Cattle Market Pulse

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, February 8, 2021

5,387 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $151.53/cwt +2.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,052/hd at 694 lb · 160 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $156.71/cwt -7.54 vs last sale · ≈ $763/hd at 487 lb · 94 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $139.00/cwt +0.58 vs last sale · ≈ $895/hd at 644 lb · 71 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 5,387 10,187 6,857
Feeder cattle 586 4,961 2,796
Slaughter cattle 111 831 416
Replacement cattle 55 4,395 613

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Extreme cold was seen across the state this week as temperatures dipped and stayed well below zero. Very few cattle were marketed as a result. Demand was light to moderate for very light offerings. Too few feeder cattle were sold to develop any market comparison. Quality was average to attractive. Several load lots were seen on Tuesday, These cattle were met with mostly moderate demand. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on very good demand this week. A storm market was seen this week as packers needed cows to fill immediate harvest needs which pushed all cow prices sharply higher. Slaughter cows sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows were very lightly tested this week as packers pushed all cows sharply higher in order to obtain offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for rebreed cows was light.

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
343 343 18 187.00 $187.00 $641 —
435 435 41 191.00 $191.00 $831 -10.04
455–469 457 24 190.00–193.00 $190.51 $871 -4.05
518–532 528 7 170.00–173.00 $170.84 $902 -9.88
587 587 22 160.00 $160.00 $939 -5.69
651–696 694 160 145.00–151.85 $151.53 $1,052 +2.37
726–746 736 8 137.00–140.00 $138.48 $1,019 -3.10
763 763 9 140.00 $140.00 $1,068 +3.96
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 4 157.50 $157.50 $706 —
495 495 5 135.00 $135.00 $668 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 2 184.00 $184.00 $631 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
401 401 7 155.00 $155.00 $622 -13.35
453–498 487 94 153.50–160.00 $156.71 $763 -7.54
528 528 17 147.00 $147.00 $776 -10.86
558–580 570 32 149.00–153.00 $150.84 $860 +2.86
644 644 71 139.00 $139.00 $895 -0.58
686 686 4 127.50 $127.50 $875 +0.50
766 766 6 115.00 $115.00 $881 -11.96
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476 476 17 140.00 $140.00 $666 -13.61
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1063 1063 3 102.00 $102.00 $1,084 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1333–1434 1415 80-85% 32 62.50–65.50 $64.83 $917 +7.43
1335–1540 1417 80-85% 20 54.00–62.50 $57.16 $810 -0.24
1480 1480 80-85% 2 70.00 $70.00 $1,036 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
880 880 85-90% 1 52.00 $52.00 $458 —
973 973 85-90% 2 41.00 $41.00 $399 -10.50
880–1295 1149 85-90% 11 53.00–60.00 $56.98 $655 -1.61
1045–1268 1192 85-90% 13 58.00–65.50 $61.79 $737 +9.10
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1605 1605 75-80% 1 62.00 $62.00 $995 —
1636–1843 1688 75-80% 8 64.50–66.00 $65.59 $1,107 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1105 1105 1 77.00 $77.00 $851 —
1145 1145 1 83.00 $83.00 $950 —
2000 2000 1 92.00 $92.00 $1,840 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
995–1065 1035 (<2 yrs)Open 3 91.00–92.00 $91.34 $945
856–1195 1051 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 47 70.00–79.00 $74.50 $783

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Bucks

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
101 101 4 182.00 $182.00 $184 —
183–195 189 15 95.00–114.00 $106.84 $202 —
200–235 227 22 92.00–106.00 $99.27 $225 —
261–280 264 6 92.00–93.00 $92.82 $245 —
325 325 1 87.00 $87.00 $283 —

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
98 98 2 245.00 $245.00 $240 —
105–115 110 2 200.00–215.00 $207.84 $229 —
140–148 145 5 217.50–230.00 $224.90 $326 —
150–190 165 3 235.00–255.00 $247.02 $408 —

