Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, July 29, 2024

3,790 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $222.58/cwt -0.70 vs last sale · ≈ $2,161/hd at 971 lb · 24 head

light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $226.21/cwt -3.51 vs last sale · ≈ $2,126/hd at 940 lb · 14 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	3,790	2,217	3,373
Feeder cattle	217	1,225	169
Slaughter cattle	356	711	277
Replacement cattle	74	281	48

Market comments — USDA reporter

Only one sale was held last week as we are in the midst of the summer sale schedule. Please check the commentary for Public auction yards on Wednesday July 31st for this weeks sole sale and market commentary.

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
723	723	3	277.00	$277.00	$2,003	—
775–780	778	2	266.00–271.00	$268.51	$2,089	—
853	853	8	258.00	$258.00	$2,201	+3.00
967	967	7	237.00	$237.00	$2,292	-9.71
1009–1038	1018	10	232.00–233.00	$232.69	$2,369	-5.55
1075	1075	1	224.00	$224.00	$2,408	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
498	498	2	305.00	$305.00	$1,519	—
990	990	2	225.00	$225.00	$2,228	—
1032	1032	8	225.00	$225.00	$2,322	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
561–578	567	8	287.00–287.50	$287.31	$1,629	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
546	546	5	267.50	$267.50	$1,461	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
700	700	2	247.50	$247.50	$1,732	+1.50
802–838	826	9	234.00–239.00	$235.62	$1,946	+0.22
920–943	940	14	226.00–229.00	$226.21	$2,126	-3.51
958–998	971	24	220.00–226.00	$222.58	$2,161	-0.70
1003–1040	1028	6	218.00–222.50	$219.46	$2,256	+5.06
1060–1065	1060	12	217.00–217.50	$217.46	$2,305	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1118	1118	7	217.00	$217.00	$2,426	+34.00

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
562	562	3	270.00	$270.00	$1,517	—
920	920	1	224.00	$224.00	$2,061	+11.30

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
545	545	3	265.00	$265.00	$1,444	—

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Feeder Bulls

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1015	1015	1	225.00	$225.00	$2,284	—
1113–1115	1114	3	202.00–212.50	$209.00	$2,328	—
1245	1245	1	192.00	$192.00	$2,390	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
805	805	—	—	1	227.50	$227.50	$1,831	—
1060	1060	(<2 yrs)	N/A	1	227.50	$227.50	$2,412	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
935	935	2	195.00	$195.00	$1,823	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1000	1000	1	226.00	$226.00	$2,260	—

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1195–1775	1384	80-85%	44	134.00–152.00	$143.99	$1,993	-3.83
1125–1675	1387	80-85%	26	139.50–152.00	$144.99	$2,011	-2.83
1270–1600	1387	80-85%	16	112.00–133.00	$121.29	$1,682	-26.53
1337–1458	1394	80-85%	10	126.00–137.00	$133.60	$1,862	-14.22
1435–1598	1439	80-85%	74	153.00–154.00	$153.03	$2,202	+28.63
1330–1815	1449	80-85%	35	150.50–154.50	$151.78	$2,199	+27.38

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
830–890	860	85-90%	2	110.00–113.00	$111.45	$958	—
1050–1106	1069	85-90%	3	127.00–135.00	$132.24	$1,414	—
1065–1185	1138	85-90%	3	142.00–145.00	$143.45	$1,632	—
1018–1270	1165	85-90%	14	107.00–122.00	$113.00	$1,316	-20.59
1070–1282	1199	85-90%	12	125.00–139.00	$133.37	$1,599	+14.17
1160–1240	1200	85-90%	2	142.00–147.00	$144.42	$1,733	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1270–1715	1592	75-80%	7	140.00–146.00	$142.74	$2,272	+6.74
1635	1635	75-80%	1	152.50	$152.50	$2,493	+28.50
1718–1780	1734	75-80%	4	132.00–138.00	$136.02	$2,359	-1.81
1775	1775	75-80%	2	149.00	$149.00	$2,645	±0.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1300–1450	1375	2	146.00–147.50	$146.79	$2,018	—
1275–1745	1508	4	138.00–151.00	$144.83	$2,184	-22.49
1310–1790	1556	11	153.00–173.00	$163.19	$2,539	—
1498–2055	1651	11	141.00–152.00	$147.69	$2,438	—
1790–2305	2039	16	174.00–180.00	$176.90	$3,607	—
1715–2460	2045	37	155.00–172.00	$163.48	$3,343	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
950–1095	1047	(<2 yrs)	Open	3	160.00–197.00	$171.19	$1,792
1076–1252	1197	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	46	153.50–156.25	$154.77	$1,853
1238–1358	1331	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	9	151.00–152.00	$151.79	$2,020

