Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, November 21, 2022

7,023 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $203.93/cwt +8.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,169/hd at 573 lb · 245 head

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $190.13/cwt +1.38 vs last sale · ≈ $990/hd at 521 lb · 229 head

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $193.56/cwt -1.17 vs last sale · ≈ $947/hd at 489 lb · 192 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	7,023	17,934	5,883
Feeder cattle	3,016	11,334	1,362
Slaughter cattle	2,087	2,296	2,444
Replacement cattle	1,920	738	2,077

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: All feeder cattle were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Most calves were offered in small packages or as singles. The shortened holiday week had many buyers out of the market this week. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Market activity was slow. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for moderate offerings. Over the past last few weeks packers have bought heavy offerings of cows to send to feed. With the holiday week last week packers were able to take a back seat and allow the market to slide lower as they showed light demand for slaughter cows. Feeding cow demand was the most consistent this week as packers continue to put high quality cows away to feed to premium white. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower on breaking cows boning and lean cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower. Feeding cows sold steady to 3.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady to weak. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00-12.00 lower. Quality was mostly plain to average this week and fewer takers were seen on this class of cows.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
360–392 unweaned	387	28	240.00–251.00	$245.02	$948	-15.34
421–443 unweaned	440	83	235.00–255.00	$238.61	$1,050	-10.03
451–493 unweaned	473	90	215.00–235.00	$228.38	$1,080	+1.53
505–540 unweaned	526	168	204.50–224.00	$210.65	$1,108	+0.34
552–596 unweaned	573	245	188.00–211.00	$203.93	$1,169	+9.00
600–638 unweaned	623	121	182.00–199.50	$194.71	$1,213	+6.50
653–696 unweaned	673	48	170.00–191.00	$183.13	$1,232	+0.87
715	715	5	172.00	$172.00	$1,230	—
716–740 unweaned	717	18	171.00–183.50	$182.78	$1,311	+10.24

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
378–390 unweaned	387	14	225.00–233.00	$231.33	$895	-9.25
409–410 unweaned	409	8	222.50–232.00	$223.69	$915	-4.11
431–445	436	52	192.00–206.00	$201.32	$878	-31.18
459–498 unweaned	473	20	181.00–206.00	$189.44	$896	-10.43
510	510	4	199.00	$199.00	$1,015	+16.99
503–528 unweaned	520	29	171.00–200.00	$181.23	$942	-9.70
612–626 unweaned	621	9	179.00–180.50	$179.49	$1,115	+7.36
805	805	3	166.00	$166.00	$1,336	-4.00

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
602 unweaned	602	33	147.00	$147.00	$885	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
401	401	16	213.00	$213.00	$854	-17.00
712	712	6	168.00	$168.00	$1,196	+17.79

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
412 unweaned	412	3	220.00	$220.00	$906	—
497 unweaned	497	11	199.00	$199.00	$989	—

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
394 unweaned	394	8	208.00	$208.00	$820	-10.70
405–441 unweaned	413	131	197.00–210.00	$204.43	$844	-9.25
435	435	51	195.00	$195.00	$848	-12.09
451–499 unweaned	489	192	165.00–199.00	$193.56	$947	-1.89
516	516	72	188.00	$188.00	$970	+2.84
505–546 unweaned	523	157	181.00–195.50	$191.10	$999	+3.18
563	563	10	177.00	$177.00	$997	+27.50
560–591 unweaned	585	56	171.00–194.00	$179.82	$1,052	+2.71
600–647 unweaned	633	72	139.00–170.50	$162.79	$1,030	-6.33
647	647	3	150.00	$150.00	$970	-25.50
655–658 unweaned	656	21	165.50–170.50	$168.59	$1,106	+8.33
755	755	3	180.00	$180.00	$1,359	+18.00
808–823	811	34	178.00–182.50	$180.85	$1,467	+17.85
853	853	49	188.00	$188.00	$1,604	+24.16
913–945	935	15	160.00–162.00	$161.06	$1,506	+16.06
989–996	991	12	154.00–158.00	$156.66	$1,553	+6.75

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
308–343 unweaned	334	15	200.00–210.50	$209.72	$700	-5.83
363–385 unweaned	379	11	167.00–187.50	$172.35	$653	-33.76
415–438 unweaned	431	21	185.00–194.00	$187.73	$809	-1.28
454–496 unweaned	478	23	146.00–183.00	$164.67	$787	-13.47
498	498	60	179.50	$179.50	$894	—
500 unweaned	500	2	179.00	$179.00	$895	+11.28
509	509	4	161.00	$161.00	$819	-11.00
594	594	13	164.50	$164.50	$977	—
598 unweaned	598	3	163.00	$163.00	$975	-2.08
600–625 unweaned	613	2	162.50–165.00	$163.78	$1,004	+5.78
738	738	11	166.00	$166.00	$1,225	—
920	920	5	149.50	$149.50	$1,375	-2.50

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
397 unweaned	397	4	155.00	$155.00	$615	-41.99
427	427	8	176.00	$176.00	$752	—
447 unweaned	447	33	189.50	$189.50	$847	-6.63
473 unweaned	473	5	152.00	$152.00	$719	-19.00
754	754	11	160.00	$160.00	$1,206	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
305–337 unweaned	312	13	190.00	$190.00	$593	—
508–546 unweaned	513	31	139.00–140.50	$140.29	$720	-12.71
558–570 unweaned	564	4	131.00–142.00	$136.44	$770	-9.56
787	787	3	145.00	$145.00	$1,141	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
521	521	8	147.50	$147.50	$768	—
556	556	4	150.00	$150.00	$834	—
669 unweaned	669	4	148.00	$148.00	$990	-4.00
1043	1043	8	147.00	$147.00	$1,533	-2.50
1076–1091	1087	21	142.00–144.00	$143.43	$1,559	+0.93

