Cattle Market Pulse

Montana Direct Cattle Report

Montana · USDA-reported Direct Livestock

Sale of Monday, October 4, 2021

2,110 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $185.00/cwt ≈ $955/hd at 516 lb · 710 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $170.00/cwt ≈ $783/hd at 460 lb · 600 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $200.00/cwt -7.00 vs last sale · ≈ $900/hd at 450 lb · 500 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 2,110

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450 450 500 200.00 $200.00 $900 -7.00
500 value added 500 250 185.00 $185.00 $925
525 525 460 185.00 $185.00 $971

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 300 172.00 $172.00 $688
450 450 350 170.00 $170.00 $765
475 value added 475 250 170.00 $170.00 $808

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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.