previous week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed on all offerings. Feeding cow demand was very good. Even cows which were slightly blemished, some buyers were willing to put on feed. Feeding cows sold on very good demand as private feeders and packer buyers both showed strong demand for cows to feed. Quality was mostly average to attractive and better than last week. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher on boning flesh cows, while lean cows sold sharply higher with most sales 5.00-10.00 higher. The spread between slaughter cows and feeding cows remains very large. Slaughter bulls sold on good demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00 higher. Many thin fleshed bulls continue to be seen as many have been turned out with cows. Many of these thin bulls were purchased to feed this week. Feeding bulls sold mostly 3.00-4.00 higher. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on very good demand for limited offerings. Offerings were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply higher undertones were noticed. Buyers showed willingness to buy older cows which were in good condition to rebreed. Good demand was seen for all pairs with summer or early fall born calves. Bred cows of all ages sold on good demand. Most offerings were short bred cows which will calve March -May.

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	4	—	1,276	2,800.00	2,800.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	2	—	1,153	3,200.00	3,200.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	2	—	1,153	3,150.00	3,150.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	7	—	1,202	2,000.00–2,050.00	2,019.70
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	1	—	1,045	2,850.00	2,850.00
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	46	—	1,402	2,800.00–3,150.00	2,884.33
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	28	—	1,350	186.00–208.50	206.29
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,533	3,100.00	3,100.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	34	—	1,287	3,050.00–3,400.00	3,233.38
Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	12	—	1,121	293.00	293.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	16	—	1,357	3,050.00–3,400.00	3,212.17
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	46	—	1,353	2,525.00–2,850.00	2,795.14
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	12	—	1,467	3,150.00–3,450.00	3,255.22
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	9	—	1,384	4,450.00	4,450.00
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,569	4,150.00–4,200.00	4,169.90
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	22	—	1,766	4,285.00	4,285.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,495	3,700.00	3,700.00
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Non-Legible BANGS$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,612	3,850.00	3,850.00
Bred Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	6	—	883	2,800.00	2,800.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	4	—	946	3,100.00	3,100.00
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	788	255.00–270.00	262.52
Stock Cows — Medium 2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	828	207.50	207.50
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,295	164.00	164.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	10	—	1,050	182.00–230.00	197.03
(<2 yrs)	Open	9	—	967	227.50–265.00	254.35
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,473	204.00	204.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	57	—	1,010	221.00–296.00	263.25
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,310	184.00	184.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	69	—	1,089	190.00–276.00	232.45
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	19	—	1,291	176.00–189.50	186.90
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,415	169.00	169.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per cwt · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,310	173.00–185.00	177.57