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Ewes

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
119–145 130 Yearlings (1-2 yrs)Spring 291 250.00–285.00 $265.76 —
130 130 Lambs (<1 yr)Spring 16 200.00 $200.00 —
144 144 Young (2-4 yrs)Spring 44 220.00 $220.00 —
150–186 166 Aged (>6yrs)Spring 102 180.00–195.00 $185.37 —
151–178 167 Young (2-4 yrs)Spring 378 235.00–285.00 $274.94 —
162–179 173 Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)Spring 606 200.00–235.00 $218.14 —
169–190 178 Yearlings (1-2 yrs)Spring 113 255.00–285.00 $266.97 —
200 200 Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)Spring 75 235.00–245.00 $239.00 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
113–123 121 12 74.00–83.00 $75.40 $91 —
123–135 131 45 91.00–111.00 $101.55 $133 —
133 133 21 126.00 $126.00 $168 —
125–149 140 134 101.00–118.00 $113.15 $158 —
148 148 6 99.00 $99.00 $147 —
152–153 152 45 123.00–124.00 $123.87 $188 —
155–173 163 250 100.00–120.00 $108.63 $177 —
167–183 173 87 90.00–96.00 $94.18 $163 —
160–190 175 84 98.00–113.00 $105.64 $185 —
183–190 183 58 94.00–95.00 $94.98 $174 —
200–210 202 118 103.00–108.00 $104.85 $212 —
221–225 222 13 101.00–108.00 $105.82 $235 —
222–225 224 12 93.00–95.00 $94.51 $212 —
233 233 13 94.00 $94.00 $219 —
268–299 290 26 95.00–97.00 $95.28 $276 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
141 141 Lambs (<1 yr)Spring 8 200.00 $200.00 —
168–192 170 Aged (>6yrs)Spring 45 210.00–215.00 $210.38 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
132 132 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 32 117.00 $117.00 $154 —
Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
201 201 Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)Spring 5 220.00 $220.00 —
211 211 Young (2-4 yrs)Spring 9 220.00 $220.00 —

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Hair Breeds

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
50 50 18 255.00 $255.00 $128 —
96 96 4 212.50 $212.50 $204 —
104–113 105 51 171.00–179.00 $178.32 $187 —

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Hair Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
90 90 3 75.00 $75.00 $68 —
99 99 10 112.00 $112.00 $111 —
125 125 7 109.00 $109.00 $136 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
161 161 Yearlings (1-2 yrs)Open 6 108.00 $108.00 $174 —

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Kids

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
43 43 11 265.00 $265.00 $114 —
51 51 4 370.00 $370.00 $189 —
55 55 2 275.00 $275.00 $151 —
58 58 19 297.50 $297.50 $173 —
59 59 7 280.00 $280.00 $165 —
65 65 1 265.00 $265.00 $172 —
80 80 1 290.00 $290.00 $232 —
83 83 2 275.00 $275.00 $228 —
90 90 1 275.00 $275.00 $248 —
95–97 97 4 247.50 $247.50 $240 —

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
94 94 22 152.50 $152.50 $143 —
100–118 110 8 190.00–212.50 $199.03 $219 —
102–135 126 24 200.00–225.00 $212.09 $267 —
N/N/A ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
81 81 Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)Bred 9 235.00 $235.00 —
110–123 117 Young (2-4 yrs)Bred 36 320.00–335.00 $328.74 —

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
65 65 1 255.00 $255.00 $166 —
90 90 1 195.00 $195.00 $176 —
90–95 93 2 245.00–265.00 $254.73 $237 —
105–125 114 7 220.00–242.50 $238.98 $272 —
115 115 1 215.00 $215.00 $247 —

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Wooled & Shorn

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
48 48 82 240.00 $240.00 $115 —
51–53 53 44 217.50–225.00 $218.16 $116 —
62–69 66 108 220.00–252.50 $240.84 $159 —
71–77 74 291 230.00–239.00 $235.79 $174 —
84–85 85 247 224.00–233.00 $229.97 $195 —
90 90 3 187.00 $187.00 $168 —
90–98 94 93 209.00–217.00 $213.08 $200 —
100–127 113 359 164.00–204.00 $183.66 $208 —

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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.