State summaries / Montana / Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary / 2026-02-16

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, Feb 16

● As filed114 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

State summary

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 114 priced lines covering 1,830 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 1,247 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 380 head. replacement cattle receipts at 476 head.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon Feb 16, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Billings, MT (LS-BL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 1,247Last week 3,453Year ago 712

Slaughter CattleReceipts 380Last week 356Year ago 592

Replacement CattleReceipts 476Last week 961Year ago 1,146

Compared to last week: 600-699 lbs steers offered the best test this week selling generally steady in a very narrow comparison. 500-599 lbs heifers offered the best test this week selling mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. All other weights of steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed on a smaller, poorer quality offering. Most cattle were offered in small packages or as singles this week forcing buyers to piece together loads. Quality was mostly plain to attractive with lots of variation noticed. Demand overall was moderate to very good. Demand for high quality cattle, suitable to run on grass, remains very good. Quality this week limited demand as cattle were not as attractive as they have been the last few weeks. CME positions showed some strength this past week as higher slaughter cattle prices helped pull feeder prices higher. The March closed at 368.025, 1.875 higher than last Friday. The April closed at 365.05, 1.60 higher than last Friday. The May contract closed Friday at 361.00, 1.575 higher than last Friday. Market activity was mostly active despite a smaller crowd at all sales. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light offerings. Feeding cow demand remains the driving force in the market. Feeding cows sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. A large crowd of feeding cow buyers were present at all sales this week. Buyers showed willingness to take even blemished cows to feed as supplies are currently very tight as very few older cows are being marketed. Slaughter cow demand remains strong as packers continue to show good demand for limited slaughter offerings. Very few cows were purchased for slaughter this week as feeding buyers pushed most offerings higher than buying orders for slaughter. All slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all classes. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher pushed mostly by limited offerings and feeding bull buyers which showed good demand for sound thinner fleshed bulls. Demand for young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed was mostly moderate to good this week. A few cows and heifers which lost calves are starting to be marketed. Demand for high quality offerings is very good. Young cows sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher on an average to attractive quality offering.

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
11	350–400	391	500.00–550.00	539.03
14	400–450	426	487.50–545.00	517.15
7	450–500	461	455.00–482.50	466.95
12	500–550	542	440.00–465.00	451.66
2	550–600	585	425.00	425.00
13	600–650	625	375.00–390.00	382.17
8	650–700	687	350.00–360.00	355.02

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	250–300	298	537.50	537.50
6	350–400	378	545.00	545.00
5	450–500	456	470.00	470.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
1	350–400	385	557.50	557.50
2	400–450	415	552.00	552.00
26	450–500	473	487.00–512.50	497.53
47	500–550	515	467.00–489.00	479.09
217	550–600	576	403.50–460.00	440.99
58	600–650	634	390.00–400.00	394.01
7	700–750	747	359.00	359.00
8	750–800	755	360.00	360.00
29	850–900	851	348.00	348.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	418	470.00–490.00	479.70

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
5	400–450	415	530.00–540.00	537.98
5	650–700	682	330.00	330.00
2	750–800	783	342.50	342.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
16	350–400	362	647.50–650.00	648.14
10	400–450	420	620.00–632.50	625.52
27	450–500	468	575.00–582.50	580.78
30	500–550	540	505.00–550.00	515.11
27	550–600	565	455.00–510.00	489.59
38	600–650	622	440.00–468.00	451.65
50	650–700	681	418.00–437.00	424.29
7	700–750	728	383.00–403.00	391.94
1	800–850	815	367.00	367.00
37	850–900	855	359.00	359.00
35	900–950	902	347.00	347.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	300–350	320	627.50	627.50
6	350–400	360	615.00–635.00	623.21
9	400–450	438	532.50–602.50	556.27
7	450–500	478	507.50–515.00	511.81
11	500–550	524	523.00–532.00	526.21
30	550–600	578	440.00–480.00	452.25
4	600–650	645	415.00	415.00
27	750–800	775	364.00–374.00	367.58
3	850–900	882	339.00	339.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
13	750–800	772	362.00	362.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	300–350	306	650.00	650.00
6	400–450	432	560.00–575.00	564.80
2	700–750	718	376.00	376.00
9	750–800	777	337.50	337.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
6	700–750	738	365.00	365.00
7	800–850	800	351.00	351.00
6	850–900	883	338.00	338.00
18	900–950	924	331.00–339.00	336.73

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	500–550	535	500.00	500.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	700–750	718	384.00	384.00
5	850–900	863	327.50–330.00	329.00
5	1150–1200	1,154	265.00	265.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	400–450	436	537.50	537.50
1	450–500	475	570.00	570.00
2	500–550	548	509.00	509.00
34	550–600	592	425.00–437.50	436.42
5	600–650	620	385.00–427.50	419.27
7	700–750	736	325.00–382.50	340.85
16	750–800	755	362.50–365.00	362.66
4	800–850	836	340.00	340.00
1	1000–1050	1,040	210.00	210.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	600–650	609	390.00	390.00
4	700–750	745	340.00	340.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	350–400	392	530.00–540.00	534.98

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1050–1100	1,053	260.00	260.00
1	1100–1150	1,145	210.00	210.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
15	450–500	479	467.50–487.50	475.19

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,423	125.00–137.50	131.32
1	—	1,310	142.50	142.50
4	—	1,420	148.00–164.00	154.71

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
16	—	1,151	115.00–132.00	120.02
3	—	1,075	85.00–100.00	92.68
10	—	1,169	125.00–145.00	135.44

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,654	174.00	174.00
5	—	1,653	159.00	159.00
8	—	1,719	176.50–179.00	177.74

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
96	—	1,412	165.00–180.50	177.76
14	—	1,379	145.00–168.00	162.20
49	—	1,416	179.00–185.00	182.16

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	948	112.50–120.00	114.94

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,256	178.00–180.00	178.63
75	—	1,110	169.00–179.00	175.30
15	—	1,161	136.00–164.00	151.73

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
37	—	1,592	165.00–181.00	178.91
84	—	1,563	176.50–181.50	177.30

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Non-Traditional$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,330	183.00	183.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	2,310	205.00	205.00
2	—	1,588	145.00–175.00	159.98
1	—	1,880	218.00	218.00
17	—	1,950	184.00–209.00	197.13

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
7	—	1,694	167.00–177.00	171.15
12	—	1,632	184.00–205.50	194.47

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,088	237.50	237.50

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	775	215.00	215.00
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	745	240.00	240.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	8	—	931	225.00–285.00	262.83
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	13	—	1,017	183.00–285.00	228.18

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	7	—	1,221	185.00–199.00	188.78
(<2 yrs)	Open	25	—	1,008	220.00–304.00	284.68
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	125	—	1,121	185.00–312.50	240.32

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	1	—	935	220.00	220.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	3	—	1,102	220.00–250.00	238.93
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	10	—	1,345	190.00	190.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	18	—	1,457	3,100.00–3,225.00	3,192.81
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	24	—	1,424	3,100.00–3,500.00	3,345.73

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	4	—	1,205	2,700.00–2,850.00	2,808.13

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	9	—	1,662	3,725.00	3,725.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	7	—	1,418	4,100.00	4,100.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	14	—	1,475	3,550.00–3,650.00	3,623.12

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	—	1,300	2,900.00	2,900.00

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Source: USDA AMS, as filed — nothing recomputed and nothing rounded. This summary aggregates the same sales the Montana barn reports cover, so it must never be added to a state total built from those barns.