State summaries / Montana / Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary / 2026-05-18

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Montana · Weekly summary · Mon, May 18

● As filed137 lines reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1778

State summary

Counts as USDA filed them

Montana reported 137 priced lines covering 2,644 head across feeder cattle, slaughter cattle, replacement cattle. USDA puts feeder cattle receipts at 448 head. slaughter cattle receipts at 1,335 head. replacement cattle receipts at 2,323 head. Counted as USDA files them — 640 of those are cow-calf pairs, each counted once.

Montana Weekly Livestock Auction Summary

Mon May 18, 2026

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

Feeder CattleReceipts 448Last week 1,938Year ago 400

Slaughter CattleReceipts 1,335Last week 961Year ago 974

Replacement CattleReceipts 2,323Last week 1,149Year ago 1,506

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Demand overall for feeder cattle was good. Package sizes this week were mostly small with lots of singles. CME positions moved sharply lower throughout the week in the lead up to the release of Fridays cattle on feed report. The cattle on feed report showed cattle and calves on feed up 2% from May 2025, placements at 6% above May 2025 and marketing's 10% below May 2025. The May CME feeder cattle contract settled Friday at 369.125, 0.45 higher than last Friday. The August contract closed Friday at 349.85, 11.60 lower than last Fridays close. The September contract closed Friday at 346.85, 12.275 lower than last Fridays close. Market activity was mostly moderate to active with a smaller buyer pool noticed this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly very good demand for moderate offerings. Feeding cow demand was very good this week. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher on breaking and boning flesh cows. Lean fleshed cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher. Very good demand was seen this week from private feeders. Canadian buyers were not as active this week. American packers were still not very active as cow prices continue to strengthen. Cow quality was mostly average to attractive this week with many high quality cows off reputation ranches. A large crowd of feeding cow buyers were present at all sales. Young feeding cows were met with very good demand this week. Young cows were in high demand both from replacement buyers and from feeding buyers. Slaughter cow demand increased slightly this week but most cows remain mostly above packer's breakeven to slaughter. Breaking, boning and lean slaughter cows all sold with higher undertones. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher on a higher yielding offering. Feeding bull demand remains very good. Feeding bulls sold 3.00-5.00 higher this week. Demand for young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed was mostly good, but significantly stronger than last week. Cows and heifers which lost calves sold on very good demand. Feeding demand for young cows which are still eligible to grade choice was very good. Buyers took heifers up to 3 years old to put on feed this week. Young cows sold 12.00-15.00 higher on a higher quality offering. Quality was mostly average to attractive. Many sets of cattle were off reputation ranches as ranchers sent opens and pairs to town due to drought. Demand for cow-calf pairs continues to soften as heavier supplies are being seen as drought conditions worsen.

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	27	—	1,352	3,875.00–4,300.00	4,155.32
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	9	—	1,454	3,500.00–3,875.00	3,766.57
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,229	310.00	310.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	12	—	1,525	3,550.00–3,650.00	3,591.42

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	25	—	1,147	3,700.00–3,850.00	3,757.09
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	—	1,438	3,375.00–3,550.00	3,460.98
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	—	1,381	3,475.00	3,475.00

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)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	13	—	1,579	3,300.00–3,650.00	3,565.88

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	8	—	1,027	3,350.00	3,350.00

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)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	3	—	1,383	2,550.00–3,150.00	2,945.90
Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	4	—	1,428	3,200.00	3,200.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	15	—	1,058	4,525.00	4,525.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifer Pairs — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	27	—	956	3,950.00–4,350.00	4,083.86

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifer Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	18	—	999	4,375.00	4,375.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	225	—	1,047	226.00–340.00	288.73
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	225	—	1,188	191.00–331.00	232.43
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	9	—	1,276	193.00–210.00	196.43

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,083	205.00–235.00	220.24

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	36	—	1,095	190.00–300.00	222.02
(<2 yrs)	Open	19	—	977	215.00–322.50	274.75

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	12	—	1,113	242.50–288.00	283.67

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	Open	15	—	853	195.00–320.00	303.66

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Stock Cows — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	—	940	205.00	205.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
(<2 yrs)	N/A	1	—	1,300	3,850.00	3,850.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	N/A	3	—	1,687	4,100.00	4,100.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Broken Mouth$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	10	—	1,433	3,600.00–4,000.00	3,771.28
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	79	—	1,568	3,925.00–4,450.00	4,190.50

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	11	—	1,578	4,025.00	4,025.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	5	—	1,443	4,400.00	4,400.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,656	4,100.00	4,100.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	263	—	1,436	4,910.00–5,400.00	5,283.24
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,241	4,650.00	4,650.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	24	—	1,496	3,500.00–4,350.00	3,866.15
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,444	3,950.00	3,950.00
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	77	—	1,591	4,200.00–4,925.00	4,626.82
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	22	—	1,524	4,650.00–5,125.00	4,909.53

