Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Apr 20
● As filed118 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

The state in one line

Counts as USDA filed them
Montana reported 118 priced lines covering 1,770 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 1,244 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 503 head. replacement cattle receipts at 353 head.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Apr 20, 2026
USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)
Feeder CattleReceipts 1,244Last week 3,667Year ago 1,530
Slaughter CattleReceipts 503Last week 717Year ago 543
Replacement CattleReceipts 353Last week 475Year ago 423

Compared to last week: Feeder steers were all too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on all offerings. Feeder heifers under 550 lbs were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Heifers over 550 lbs sold mostly steady to 10.00 lower in a narrow comparison. 2 small feeder specials were held this week but were significantly smaller than the previous weeks sales. Quality this week was plain to attractive. Most cattle were offered in small to moderate size packages, with no load lots on offer. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly good to very good. Many sets of cattle were put together and backgrounded over the winter and spring. Cattle suitable to run on grass sold with the best demand as order buyers and ranchers both chased this weight of feeders. CME positions were lower to start the week but rebounded slightly to end the week, almost making it back to last weeks price levels by the end of the week. The April closed Friday at 367.625, 3.695 lower than last Friday. The May contract closed Friday at 360.90, 4.375 lower than last Friday. The August contract closed Friday at 360.95, 4.725 lower than last Fridays close. Market activity was mostly active with a large pool of buyers noticed, both in the stands and over the internet. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding cow demand remains very good. Feeding cows sold steady to 2.00 higher on breaking and boning fleshed cows; lean cows sold 4.00-6.00 higher. Major packers showed little to no interest for cows at higher price levels and were mostly out of the market this week. Cows moved higher on mostly demand from Canadian buyers and private feeders. Cow quality was mixed this week from plain to attractive. A large crowd of feeding cow buyers were present at all sales. Young feeding cows were met with very good demand again this week. Young cows were in high demand both from replacement buyers and from feeding buyers. Slaughter cow demand remains strong as packers continue to show good demand for limited slaughter offerings. Breaking, boning and lean slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on all offerings. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. Demand remains good as packer search for lean meat to blend down excess fat currently on the market. Feeding bull demand was mostly very good. Feeding bulls sold steady on very good demand. Packers and feeding bull buyers were both competing over similar offerings this week. Demand for young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed was mostly good to very good. Cows and heifers which lost calves are being marketed, but with very good weather conditions limited offerings are being seen. Demand for all offerings is very good with buyers for all quality levels. Young cows sold mostly steady. Quality was average to attractive, and similar to last week.

Feeder Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
16750–800793359.00359.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2400–450408600.00600.00
5600–650638451.00–460.00452.69
7650–700684430.00430.00
21700–750714401.00–418.00409.83
2750–800750394.00394.00
17800–850838360.00–372.00366.72
5900–950903338.00–339.00338.80
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
21000–10501,025312.50312.50
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
27450–500494490.00–512.00507.89
18600–650610400.00–410.00401.73
8650–700676385.00385.00
1750–800760340.00340.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2650–700698412.50412.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6450–500476545.00–555.00548.24
12500–550526480.00–505.00497.07
3600–650642435.00435.00
4650–700668392.00–427.50407.70
5750–800790372.00372.00
8800–850838340.00–359.00347.20
Steers — Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
121200–12501,246282.50282.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
4700–750748382.50382.50
3850–900852339.00339.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
1350–400395460.00460.00
5400–450438470.00–490.00474.07
3550–600555390.00390.00
3600–650640370.00370.00
6750–800773335.00–337.50336.23
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
450–10075975.00–1,000.00989.26
11400–450424550.00–565.00555.33
2450–500463500.00500.00
38500–550532464.50–480.00471.29
111550–600578413.00–459.00433.28
93600–650626390.00–416.00405.62
98650–700670385.00–398.00390.53
33700–750728350.00–369.00362.33
5750–800762350.00–354.00351.58
17800–850809348.00348.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3350–400362550.00550.00
9400–450439515.00–525.00521.67
68450–500481460.00–502.50493.37
62500–550521440.00–470.00456.77
13550–600583392.50–430.00400.72
2600–650623385.00385.00
24650–700677365.00–382.50373.34
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Replacement$ per cwt · actual wt
40650–700687411.00411.00
10750–800770356.00356.00
30800–850809345.50345.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
3750–800787332.50332.50
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
6750–800778310.00310.00
3800–850808315.00315.00
Beef/Dairy Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5750–800752337.50337.50
21800–850839328.00328.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4300–350322625.00–630.00627.53
5400–450445555.00555.00
2450–500485535.00535.00
6650–700678387.50–390.00387.91
1850–900865322.50322.50
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
21050–11001,055285.00285.00
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
21100–11501,135270.00270.00
21250–13001,280230.00230.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1150–100871,000.00–1,050.001,036.95
6400–450411580.00580.00
6600–650626427.50427.50
6650–700658410.00–412.50412.08
Beef/Dairy Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
5750–800772337.50337.50
37850–900895334.50334.50

Replacement Cattle

As reported
AgeStageHeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)31,2203,500.00–3,850.003,630.50
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)91,3904,050.00–4,300.004,227.02
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)21,7403,400.003,400.00
Bred Cows — Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)11,3203,850.003,850.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open951,159180.00–325.00242.96
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open251,307182.00–245.00198.06
(<2 yrs)Open1051,019230.00–345.00303.85
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open21,525176.00–186.00180.80
(<2 yrs)Open21,380211.00–235.00222.61
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open21,270190.00–196.00192.62
Young (2-4 yrs)Open31,140210.00210.00
Stock Cows — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open5892255.00–265.00262.96
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open351,088199.00–302.00239.49
(<2 yrs)Open121,034212.50–310.00264.84
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open5845307.50–315.00311.58
Young (2-4 yrs)Open2880320.00320.00
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)Open11,015190.00190.00
Stock Cows — Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)Open11,530187.00187.00
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo)101,1823,900.00–4,300.004,172.88

Slaughter Cattle

As reported
HeadWt rangeAvg wtPrice rangeAvg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
351,625198.00–217.00209.93
141,506173.00–209.00198.64
11,835233.00233.00
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
11,295186.00186.00
Bulls — Natural$ per cwt · actual wt
22,153238.00–240.00239.00
41,963220.00–226.00223.22
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
71,770162.50–192.00180.65
92,011218.00–237.00228.78
341,903200.00–222.00211.10
Bulls — Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
12,570226.00226.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
91,642176.00–178.00176.41
81,729159.00–173.00167.95
11,605180.00180.00
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
91,553186.00–191.00188.15
141,631173.00–184.00178.16
51,686155.00–168.00164.34
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
321,122150.00–170.00163.22
141,155174.00–183.00179.27
241,221182.00–195.00188.16
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
4867115.00–135.00128.57
1890145.00145.00
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
21,158142.00–162.50152.40
11,070150.00150.00
61,151115.00–135.00129.10
2963102.00–112.50107.70
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
11,530169.00169.00
11,375117.50117.50
21,373130.00–132.00131.04
21,508153.00–163.00157.91
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
511,364183.00–192.00188.29
381,417152.00–174.00166.28
1011,425173.00–185.00180.14
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.