Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-04-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-04-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed on all weights on offer. Heifers were all too lightly tested last week to develop and accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed on heifers under 550 lbs, while steady to firm undertones were noticed on heifers over 550 lbs. Quality this week was average to attractive and overall more attractive than last week. Demand was mostly good to very good for all feeders on offer. Demand for grass cattle was mostly very good as grass fever has set in and buyers are looking to fill summer pastures before sales lighten for the season. Grass buyers often out bid replacement heifer buyers this sale as demand for feeders out weighed replacement demand today. Market activity this week was active to very active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers and feeding buyers both showed good demand for cows this week. Feeding buyers pushed packers to the edge of what they were willing to pay and often out bid packers on most offerings. Feeding buyers purchased most of the cow offering this week. Packers mostly purchased lame or blemished cows not suitable to feed to send to harvest. A very high quality set of fed cows were seen this week and feeding and packer buyers were both very aggressive as they bid on these offerings. With good demand and aggressive bidding seen from both packer and feeding buyers, all offerings sold higher. Slaughter cows and feeding cows both sold steady to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher. Moderate to good demand was seen this week for 2-3 year old cows suitable to re-breed. These offerings sold mostly steady to firm with last week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $151.29/cwt on 1,413 head.

Average price

$151.29

1,413 head · 628 lb average

Value per head Derived

$950

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$32

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2

$16.96/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.59

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	515	158.13	814	210
Medium and Large 1	650	150.35	978	1,169
Medium and Large 2	554	141.17	782	34

One grade step is worth $16.96/cwt here — about $32 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale1,413 hd

151.29

—

MT average3 barns · 4,171 hd

149.70

+1.59

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,827	79.31	1,449	20
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,737	66.91	1,162	91
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,448	64.62	936	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,157	58.15	673	18

Every lot, as filed

65 lots · USDA AMS · Miles City Livestock Commission Auction - Miles City, MT

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	757	137.75/cwt	137.75–137.75	1,043	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	633	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	994	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	670	148.37/cwt	140.00–153.00	994	124
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	728	138.10/cwt	135.00–140.75	1,005	148
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	575	157.74/cwt	155.00–163.00	907	227
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	629	154.96/cwt	152.50–159.00	975	307
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	716	142.88/cwt	140.00–145.00	1,023	54
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	973	103.06/cwt	83.00–120.00	1,003	74
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	581	152.27/cwt	140.00–154.50	885	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	442	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	800	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	596	175.75/cwt	175.75–175.75	1,047	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	100	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	200	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	529	184.75/cwt	184.75–184.75	977	41
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	374	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	688	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,190	62.64/cwt	58.00–65.50	745	12
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,401	65.01/cwt	60.00–68.00	911	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,102	80.06/cwt	69.00–95.00	882	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,270	65.84/cwt	62.50–69.00	836	29
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,295	58.50/cwt	58.50–58.50	758	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	880	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	836	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,140	60.50/cwt	60.50–60.50	690	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	681	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	1,062	4
Bulls	—	—	1,801	82.61/cwt	77.50–86.50	1,488	11
Bulls	—	—	2,165	89.00/cwt	89.00–89.00	1,927	1
Bulls	—	—	1,821	73.55/cwt	69.50–75.50	1,339	8
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,737	66.91/cwt	66.50–68.00	1,162	91
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,550	57.10/cwt	52.00–61.00	885	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,390	68.50/cwt	68.50–68.50	952	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,440	65.33/cwt	63.00–66.00	941	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,185	43.62/cwt	41.00–46.00	517	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,180	58.39/cwt	56.00–59.50	689	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,214	63.33/cwt	60.00–66.00	769	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	855	53.50/cwt	53.50–53.50	457	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	770	44.00/cwt	44.00–44.00	339	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	475	162.48/cwt	159.00–165.25	772	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	467	170.01/cwt	166.50–171.50	794	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	613	140.31/cwt	138.50–149.00	860	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	329	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	576	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	407	170.50/cwt	170.50–170.50	694	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	397	172.50/cwt	172.50–172.50	685	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	697	139.75/cwt	139.75–139.75	974	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	689	147.85/cwt	147.00–148.00	1,019	74
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	761	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	1,168	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	360	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	749	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	699	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,021	4
Steers	Large 1	—	1,025	124.50/cwt	124.50–124.50	1,276	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	585	136.29/cwt	136.00–137.00	797	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	435	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	696	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	531	156.91/cwt	155.00–160.00	833	91
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	804	132.98/cwt	132.00–134.00	1,069	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	480	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	888	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	811	145.58/cwt	144.00–146.00	1,181	102
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	569	182.26/cwt	178.00–182.50	1,037	92
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	686	164.43/cwt	161.75–169.00	1,128	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	870	140.64/cwt	139.00–141.50	1,224	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	720	158.41/cwt	155.00–161.00	1,141	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	615	176.41/cwt	169.00–178.25	1,085	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	533	189.89/cwt	183.00–194.50	1,012	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	515	164.12/cwt	162.50–164.50	845	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	771	134.81/cwt	134.50–135.00	1,039	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	836	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,078	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	429	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	751	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,173	90.50/cwt	90.50–90.50	1,062	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	480	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	948	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	853	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,041	2

How this sale compares

Montana weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Montana auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →