Cattle Market Pulse

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, January 4, 2021

9,071 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $154.92/cwt +6.11 vs last sale · ≈ $817/hd at 527 lb · 613 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $163.14/cwt +6.50 vs last sale · ≈ $941/hd at 576 lb · 562 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $178.28/cwt +7.39 vs last sale · ≈ $948/hd at 532 lb · 513 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 9,071 15,051 11,360
Feeder cattle 7,263 7,439 8,942
Slaughter cattle 1,347 3,184 405
Replacement cattle 461 4,428 2,013

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Yearling steer were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers sold with lower undertones. Steer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00 to 10.00 higher. Steers 500 lbs and heavier sold most sales were steady to 5.00 higher. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold mostly 10.00 higher, heifers over 450 lbs sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Cattle sold in mostly moderate size packages with a few load lots on the mix. The best demand continues to be for lightweight cattle suitable to run on grass and develop into yearlings. The January feeder cattle contract closed at 135.825 and the March closed at 136.825 a loss of 5.15 and 5.775 respectfully since Thursday Dec 17th. Market activity this week was mostly active to very active with many buyers actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for mostly moderate to heavy offerings. Packers were very active early in the week, but backed off significantly later in the week. Slaughter cows sold 2.00-4.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. Feeding cow demand was moderate throughout the week. The majority of cows sold this week returned to the country to feed. All feeding cows sold steady to weak. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly good demand this week. Bulls sold unevenly steady. 2 year old to young age cows sold on light demand for mostly moderate offerings. This class of cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
346 unweaned 346 3 210.00 $210.00 $727 +7.28
357–398 391 34 200.50–210.00 $205.27 $803 +10.75
421–428 unweaned 425 44 204.00–217.00 $209.84 $892 +24.23
405–448 430 87 189.00–205.00 $197.13 $848 +3.97
458 458 18 200.50 $200.50 $918 +18.56
450–498 469 315 175.00–201.50 $190.01 $891 +8.07
476–497 unweaned 488 73 182.50–185.00 $183.70 $896 +6.70
514 unweaned 514 4 171.00 $171.00 $879 +2.85
503–549 532 509 165.00–185.00 $178.34 $949 +4.93
550–598 576 540 152.50–175.00 $163.44 $941 +5.18
580 unweaned 580 3 161.50 $161.50 $937 +11.51
590 590 19 155.00 $155.00 $914 -3.26
600–648 618 353 139.00–161.50 $155.36 $960 +4.79
627 unweaned 627 3 148.00 $148.00 $928 +1.19
640 640 21 149.00 $149.00 $954 -1.57
651–692 672 326 136.50–152.75 $146.16 $982 -1.65
656–691 unweaned 675 17 137.00–145.50 $140.89 $951 -2.11
702–749 714 268 129.00–143.50 $139.52 $996 +4.37
752–775 770 44 130.00–136.00 $131.78 $1,015 -1.22
802–820 804 26 130.00–132.00 $130.27 $1,047 -6.23
889 889 7 119.25 $119.25 $1,060 —
907 907 11 119.25 $119.25 $1,082 -5.75
955 955 11 125.00 $125.00 $1,194 +2.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 7 205.00 $205.00 $656 +20.67
369–389 382 44 172.00–190.00 $179.09 $684 +6.52
402–446 420 32 187.00–190.00 $189.50 $796 +13.41
430 unweaned 430 2 184.00 $184.00 $791 +12.84
455–499 489 56 160.00–183.00 $178.19 $871 +7.31
505–548 534 36 162.50–173.00 $170.66 $911 +18.27
540–548 unweaned 543 13 158.00 $158.00 $858 -4.00
570–599 587 44 150.00–157.00 $154.23 $905 +9.33
629–643 636 34 140.50–147.00 $145.12 $923 +4.20
653–696 687 57 132.00–141.00 $138.84 $954 +2.60
710–740 731 19 125.00–133.00 $130.43 $953 —
816–828 823 9 128.50–129.50 $128.94 $1,061 -2.06
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
669 669 48 140.50 $140.50 $940 —
1003 1003 17 120.00 $120.00 $1,204 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
318 318 2 190.00 $190.00 $604 +16.78
330 unweaned 330 70 170.00 $170.00 $561 +2.82
350–396 373 31 176.00–188.50 $181.76 $678 +10.90
380 unweaned 380 21 186.00 $186.00 $707 +17.55
400–448 425 281 154.00–178.00 $173.92 $739 +12.54
435–445 unweaned 443 26 158.00–168.00 $160.05 $709 -3.63
450–499 479 391 149.50–170.00 $159.80 $765 +3.20