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
890–973	945	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	155.00	$155.00	$1,465

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Beef Dairy Steers

Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
727	727	3	217.50	$217.50	$1,581	—

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Bucks

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
146	146	5	135.00	$135.00	$197	—
180–190	185	2	96.00–97.00	$96.49	$179	—
204–245	215	13	90.00–101.00	$97.77	$210	—
255	255	1	86.00	$86.00	$219	—
273–275	274	5	88.00–97.00	$91.60	$251	—

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Bucks Billies

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
45–46	46	9	142.50–160.00	$150.18	$69	—
65	65	1	160.00	$160.00	$104	—
76	76	6	185.00	$185.00	$141	—
85	85	1	205.00	$205.00	$174	—
95	95	1	170.00	$170.00	$162	—
110–125	115	5	130.00–190.00	$164.04	$189	—
127–145	133	14	192.00–207.50	$198.28	$264	—
163–190	172	4	175.00–185.00	$179.85	$309	—
215	215	1	185.00	$185.00	$398	—
225	225	1	190.00	$190.00	$428	—

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Dairy Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1213	1213	85-90%	2	108.00	$108.00	$1,310	—
1250	1250	85-90%	1	96.00	$96.00	$1,200	—
2027	2027	75-80%	3	134.00	$134.00	$2,716	—

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Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
120	120	2	57.00–65.00	$61.00	$73	—
120–133	129	6	62.00–68.00	$63.74	$82	—
130	130	10	59.00	$59.00	$77	—
132–138	136	14	72.00–83.00	$78.91	$107	—
150–165	156	60	73.00–84.00	$77.14	$120	—
150–170	168	38	87.00–98.00	$95.89	$161	—
173–193	183	75	80.00–89.00	$84.89	$155	—
196	196	6	76.00	$76.00	$149	—
198	198	5	95.00	$95.00	$188	—
207	207	16	74.00	$74.00	$153	—
205–215	208	4	84.00	$84.00	$175	—
218	218	8	96.00	$96.00	$209	—
255	255	2	85.00	$85.00	$217	—

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Hair Breeds

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
52–55	53	21	130.00–150.00	$137.89	$73	—
61	61	4	150.00	$150.00	$92	—
70–74	71	65	174.00–188.00	$176.62	$125	—
75	75	38	191.00	$191.00	$143	—
81	81	71	197.00	$197.00	$160	—
81–88	85	52	182.50–187.50	$184.63	$157	—
92	92	3	190.00	$190.00	$175	—
96	96	4	154.00	$154.00	$148	—

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Hair Bucks

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
160	160	1	135.00	$135.00	$216	—
170	170	2	105.00	$105.00	$178	—
220	220	1	103.00	$103.00	$227	—

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Hair Ewes

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
128	128	2	83.00	$83.00	$106	—
148	148	8	86.00–87.00	$86.75	$128	—
158	158	6	90.00	$90.00	$142	—
195	195	8	85.00	$85.00	$166	—
225	225	1	77.00	$77.00	$173	—

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Hair Lambs

Medium 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
43	43	13	132.50	$132.50	$57	—
80	80	17	140.00	$140.00	$112	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
89	89	23	178.00	$178.00	$158	—

