Cattle Market Pulse

Montana Direct Cattle Report

Montana · USDA-reported Direct Livestock

Sale of Monday, August 2, 2021

610 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Montana Direct Cattle Report report →

light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $152.02/cwt ≈ $1,117/hd at 735 lb · 310 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $147.02/cwt ≈ $1,176/hd at 800 lb · 150 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $146.79/cwt ≈ $1,248/hd at 850 lb · 150 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 610

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
735 735 310 152.02 $152.02 $1,117
800 800 150 147.02 $147.02 $1,176
850 850 150 146.79 $146.79 $1,248

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What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

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.