503–534 unweaned 522 91 144.00–156.25 $148.71 $776 +3.96
500–547 528 522 137.00–161.50 $156.00 $824 +6.43
550–593 563 342 131.00–156.00 $149.44 $841 +10.94
600–645 618 322 127.00–143.50 $139.19 $860 +5.60
658–695 668 156 123.00–137.50 $134.44 $898 +3.61
679 679 9 129.00 $129.00 $876 -1.83
703–720 704 56 132.00–132.25 $132.14 $930 +0.56
708 708 8 126.00 $126.00 $892 -5.58
750–777 765 58 131.50–134.00 $132.55 $1,014 +1.16
849 849 5 128.00 $128.00 $1,087 —
867 867 35 121.50 $121.50 $1,053 -9.24
934–941 936 45 117.00–121.50 $120.19 $1,125 -2.81
985 985 2 118.50 $118.50 $1,167 -3.25
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–392 379 22 165.00–172.00 $166.65 $632 +7.23
433–442 438 5 150.00–155.00 $153.02 $670 +0.31
461–495 478 24 148.00–156.00 $154.63 $739 +15.66
503–527 514 61 147.50–152.00 $150.54 $774 +11.50
579–586 581 43 131.50–141.50 $135.70 $788 +7.06
614–648 630 20 128.00–133.50 $131.90 $831 —
691 691 18 127.50 $127.50 $881 +7.00
737 737 3 117.00 $117.00 $862 -9.00
773 773 8 120.00 $120.00 $928 -5.00
930 930 6 114.50 $114.50 $1,065 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
549 549 10 146.00 $146.00 $802 —
759 759 9 119.00 $119.00 $903 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1048 1048 18 107.50 $107.50 $1,127 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 5 145.00 $145.00 $638 —
521 521 6 138.50 $138.50 $722 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
656 656 6 134.00 $134.00 $879 +10.00
704 704 8 123.00 $123.00 $866 -4.00
844 844 4 119.00 $119.00 $1,004 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1017 1017 8 109.50 $109.50 $1,114 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358 358 4 185.00 $185.00 $662 —
546 546 4 146.00 $146.00 $797 +12.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–985 962 85-90% 3 39.00–46.00 $43.44 $418 +2.53
840–1255 1154 85-90% 30 31.00–40.00 $37.65 $434 -21.65
1163 1163 85-90% 2 60.00 $60.00 $698 +13.94
1055–1320 1174 85-90% 120 47.50–55.00 $52.23 $613 +7.19
1005–1370 1183 85-90% 168 40.00–50.00 $47.08 $557 +2.04
1053–1344 1194 85-90% 46 48.00–53.00 $51.19 $611 +6.15
1020–1370 1214 85-90% 168 40.00–49.00 $43.90 $533 -8.24
1220 1220 85-90% 1 59.00 $59.00 $720 +6.86
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1338 1338 80-85% 6 59.50 $59.50 $796 +11.59
1222–1695 1380 80-85% 302 49.50–59.50 $55.88 $771 -6.49
1302–1630 1387 80-85% 85 44.00–51.00 $47.37 $657 -15.00
1245–1710 1410 80-85% 29 41.50–48.50 $45.95 $648 -1.68
1435–1557 1510 80-85% 5 53.00–55.00 $54.33 $820 —
1525 1525 80-85% 2 39.50 $39.50 $602 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1363–1570 1448 75-80% 15 57.00–58.50 $57.97 $839 —
1345–2025 1540 75-80% 28 46.00–57.50 $56.16 $865 —
1525–1625 1575 75-80% 2 57.00–59.50 $58.21 $917 -3.85
1520–1845 1584 75-80% 21 44.50–57.00 $52.91 $838 -9.15
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
2000 2000 65-75% 1 59.00 $59.00 $1,180 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1160–1660 1455 9 61.50–74.00 $66.60 $969 -4.94
1390–1580 1485 2 78.50–79.00 $78.77 $1,170 +7.23
1480–2445 1786 34 61.50–74.50 $70.78 $1,264 -0.81
1620–2360 1894 4 83.00–84.00 $83.47 $1,581 —
1425–2295 1926 32 75.00–85.50 $79.97 $1,540 -1.50

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
845–960 thin fleshed 890 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 47.00–62.00 $51.75 $461
855–1330 997 (<2 yrs)Open 50 75.50–90.00 $78.83 $786
809–1425 1029 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 230 47.00–92.00 $66.74 $687
1099 1099 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 16 53.00 $53.00 $582

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1155 1155 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 3 1,050.00 $1,050.00
1209 1209 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 975.00 $975.00
1133–1395 1254 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 5 710.00–775.00 $738.91
1318 1318 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 26 1,035.00 $1,035.00
1325 1325 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 800.00 $800.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
938 938 (<2 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 16 1,385.00 $1,385.00

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Reading this report

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.