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	19	—	1,231	4,250.00–4,600.00	4,540.84
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	11	—	1,323	4,350.00–4,475.00	4,432.57
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	4	—	1,494	3,600.00	3,600.00
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	2	—	1,500	4,300.00	4,300.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium 1$ per head · actual wt
Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,208	4,150.00	4,150.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1-2 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	24	—	1,184	3,600.00–4,150.00	3,893.03
Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	Open	5	—	1,216	3,350.00	3,350.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	6	—	1,335	3,650.00	3,650.00

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	2	—	1,055	3,750.00	3,750.00
(<2 yrs)	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	4	—	1,169	3,700.00	3,700.00
(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	4	—	1,176	3,850.00–3,900.00	3,875.58

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
266	—	1,425	190.00–208.00	195.08
174	—	1,409	177.00–190.50	186.56
21	—	1,436	163.00–176.00	171.42

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
28	—	1,209	189.00–197.00	192.41
51	—	1,170	174.00–189.00	184.41
43	—	1,142	150.00–179.00	171.71

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
74	—	1,626	178.00–194.00	188.12
9	—	1,682	169.00–175.00	171.65
82	—	1,552	186.00–204.50	196.68

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
5	—	1,430	144.00–155.00	148.44
8	—	1,369	162.00–171.00	167.35
7	—	1,409	172.00–179.00	177.51

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
20	—	1,627	171.00–175.00	173.64
7	—	1,695	162.00–171.00	166.78
3	—	1,705	188.00	188.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Breaker 75-80% · Heavy Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
4	—	2,151	156.00–164.00	160.09

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90% · Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	740	160.00	160.00
3	—	913	142.50–154.00	150.18
6	—	860	125.00–135.00	130.11

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
12	—	1,166	145.00–167.50	158.97
1	—	1,215	170.00	170.00
14	—	1,115	122.00–146.00	135.31

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
2	—	2,253	211.00–218.00	214.36
36	—	1,883	207.50–226.00	220.19
8	—	1,814	182.00–207.50	193.50
40	—	2,043	225.00–254.00	233.45
10	—	2,034	219.00–223.50	222.49

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Light Weight$ per cwt · actual wt
3	—	1,353	194.00–206.00	198.34

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Return to Feed$ per cwt · actual wt
43	—	1,585	213.00–226.00	219.98
7	—	1,549	195.00–213.00	207.96

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Dairy Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,275	185.00	185.00

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	350–400	398	560.00	560.00
2	650–700	668	375.00	375.00
3	700–750	727	345.00–365.00	358.30
1	950–1000	965	262.50	262.50
6	1000–1050	1,025	242.50–285.00	263.69

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	1050–1100	1,060	232.50–237.50	236.66
1	1150–1200	1,175	244.00	244.00
1	1200–1250	1,245	230.00	230.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	1050–1100	1,053	295.00	295.00
1	1100–1150	1,110	272.00	272.00
4	1150–1200	1,153	265.00	265.00
1	1200–1250	1,225	260.00	260.00
1	1300–1350	1,345	257.50	257.50
2	1350–1400	1,375	238.00	238.00
2	1400–1450	1,433	225.00–237.50	231.28

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	600–650	625	410.00	410.00
5	1000–1050	1,014	302.50–310.00	308.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	500–550	512	455.00–470.00	464.92

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
4	1000–1050	1,015	325.00	325.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bulls — Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
1	1050–1100	1,060	331.00	331.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	408	490.00	490.00
10	450–500	456	475.00–480.00	478.00
11	500–550	536	420.00–425.00	422.24
5	550–600	578	390.00–405.00	401.94
20	600–650	636	365.00–387.50	379.28
12	650–700	667	360.00–369.00	366.91
9	700–750	715	360.00–367.50	364.99
25	800–850	824	320.00–333.50	327.50
2	850–900	863	311.00	311.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11	550–600	593	425.00	425.00
1	600–650	605	400.00	400.00
15	800–850	823	331.00	331.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
9	700–750	742	335.00	335.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
19	850–900	888	320.00	320.00
9	950–1000	968	309.00	309.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	435	465.00	465.00
4	450–500	493	435.00	435.00
4	500–550	541	410.00	410.00
7	550–600	571	400.00	400.00
5	600–650	611	360.00	360.00
15	650–700	679	340.00–367.50	361.93
3	750–800	752	320.00	320.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Full$ per cwt · actual wt
10	850–900	860	325.00	325.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
1	550–600	555	440.00	440.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Heifers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
2	500–550	520	410.00	410.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
4	500–550	538	470.00	470.00
9	550–600	573	435.00–440.00	436.14
4	650–700	689	402.50	402.50
11	750–800	782	367.00	367.00
8	800–850	825	360.00–362.50	362.19
7	900–950	933	320.00	320.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium 1 · Fleshy$ per cwt · actual wt
3	900–950	920	290.00	290.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
6	600–650	643	382.50	382.50

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
11	650–700	661	367.50–385.00	370.63
2	700–750	748	350.00	350.00
3	750–800	765	355.00	355.00
3	950–1000	965	319.00	319.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	550–600	552	345.00	345.00

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	700–750	700	385.00	385.00

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.