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	413	500.00	500.00
11	450–500	472	445.00–485.00	455.67
3	500–550	502	410.00	410.00
4	550–600	591	385.00	385.00
2	700–750	725	370.00	370.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	200–250	215	700.00	700.00
18	250–300	282	625.00–630.00	627.32
13	300–350	340	545.00–560.00	548.54
6	350–400	393	525.00	525.00
18	450–500	468	445.00–470.00	461.30
5	500–550	511	430.00	430.00
26	550–600	572	402.00	402.00
5	600–650	624	397.00	397.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	1050–1100	1,060	227.50–240.00	235.75
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
1	1200–1250	1,245	225.00	225.00
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	1050–1100	1,086	262.50–282.50	274.58
2	1100–1150	1,118	269.00–274.00	271.49
4	1150–1200	1,176	250.00	250.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	850–900	853	342.50	342.50
7	900–950	908	323.00–337.00	329.00
7	950–1000	954	314.00	314.00
3	1000–1050	1,000	312.00	312.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
8	300–350	346	575.00	575.00
1	350–400	380	540.00	540.00
23	400–450	446	460.00–505.00	492.57
9	450–500	473	425.00–450.00	433.32
4	500–550	538	404.00–420.00	411.96
26	550–600	577	382.50–429.00	409.91
7	750–800	762	371.00	371.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	600–650	618	420.00	420.00
22	650–700	657	410.00–417.00	415.94
39	700–750	738	405.00–409.00	406.94
52	750–800	780	375.00–393.00	385.06
11	800–850	818	360.00	360.00
2	850–900	855	360.00	360.00
159	900–950	915	351.00–358.00	355.57
20	950–1000	981	330.00–341.00	331.62
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	250–300	273	660.00–700.00	686.83
29	300–350	326	595.00–640.00	616.65
46	350–400	374	562.50–595.00	566.26
21	400–450	444	500.00–530.00	512.42
54	450–500	470	475.00–515.00	490.10
64	500–550	528	430.00–466.00	451.27
53	550–600	571	421.00–441.00	428.28
18	600–650	612	397.00–421.00	406.80
5	650–700	691	367.00–370.00	367.59
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
24	700–750	726	370.00–380.00	371.22
9	750–800	782	361.00–365.00	363.19
2	800–850	843	350.00	350.00
17	850–900	856	350.00–353.00	351.76
4	1000–1050	1,031	312.00	312.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	500–550	517	420.00	420.00
7	650–700	693	360.00	360.00
8	700–750	730	342.00–350.00	346.08
4	750–800	778	354.00–367.50	360.64
3	800–850	828	320.00	320.00
3	950–1000	993	316.00	316.00
Steers — Medium and Large 2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	450–500	493	445.00	445.00
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
28	500–550	543	420.00–443.00	431.64
26	550–600	569	420.00–421.00	420.69
22	600–650	647	415.00–420.00	419.10
14	650–700	676	371.00–400.00	389.80
Steers — Medium 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
6	650–700	662	370.00	370.00
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	600–650	608	372.50	372.50
Steers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
6	350–400	377	530.00	530.00
4	400–450	445	490.00	490.00
17	450–500	484	427.50	427.50
2	500–550	540	435.00	435.00
3	600–650	615	390.00	390.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
17	600–650	610	402.50	402.50
2	800–850	838	335.00	335.00
10	850–900	870	337.00	337.00
27	950–1000	970	314.00	314.00
10	1050–1100	1,079	309.00–320.00	314.56
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
19	700–750	711	388.00	388.00
3	1050–1100	1,063	305.00	305.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	350–400	365	420.00–475.00	455.43
19	400–450	436	420.00–447.50	443.77
1	450–500	460	402.50	402.50
21	500–550	529	353.00–380.00	364.46
4	550–600	558	360.00	360.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
8	450–500	496	390.00	390.00
28	700–750	737	353.00–362.00	358.77
9	750–800	787	325.00–357.50	337.32
28	800–850	829	303.00–327.00	319.72
18	850–900	890	310.00–328.00	321.40
21	900–950	919	298.00–320.00	311.33
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
21	350–400	399	480.00	480.00
15	450–500	458	436.00	436.00
7	550–600	562	357.50	357.50
6	650–700	663	375.00	375.00
90	700–750	724	359.00–379.00	375.35
21	750–800	759	357.00–358.00	357.24
203	800–850	834	332.00–353.00	339.60
66	850–900	876	326.00–350.00	335.34
154	900–950	924	321.00–334.00	329.04
336	950–1000	972	309.00–323.00	315.39
48	1000–1050	1,020	300.00–315.00	310.90
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
35	250–300	285	560.00–640.00	600.33
38	300–350	328	520.00–582.50	571.82
13	350–400	372	500.00–535.00	516.09
77	400–450	419	457.50–503.00	480.93
27	450–500	470	410.00–455.00	422.06
52	500–550	520	406.00–425.00	413.71
9	550–600	582	347.50–369.00	362.52
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
4	450–500	483	390.00	390.00
7	800–850	828	329.00	329.00
25	850–900	890	320.00–327.50	325.43
8	950–1000	979	293.00–309.00	304.92
5	1000–1050	1,041	287.50–295.00	290.47
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
5	800–850	849	311.00	311.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	500–550	502	397.00	397.00
8	550–600	550	390.00	390.00
31	600–650	634	373.00–383.50	380.72
18	650–700	659	360.00–370.00	369.44
6	750–800	778	333.00	333.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
13	550–600	573	352.50	352.50
6	600–650	632	347.50–352.50	349.21
3	650–700	665	337.50	337.50
Heifers — Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
3	1200–1250	1,225	257.00	257.00
Heifers — Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
23	1050–1100	1,062	317.00	317.00
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	362	427.50	427.50
10	500–550	510	367.50	367.50
3	850–900	865	308.00	308.00
2	900–950	903	324.00	324.00
64	1050–1100	1,072	288.00–311.00	300.12
27	1100–1150	1,123	277.00–285.00	283.49
7	1150–1200	1,150	281.00	281.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
13	750–800	775	310.00–334.00	319.15
Heifers — Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1250–1300	1,280	255.00	255.00
2	1300–1350	1,338	240.00	240.00
Heifers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
6	450–500	472	399.00	399.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
41	—	1,247	175.00–178.00	176.06
91	—	1,178	161.00–175.00	170.78
38	—	1,155	130.00–166.00	157.10
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	1,195	145.00–147.50	146.24
52	—	1,160	110.00–143.00	126.39
1	—	935	108.00	108.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
34	—	1,590	170.00–174.00	171.88
18	—	1,572	162.00–169.00	165.44
3	—	1,847	155.00	155.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,761	149.00–158.00	155.22
1	—	1,855	165.00	165.00
2	—	1,650	169.00	169.00
1	—	1,775	137.00	137.00
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
230	—	1,389	161.00–175.00	170.96
24	—	1,424	141.00–162.00	155.13
191	—	1,407	174.50–177.00	175.92
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,418	135.00–140.00	137.29
5	—	1,558	153.00–161.00	158.24
1	—	1,490	151.00	151.00
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	855	105.00–111.00	108.16
Dairy Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	1,539	124.00–126.00	125.35
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,355	172.00	172.00
Bulls — Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,894	200.00	200.00
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
45	—	1,652	161.00–188.00	175.35
47	—	1,655	185.00–202.00	191.85
1	—	1,705	200.00	200.00
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
8	—	2,042	198.00–205.00	201.80
15	—	1,849	160.00–185.00	177.82
23	—	1,955	187.00–197.00	192.94
1	—	2,120	186.00	186.00
2	—	2,285	193.00–197.00	195.07

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