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Kids

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
20	20	1	275.00	$275.00	$55	—
23	23	3	160.00	$160.00	$37	—
23	23	5	185.00	$185.00	$43	—
25–28	27	3	220.00	$220.00	$59	—
27	27	17	120.00	$120.00	$32	—
31	31	4	117.00	$117.00	$36	—
33–35	34	4	260.00–275.00	$267.72	$91	—
33–38	35	5	150.00–180.00	$166.97	$58	—
35	35	13	200.00–252.00	$247.69	$87	—
40–45	42	38	220.00–265.00	$236.87	$99	—
43	43	20	155.00–205.00	$166.13	$71	—
44	44	4	285.00	$285.00	$125	—
47	47	3	180.00	$180.00	$85	—
50	50	1	210.00	$210.00	$105	—
51	51	6	265.00	$265.00	$135	—
50–57	54	59	285.00–300.00	$287.77	$155	—
50–58	55	5	270.00–282.50	$272.28	$150	—
58	58	4	175.00–235.00	$205.00	$119	—
60–65	62	65	260.00–282.50	$277.47	$172	—
60–65	63	15	175.00–247.50	$235.53	$148	—
65	65	2	210.00	$210.00	$136	—
60–68	66	44	282.50–296.00	$290.70	$192	—
67	67	6	297.00	$297.00	$199	—
71	71	5	190.00	$190.00	$135	—
70–78	73	12	287.00–295.00	$290.93	$212	—
70–78	76	42	260.00–277.00	$275.24	$209	—
80	80	1	180.00	$180.00	$144	—
80–88	85	56	270.00–289.00	$280.24	$238	—
80–89	87	5	230.00–272.00	$264.29	$230	—
90	90	1	245.00	$245.00	$220	—
95	95	1	280.00	$280.00	$266	—
100	100	1	280.00	$280.00	$280	—
100	100	3	230.00–240.00	$233.33	$233	—
102	102	3	232.50	$232.50	$237	—

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Lambs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
56–59	57	66	230.00–259.50	$242.56	$138	—
63–67	65	69	232.00–245.00	$239.23	$155	—
66	66	4	227.00	$227.00	$150	—
72–79	74	314	230.00–254.50	$245.01	$181	—
81–89	83	277	220.00–256.00	$246.10	$204	—
90–98	92	192	206.00–232.00	$219.50	$202	—
95	95	31	206.50	$206.50	$196	—
100–109	103	193	202.00–215.00	$210.90	$217	—
110–119	117	61	193.00–202.00	$194.52	$228	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
52–54	53	22	200.00–221.00	$214.12	$113	—
61	61	27	200.00	$200.00	$122	—
62–67	63	32	221.00–240.00	$230.97	$146	—
71	71	8	243.00	$243.00	$173	—
79	79	15	186.00	$186.00	$147	—
90	90	14	201.00	$201.00	$181	—
100–107	103	29	190.00–192.00	$191.00	$197	—

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Nannies Does

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
56	56	—	—	4	80.00	$80.00	$45	—
60–65	63	—	—	2	122.50–155.00	$138.10	$87	—
70–75	71	—	—	6	115.00–125.00	$117.53	$83	—
85	85	—	—	1	90.00	$90.00	$76	—
87	87	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	141.00	$141.00	$123	—
89	89	—	—	5	149.00	$149.00	$133	—
89	89	—	—	5	102.50	$102.50	$91	—
90	90	—	—	4	72.00	$72.00	$65	—
90–91	91	—	—	12	90.00–100.00	$99.18	$90	—
93–98	95	—	—	58	122.00–135.00	$124.20	$118	—
95	95	—	—	1	180.00	$180.00	$171	—
100–110	103	—	—	3	77.50–112.50	$100.08	$103	—
100–139	111	—	—	69	106.00–146.00	$134.33	$149	—
105–113	111	—	—	10	80.00–82.00	$80.38	$89	—
100–140	120	—	—	19	132.00–157.50	$138.65	$166	—
120	120	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	145.00	$145.00	$174	—
128–130	129	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	4	107.00–115.00	$111.03	$143	—
150	150	—	—	1	140.00	$140.00	$210	—
158	158	Middle Aged (4-6 yrs)	Open	2	130.00	$130.00	$205	—
160	160	—	—	1	112.50	$112.50	$180	—
200	200	—	—	1	95.00	$95.00	$190	—

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Wethers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
35	35	1	150.00	$150.00	$52	—
45	45	3	175.00	$175.00	$79	—
97	97	3	142.50	$142.50	$138	—
105–143	134	4	147.00–182.50	$175.52	$235	—
128–145	134	3	185.00–195.00	$191.38	$256	—
150–175	158	7	182.50–199.00	$192.55	$304	—

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Wooled & Shorn

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
59	59	5	210.00	$210.00	$124	—
69	69	5	223.00	$223.00	$154	—
71	71	35	229.00	$229.00	$163	—
72	72	5	215.00	$215.00	$155	—
73–76	74	32	237.00–245.00	$240.83	$178	—
85–88	86	67	235.00–239.00	$235.97	$203	—
127	127	18	171.00	$171.00	$217	—
135	135	10	159.00	$159.00	$215	—

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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.