Montana farmer-stockman., 1948-01-01
Montana Markets
USDA WEEKLY SUMMARY
BILLINGS. DEC. 1925

Slaughter Cattle and Calves-The Christmas
holiday. week interrupted the marketings OF
livestock considerably, locally as well as at
the major midwest markets. Cattle and calf
receipts showed sharp decline from one week
earlier and fell behind the comparable period
one year ago. At Billings, salable cattle num-
bers through Friday this week added up to
around 965 head and the calf count to slightly
The II major midwest markets reported
100, 300 salable cattle and $4,000 head of
calves. Slaughter cattle predominated in the
local receipts again this week, comprising
around so percent of the numbers, the bal
ance being replacement classes. Cows COM
priSed the bulk of the supply, fed cattle being
offered in very limited numbers.
Demand proved broad again this week for
ruled on both slaughter and replacement
cattle, strength being most evident on beef
cows and bulls. Replacement buyers stepped
in and purchased practically the entire calf
offering this week, while previously this
season a good proportion of the heifer calves
had been going for slaughter.
Slaughter steers and yearlings we're rather
scarce again this week, mostly odd head
medium and good grades clearing at $40 to
$26.40. Comparable grade heiferS were also
offered in rather limited numbers and ranged
from s19 to s25, a few head common kind
cows cashed at mostly $16.50 to $40. so, mostly
odd head high good young cows selling up
ward to around $22.
common and medium cows, while Gamers
and cutters secured largely s11 to $3.50.
flashy cutters frequently going upward to S14.
An individual good beef bull established a new
high at the local market for this class at $40,
odd head other good beef OFFERINGS selling
~ownwa to $40. Medium and good sausage
bulls were more plentiful at SIT to $3.50
Virtually no calves sold for slaughter, and
StOckers and Feeders-Except for a three
carload shipment of North Dakota stock steers
and a Slightly larger CONSIGNMENT of Wyoming
stock COWS, replacement classes were COM
prised of mostly odd lots of truckins. Fully
steady prices proved to be the general rule
on replacement classes, except mostly strong
prices on STOCK calves COMPARED With late
last week. The 90 head of Dakota steers con-
sisted Of medium to mostly good stock offer
s2 : ~''i"S"S 001 DOuH'S' 'HeSe eS'HiDS
Scattered other packages of good to choice
replacement steers and yearlingS ranged from
$40 to S25, a few common and medium stock
offerings earning SIC to $3.50. Small pack
ages OF good to choice feeding heifers Sc
cured $3.50 to $20.50 and medium to good
stock heifers $3.50 to $18. Several consign-
ments of good to choice stock steer calves
scored SCI to $751; comparable grade heifer
calves clearing at $40 to $23.60 On Monday
a generous supply of medium and good stock
cows earned s14 to S18, several short load
lots of good young COWS selling by the head
at $3.50 to $169.
~Hogs-salable hog supplies this week at
Billings were only slightly over one-half of
the numbers offered one week earlier. There
was also a marked reduction in marketingS at
the major midwest markets, this weeks supply
through Friday at the IL principal markets
being estimated 189, 900 head, against 334,900
head for five days last week.
Price advances featured this weeks market
at all points. Barrows and gifts opened at
so cents higher prices than last weeks close,
and on Friday values were generally S1.35
higher than one week earlier, a few butchers
scaling 100 to ITS pounds and $50 to $50
pounds were penalized 81 to 81 for weight.
Strong to so cents higher prices ruled on
sows, most good and choice offerings going
in a price spread from $3.50 to s24.50.
Feeder and weaver pigs were rather scarce
this week.
Sheep-Marketings of sheep this week at
the local market added up to only around
375 head. Practically all this supply was Of
fered on Monday. Prices for the most part
on all classes compared fully steady with late
last week, and if anything carried a strong
undertone in line with recent advances at
the midwest markets. Several packages OF
good and choice wooded slaughter lambs
cashed at s23, a few head medium kim
earning s21.
Slaughter ewes this week were comprised
of common and medium grades that earned
$3.50 to $3.50, good and choice grades beinf
quotable around 1925 to $3.50. Odd heac
medium yearling wethers scored s14, gooc