light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers$297.07/cwt-18.93 vs last sale · ≈ $2,798/hd at 942 lb · 27 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers$443.00/cwt≈ $2,206/hd at 498 lb · 18 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers$299.23/cwt≈ $2,906/hd at 971 lb · 13 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
394
285
980
Feeder cattle
224
119
618
Slaughter cattle
150
90
172
Replacement cattle
20
76
190
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last sale (8-04-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. A few yearlings are beginning to come off grass. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Demand for feeders was mostly moderate, but suffered again this sale as buyers struggled to build loads. Many sets of yearlings coming off grass were pushing moderate amounts on all feeders on offer. A few sets of spring calves were seen this week. Several were out of drought areas. Calves were in mostly light flesh. Demand for calves was light as hot weather and light offerings limited demand. CME positions traded much of the morning in positive territory but traded mixed before the end of the sale, which concluded before the board closed. CME positions are lower than the last sale on August 8th. Market activity was slow to moderate this week. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for light offerings. Feeding cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower on a lower yielding offering. A large offering of bulls was seen this sale as many are marketing bulls coming out of breeding pastures. Many bulls were in thin condition and lower yielding as a result. Weigh up conditions were mixed today with both full and empty cows and bulls noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Young age cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend. Many young cows were pushing moderate to moderate plus flesh as pasture conditions in eastern Montana have been mostly good. Quality this week was mostly plain to average this week.
→ Feeder cattle: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend
▼ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower on a lower yielding offering
→ Slaughter cows: Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend
USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of
the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is
muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle
scores — common across the Southeast.
What is $/cwt?
Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at
$450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per
cwt but less per head.
Why are some prices per head?
Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the
head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a
$/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News —
federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the
official USDA document at the top of the page.
Cattle Market
Compared to last sale (8-04-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. A few yearlings are beginning to come off grass. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Demand for feeders was mostly moderate, but suffered again this sale as buyers struggled to build loads. Many sets of yearlings coming off grass were pushing moderate amounts on all feeders on offer. A few sets of spring calves were seen this week. Several were out of drought areas. Calves were in mostly light flesh. Demand for calves was light as hot weather and light offerings limited demand. CME positions traded much of the morning in positive territory but traded mixed before the end of the sale, which concluded before the board closed. CME positions are lower than the last sale on August 8th. Market activity was slow to moderate this week. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for light offerings. Feeding cows were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to lower undertones were noticed on a poorer quality offering. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower on a lower yielding offering. A large offering of bulls was seen this sale as many are marketing bulls coming out of breeding pastures. Many bulls were in thin condition and lower yielding as a result. Weigh up conditions were mixed today with both full and empty cows and bulls noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Young age cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend. Many young cows were pushing moderate to moderate plus flesh as pasture conditions in eastern Montana have been mostly good. Quality this week was mostly plain to average this week.