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
404 unweaned	404	5	135.00	$135.00	$545	—

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
384 unweaned	384	13	215.00	$215.00	$826	—
421 unweaned	421	15	216.00	$216.00	$909	+8.00
472 unweaned	472	3	201.00	$201.00	$949	-0.71
521 unweaned	521	8	185.00	$185.00	$964	+0.68
574 unweaned	574	6	185.00	$185.00	$1,062	—
685 unweaned	685	2	155.00	$155.00	$1,062	+3.00

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
295 unweaned	295	14	205.00	$205.00	$605	—
396 unweaned	396	5	185.00	$185.00	$733	—
476 unweaned	476	10	152.50	$152.50	$726	—
646 unweaned	646	5	155.00	$155.00	$1,001	—

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
764	764	85-90%	15	33.50	$33.50	$256	—
870	870	85-90%	3	54.00	$54.00	$470	—
895–990	938	85-90%	12	41.00–53.00	$46.04	$432	-11.21
1141–1162	1151	85-90%	13	42.50–43.00	$42.73	$492	-14.34
845–1335	1159	85-90%	217	45.00–58.50	$54.05	$626	-3.02
1000–1350	1166	85-90%	61	32.00–47.00	$41.38	$482	-15.69
1005–1400	1192	85-90%	118	44.00–57.00	$51.81	$618	-3.14
1005–1330	1213	85-90%	28	56.00–60.00	$57.62	$699	-5.30
875–1338	1221	85-90%	366	55.00–65.50	$60.69	$741	-2.23
1090–1310	1221	85-90%	24	67.00–76.00	$70.82	$865	+7.90

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1250–1655	1392	80-85%	155	63.50–79.00	$71.55	$996	+10.01
1198–1650	1398	80-85%	107	52.00–66.00	$59.40	$830	-2.14
1298–1635	1400	80-85%	56	50.00–62.00	$55.69	$780	-19.69
1230–1530	1430	80-85%	28	79.00–81.50	$80.14	$1,146	+4.76
1475	1475	80-85%	1	48.00	$48.00	$708	—
1556	1556	80-85%	7	77.00	$77.00	$1,198	—
1362–1928	1564	80-85%	6	63.00–74.00	$69.02	$1,079	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1530–1765	1570	75-80%	17	64.50–74.00	$72.64	$1,140	—
1455–1900	1596	75-80%	46	70.00–78.00	$75.84	$1,210	—
1495–1813	1671	75-80%	22	62.00–74.50	$69.91	$1,168	-10.81
1540–1920	1682	75-80%	4	79.50–82.50	$81.30	$1,367	+0.58
1683	1683	75-80%	2	82.00	$82.00	$1,380	+1.28

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
934–1210	962	10	59.00–71.00	$60.51	$582	—
1250	1250	2	98.00	$98.00	$1,225	—
1285–1550	1455	3	62.00–78.00	$73.29	$1,066	—
1300–2210	1648	21	68.00–87.00	$78.52	$1,294	—
1443–2115	1753	24	89.00–96.50	$91.64	$1,606	—
1590–2000	1772	26	90.00–94.50	$93.14	$1,650	—
1895	1895	2	99.00	$99.00	$1,876	—

YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1550	1550	1	77.00	$77.00	$1,194	—

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
895 thin fleshed	895	(<2 yrs)	Open	1	85.00	$85.00	$761
703–1380	993	(<2 yrs)	Open	213	75.00–112.00	$93.42	$928
800–1345	1068	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	105	60.00–90.00	$74.27	$793

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
705–1005 thin fleshed	887	(<2 yrs)	Open	9	53.00–67.50	$62.31	$553
900	900	(<2 yrs)	Open	3	71.00	$71.00	$639
855–1155	998	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	26	55.00–64.00	$61.93	$618

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1013	1013	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	9	1,050.00	$1,050.00
1053	1053	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	19	1,150.00	$1,150.00
1042–1100	1072	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	10	1,000.00–1,035.00	$1,017.61
1110	1110	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	1	1,300.00	$1,300.00
875–1755	1114	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	99	1,250.00–1,575.00	$1,462.65
1088–1182	1152	Young (2-4 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	21	1,200.00–1,435.00	$1,327.63
1139–1225 thin fleshed	1170	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	45	785.00–850.00	$801.58
1178–1483	1286	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	272	900.00–1,250.00	$975.74
1313	1313	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	4	1,085.00	$1,085.00
1158–1546	1316	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	238	925.00–1,235.00	$1,112.42
1284–1392	1318	Aged (>8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	16	825.00–960.00	$869.56
1149–1765	1321	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	182	1,200.00–1,510.00	$1,424.60
1391	1391	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	1,150.00	$1,150.00

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1049–1133	1085	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	7	1,225.00–1,285.00	$1,258.15
1146	1146	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	4	1,150.00	$1,150.00
1138–1202	1172	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	24	800.00–850.00	$826.31
1228	1228	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	5	900.00	$900.00

Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
815–985	943	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	8	1,225.00–1,275.00	$1,264.19

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
1378	1378	Aged (>8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	3	56.00	$56.00	$772

↑ Back to top

Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
885	885	(<2 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	4	1,235.00	$1,235.00
885–1068	930	(<2 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	55	1,510.00–1,600.00	$1,547.69

↑ Back to top

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.