Ranching
Feedlot Placements Tick Up; Montana Calf Prices May Feel the Shift This Spring
New USDA numbers suggest more cattle moved into U.S. feedlots in February while fewer cattle moved out the front end. Reports indicate…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Firm While Corn, Wheat Slip: What Montana Producers Can Take From Friday’s Board
Friday’s futures trade ended with a split screen: cattle prices on the board pushed higher, while most major row crops and wheat…
Ranching
USDA Cattle on Feed: Higher Placements, Slower Marketings—How Montana Ranchers Should Read It
Fresh numbers out of USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report are giving the cattle trade something to chew on as spring work…
Ranching
Looking Past the Squeeze: What 2026 Profit Hopes Signal for Montana Livestock and Feed Markets
Profitability talk is starting to shift from “survive this year” to “position for next year,” and that matters in Montana where feed,…
Ranching
USDA Cattle on Feed: Higher Placements, Slower Marketings—Signals Montana Ranchers Should Read Carefully
New USDA Cattle on Feed numbers suggest U.S. feedlots brought in more cattle than a year ago while shipping fewer out. That…
Ranching
Cattle on Feed Numbers Shift: What Montana Ranchers Should Read Into Higher Placements
New USDA cattle numbers are giving the market something to chew on heading into spring. Reports indicate February feedlot placements were higher…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Firm While Grain Slips: What Montana Producers Should Take From March 20 Trade
Grain and livestock futures ended March 20 moving in opposite directions, according to market reports: corn, soybeans, and wheat finished lower, while…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Slide Ahead of USDA On-Feed Data, Putting Montana Calf Prices in Focus
Reports indicate cattle futures moved lower going into the end of the week as traders waited for clearer signals from cash trade…
Ranching
Grain Up, Cattle Lower: What March Futures Moves Could Signal for Montana Feed and Calf Prices
Grain markets ended Thursday, March 19, with a firmer tone, while cattle futures backed off—an end-of-day mix that matters in Montana where…
Ranching
USDA reports soymeal export sale; Montana feeders watch protein costs into 2026-27
USDA daily export reporting is usually a coastal headline—until it isn’t. On March 18, USDA reports indicate an “unknown destination” bought U.S.…
Ranching
Fewer Sale Barn Options Could Raise Montana Cattle Marketing Costs
Across the Northern Plains, reports indicate some livestock auction barns are consolidating, reducing sale-day options and pushing more cattle into fewer facilities.…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Sink Friday to End the Week: What the Selloff Could Mean for Montana Calf & Yearling Prices
Live and feeder cattle futures closed the week with sharp Friday losses—feeders hit harder. Here’s what it could mean for Montana calf…
Ranching
Montana Ranchers Are Cutting Deals Beyond the Sale Barn: Private Treaty, Dispersals, and Straight Trades That Protect Margins
Montana’s sale barns still set the weekly tone for price discovery, but more cattle are moving through private treaty deals, dispersal/estate sales,…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Tumble Into the Weekend: What the CME Selloff Could Mean for Montana Calf and Yearling Prices
Cattle futures ended the week with a sharp selloff in both live and feeder contracts. While Montana cash prices don’t move tick-for-tick…
Ranching
Montana Ranchers Are Selling Cattle Outside the Sale Barn More Often—How Private Treaty, Dispersals, and Direct Load-Lot Deals Work
Across Montana, the sale barn still anchors weekly price discovery—but more ranchers are using off-auction options like private treaty, dispersals, and direct…
Montana Ranching
Audubon Brings Conservation Ranching to Minnesota: Bird-Friendly Beef, Healthier Grasslands, and a New Certified Label
Audubon Conservation Ranching is expanding into Minnesota, partnering with local ranchers to improve grassland habitat, soil health, and water conservation—while offering a…
Montana Ranching
Free Spring Break Things to Do in Lubbock: Hands-On History at the National Ranching Heritage Center
Looking for free Spring Break fun in Lubbock? The National Ranching Heritage Center is hosting daily, family-friendly activities—from hands-on exhibits and guided…
Montana Ranching
Homeland Security Nominee’s Ranching Background: What It Could Mean for Border Policy, Rural Security, and Disaster Response
A Homeland Security nominee with deep ranching experience is drawing attention for a perspective rarely seen in top national security roles. Here’s…
Ranching
Beyond the Sale Barn: Where Montana Cattle Deals Are Showing Up in 2026
Across Montana, the local auction barn is still the backbone of price discovery and weekly cash flow. But more producers are also…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Jump While Corn and Wheat Slip: Signals for Montana Feed, Calf, and Hay Decisions
Grain and livestock futures sent a mixed message on March 4, with cattle contracts moving sharply higher while key feed grains drifted…
Farming
USDA March Reports Could Steer Feed Costs and Grain Prices Montana-Wide
Montana producers don’t plant much corn compared to the Midwest, but corn prices still reach into every corner of the state—from feed…
Ranching
Buying First- and Second-Calf Pairs: What Montana Ranchers Should Watch For This Spring
Listings for young cow-calf pairs pop up year-round, but interest often spikes as Montana outfits line up grass, labor, and branding schedules.…
Ranching
What a 300-Head Angus Listing Signals for Montana Cow-Calf Markets This Summer
A recent online listing for a large group of Angus and Angus-cross cows (around 300 head) out of the southern Plains is…
Ranching
Regional Simmental bull sale averages top $10K; what Montana buyers should watch
ALLIANCE, Neb. — Reports from a late-February production sale in western Nebraska point to continued strength in the registered bull and female…
Ranching
Montana Ranch Note: What a 45-Head Angus Listing Signals for Cow Demand
Online cattle listings can be a useful barometer for what producers are trying to get done right now—right-sizing herds, moving older cows,…